Need advice on landscaping the front of my house

Shaina
by Shaina

Would love advice or ideas on how to landscape front of my house and what color you recommend for the front door. It's a semi detached home (the one on the right).

  18 answers
    • Shaina Shaina on Apr 01, 2020

      Thank you! I was thinking a softer blue but I am warming up to the navy blue more and more.

  • Michelle Leslie Michelle Leslie on Apr 01, 2020

    Hi Shaina, just wanted to check. Is it the one on the left or the one on the right that's been cut off in the photo?

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    • Michelle Leslie Michelle Leslie on Apr 02, 2020

       It looks like you have a lovely, big planter standing on the pillar. That would look stunning filled with a whole bunch of succulents. Look out for aloe vera, jade, fairy crassula, sedum, Sansevieria and kalanchoes. Add some trailing ones around the outside so the can drape down (wax plant, Christmas cactus, Easter cactus, night flowering cereus, mistletoe cactus, string of pearls, string of hearts and rosary vine are all shade loving ). You can also add a pretty wooden bench between the conifers to hide the pipe. I'm not sure what zone you stay in (this site will help you find out - https://garden.org/nga/zipzone/) but you can have a look at what perennials do well in your area. I also found this lovely article with a whole bunch of plants that will work in a rock garden - https://blog.gardenloversclub.com/gardens/rock-garden-plants/ To hide the house on your right when you come up the stairs you can think of adding a screen of some sort. Here's a few inexpensive ideas that could work for you - https://donpedrobrooklyn.com/outdoor-privacy-screen/


      Have fun Shaina, I think your home has so much potential and character.

  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on Apr 01, 2020

    Is your home the red brick or the sided one?

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Apr 01, 2020

    Hi,

    If your home is the Red Brick home with two conifers outside, I would not change the colour of the door, but I might add tallish coloured plants in between the conifers or maybe add a Yellow or variegated foliage shrub.

  • K. Rupp K. Rupp on Apr 01, 2020

    If your home is the red brick, I love a nicely painted black door or navy blue with red brick. In our home we got rid of the storm door and changed the door with one that has a beautiful leaded window to add light. I love it!! That way we can still get the light we had when we had the storm door there. Just throwing out an idea. Also add another bush in between the 2 sculpted small pines. You could add a mulch bed on the right of the walkway and steps with some flowers.

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    • K. Rupp K. Rupp on Apr 04, 2020

      Sure glad it helped!! Love your house! Any update to your door will look beautiful!

  • I think a flowering shrub between the 2 small arborvitaes would help hide the gas meter. You could keep the grass right up to the sloped part of the lawn and cover the slope with some pretty ground cover and flowers. Bugleweed it a good choice.

    • Shaina Shaina on Apr 01, 2020

      Thank you! I am off to google to research these plants soon.

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Apr 01, 2020

    I would go with a pop of color on the door like teal.

    As for landscaping, a few pots with bright colors and a bit of decor draped on the porch railing.

  • Jan Clark Jan Clark on Apr 01, 2020

    If you change the color of the door, it will throw everything off balance. Instead, you might add color by painting the trim an accent color. Maybe a forest green to match the shrubs - and don't forget the window trim! For landscaping, you might consider a rock garden on the front slope (I hate mowing slopes, myself.) and a bed of flowers or small flowering shrubs just in front of the porch between the cedars. Choose something that's naturalized to your planting zone that appeals to you and your level of gardening expertise. Make sure you edge it. You might want to add some hanging baskets on the porch. And maybe a cute garden sculpture for some fun.

    • Shaina Shaina on Apr 01, 2020

      Thank you for these suggestions. We've considered mulching the hill for the same reason. Thankfully hubby does the mowing lol. I like the idea of rocks.

  • Dianacirce70 Dianacirce70 on Apr 01, 2020

    I would go dark for the door, just because everything is so red. I'd also do a retaining wall beside the steps, something simple, and definitely not red brick, then plant grass in the area in front of the retaining wall, fresh grass in the yard and colorful flowering bushes in front of the porch. I, personally, love the arborvitae, as they are clean and don't bush out too much, but removing the one next to the steps would give you more room to plant something pretty, which the one on the corner is a nice break from all the cement and brick.

    • Shaina Shaina on Apr 01, 2020

      Thank you! I have done some research on retaining walls for the slope but I like the idea of the retaining wall for the area next to the steps.

  • The world is your oyster here and depends on your goals, willingness to maintain, and what planting zone/amount of daylight you receive. I’d paint or replace the railing, add flowering plants in the yard.

  • Janice Janice on Apr 01, 2020

    I'd add colorful perennial plants between your sidewalk and the neighbor's to delineate your side. More larger perennials or small shrubs betwen the two plants already there. I would paint your door and storm door a color you love and leave the rest of the trim white as is. You have a stately place!

    • Shaina Shaina on Apr 01, 2020

      Love these suggestions. I appreciate your response!!

  • Em Em on Apr 01, 2020

    Plant ground cover on the slope and either tall flowers between the two evergreen or another rounded shrub. Make a circle in the front with perhaps a birdbath in the middle surrounded by flowers and bordered with river rock. Paint the door what ever your favorite color is. The sky is the limit. It is YOUR home. Turquoise, green and peach all go well with redbrick.

  • Mogie Mogie on Apr 01, 2020

    You want to add color. In the form of colorful plants or pots. I think the front door would look nice (and stand out) if you painted it yellow. It doesn't have to be school bus yellow it could be a butter cream. But carry on with the yellow theme by choosing plants with yellow foliage or blooms.

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    • Shaina Shaina on Apr 01, 2020

      Thank you!! I first wanted to paint the door yellow just like you described. I'm stuck between yellow and some form of blue.

  • Shaina Shaina on Apr 01, 2020

    Thank you all so much for the advice. My house is the red brick semi detached on the right hand. So in this photo it's in the middle. I love that many of you are suggesting door colors I have been considering, blue, teal, and yellow were my first choices. I just can't decide.

  • Mogie Mogie on Apr 01, 2020

    Whatever you decide on please let us know and good luck!

  • Radiant Radiant on Sep 01, 2021

    Your house looks great!

  • Foxdie Foxdie on Sep 08, 2021

    I think your house is beautiful and so. You can only refresh the paint a little and nothing more. In general, I would advise you to contact a landscape designer. Landscape designers not only select plants, but also think through lighting and communications, design recreation areas. They make sketches, create drawings of the project and monitor the implementation.When we moved to a new house, I decided to hire professionals and turned to Christies Landscape. I really like the result of their work.

  • Radiant Radiant on Sep 09, 2021

    I'm sure that it was a lot of work to finish everything. I'm planning on buying a piece of land and building my dream house, but it's so expensive. I even want to hire a landscaper from jscustomlandscaping.com in order to have beautiful scenery. I know that everything is going to pay off. My wife also likes my ideas and we're good to go regarding this matter. Slowly, but surely, we're going to have enough money to achieve this dream. After all, this house is going to be around for many years and we have to make sure that we will be using quality materials