Garden Gate: Help! I need to do major landscaping!
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22937 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22937 Posts
Posted - Jan 13 2017 : 1:12:53 PM
Okay ladies!
I need some farmgirl genius to kick in here! I need to improve the curb appeal of my house as we are trying to sell it this summer before baby comes so we can get OUT OF TOWN and into the country where we belong! :)
I'm going to post some old pictures of the house from when I bought it. In the pictures it has dark brown siding but that was changed this summer to a light cappuccino/ cream variegated metal siding. We also changed the corners to flush wood trim that is painted the cream color.
The front door is a cranberry color and we took down the black fence around the front porch and plan on wrapping the cement porch in cedar to make a pretty addition. I also plan on making shutters that will be painted the cranberry color to go around the main windows.
Here is the deal though- there are no plants around the foundation. We plan on doing a wood privacy fence around the back yard, and a wood picket fence around the front yard. I have three mature trees in the front yard and three in the back. Everything else is at best grass- at worst weeds. In some places I think I will have to bring sod in.
We have to put in some egress windows on the side of the house shown below but between the windows I want to start some great flower and herb beds, I want rose and flowers all around the front porch and maybe up against the picket fence. I want to plant some ever blooming lilac bushes on the western side of the yard. We are a corner lot with a road on the south and west side. Across the street is our community center to the south and some really ugly apartments to the west.
Behind me is an amazingly beautiful brick home all covered in Ivy and very upscale looking, so I know I if I can get my house to look good, it stands a chance of overcoming the nasty apartments.
So ladies- can you look at these pictures and help give me some ideas! I need to start ordering seeds and getting stuff started now so when spring hits I can get some instant color out there.
Fun! What Zone are you in? The places around the house that you want ideas for - are we talking full sun? Partial?
Do you lean more towards perennials? Some people are willing to plant things were they have to dig up and save the bulbs (not me! lol)...
What height range are you looking for with the full grown plants?
Do you want things that will bloom at different times?
Lilacs and roses sound like a great start! We have Russian Lilac bushes but have had little luck with roses.
Edited by - AuntJamelle on Jan 16 2017 06:18:40 AM
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22937 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22937 Posts
Posted - Jan 16 2017 : 5:24:16 PM
We are in zone 4b and I would rather plant perennials in case it doesn't sell right away. The house faces south but I have three mature trees in the front yard so it stays party shaded. As to the rest- I am open to suggestions. I had two rose bushes bust my boyfriends son stomped one and his dog got the other. Not sure if they will come back yet
What about Black-Eyed Susans? (Rudbeckia) They are an easy to grow flower - they spread themselves too which is nice depending on your space. Coneflowers are nice too and the two colors and heights together look nice I think. We've also had good luck with Coral Bells. And Coreopsis! Hostas are always good too!
If you have a big space to fill that is dryer and gets lots of sun Russian Sage can be a good choice, they get nice and big!
gramadinah
True Blue Farmgirl
3557 Posts
Diana
Orofino
ID
USA
3557 Posts
Posted - Jan 17 2017 : 06:42:09 AM
Alee your Realtor will have great ideas too and for no money as she only wants to sell this property.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #273
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22937 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22937 Posts
Posted - Jan 17 2017 : 10:36:11 AM
Diana- true but I need to get stuff going several months ahead of time. I will ask my realtor for advise before planting but you know how it is. You notice the houses that have great landscaping and then you notice the ones that make you wince as you drive by. I want my house to have that charming feel as quick as possible so people who have been driving by when they see it listed they say "Oh! I've always wanted to go in that house! They have such a cute yard! The house must be great too!" ;)
Alee Farmgirl Sister #8
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22937 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22937 Posts
Posted - Jan 17 2017 : 3:17:16 PM
I talked to my real estate agent. She said that real estate has been picking up (yay!) I also found out the place I wanted to buy got sold (boo). The real estate agent said that mostly people really like pollinator friendly flowers so that is great and fits right in with my farmgirlness! Gotta make the bees happy!
Alee Farmgirl Sister #8
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22937 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22937 Posts
Posted - Jan 17 2017 : 3:23:39 PM
So now I need you ladies to help me plant a bed. I am pathetic at planning beds and instead of looking whimsically beautiful it looks like someone was drunk and color blind. I need help laying out back middle and foreground so I can have color and texture without it being overwhelming and unattractive. I need to fix the negative drainage around my foundation so I will have to dig down, put in gravel, lay plastic and back fill with soil so we are talking about things that can live in 6-12 inches of soil at the most. Some flowering shrubs that might live permanently in a pot sized hole could be arranged but mostly it need to be surface level plants.
I am probably going to plant some aspens or white birch so that the view out of the windows will be trees instead of the yucky apartments and plant some lilacs along the fence to soften the edge between front and back. I want to build an arch over the gate to the back to plant climbing roses, but there my creativity stumbles.
Any ideas?
Alee Farmgirl Sister #8
Garden Gate: Help! I need to do major landscaping!
Help! I need to do major landscaping!
Posted - Jan 13 2017 : 1:12:53 PM
