Our master plan for our front yard is ready for it’s reveal. And I am ridiculously uber excited to show you the ideas that we have a-brewin.
Currently our yard is like this – the driveway on the righthand side is the highest point in our yard. Since we are on the side of a slope…the base of the big oak tree on the left hand side is probably around eight feet lower than the driveway. The two smaller trees are dogwoods. The previous owner haphazardly planted the little suckers with no regard for aesthetics or the side of our car. Everytime we pull into the driveway, the side of our Honda gets assaulted. Seriously, the screeches are worse than what you can imagine come outta Janice Dickerson. Obviously this plan doesn’t show the Magnolia tree – since the boys brought it down like chinatown.
And here is the Grand Master Sensei Kick-A Garden Plan. aka – the plan for our yard! Yay! Ok – let me explain.
In order to grade the yard (grading is evening it out so that it is more flat) we need a retaining wall that will hold back the soil that is supporting our driveway. So in a curly “s” shape we have a stone wall about five feet from the side of the driveway. Above the stone wall will be a bed for lower growing plantings – perennials, some small shrubs, maybe some hostas and ornamental grasses, annuals. And a small tree – maybe a White Fringetree or a Vitex. At the corner of the bed closest to the house, I plan on planting a few more rose bushes…since the ones I previously planted nearby are doing so well. The stone wall will taper down near the end of the driveway and blend seemlessly with a drainage area that runs under our drive.
In the midsection of our yard is a beautiful grassy lawn (a girl can dream, right!?!)…hopefully we can score some sod and recruit a few peeps to help us lay it out. And while we are in fantasy land…let’s throw in a sprinkler system too 🙂
On the left hand side of the lot, we have a plan to create a sense of balance by faking out the eye. Since our grassy area in the middle will be relatively flat, the dropoff will take place in the left hand bed. A little topsoil and mulch will definitely help but what the real solution will be is to use LARGE plantings. Three Nellie R. Stevens trees will take root near the front edge and will provide a nice evergreen backdrop as well as some privacy. Closer to the house will be several forsythia (in yellow) and some large hydrangeas (in blue) and many additional azaleas (pink). The gray stone path that will lead from the front to the side yard will pass by a retaining wall. The retaining wall will be instrumental in creating a matching bed for the left hand side of the porch.
Since we don’t live in a subdivision, I feel like our curb appeal is crucial. So if your name is planting professional or garden ho or greenthumber – I would appreciate any suggestions, cheesy jokes, planting advice that I can get. Help is welcome. And those of you that have crapperific yards too – well my dream is at your disposal 🙂
Looks like a great plan! Can’t wait to see the finished result. We just bought 30 clethra alnifolia shrubs (hummingbird variety) from Buck Jones nursery in Grayson, and they have excellent plants. We’ve also gotten other shrubs from them too (oakleaf hydrangeas, dwarf wax myrtles, and itea virginica ‘henry’s garnet’) and some ferns. The hubs installed drip irrigation for our garden last year, and it was pretty easy. Let me know if y’all need any help, and I can send him over 🙂
WOW you must have really done your research — did you create this plan all by your little ole self? Can’t wait to see the finished product!
The plan looks amazing even on paper! I’m just amazed at all of your landscaping ideas since I have no clue when it comes to plants, flowers and trees. I have no experience in anything so I will have to take a class or something when I buy a house 🙂
That looks great! Did you have a landscape designer help you, or did you do it yourself? The drawing looks very professional.
I love the diagrams. They remind me of one that I saw recently on This Young House. Are you guys using some sort of specific software to make these? Or is it just Photoshop?
Kristi – it is funny that you say that…the diagram reminded me of the one on TYH too! Sherry and I had a giggle over the fact that we draw our bushes the same. However, I must say that hers was so much more professional since it is to scale and mine was simply a rendering. I don’t know how she made hers but I made mine in Paint and then photoshopped the color into it 🙂
Hi Erin – I did rack the brain of a friend who owns a landscaping company for names of different plants but alot of the ideas were simply by doing research on plants. I did spend a lot of time here…http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary
XO – Katie
The plan looks great! I’m a huge “working in my yard fan”. I’m a big fan of both Vitex ( i have one) or Fringe tree, if your other roses are not Knock out’s take a look at them. They are very low maintenance and here in south Alabama they bloom from March-Nov!
if the deer start eating your plants just put a bar of irish spring soap on a stick (like a chopstick or whatever) and stick the stick in your garden, soap end up! it blends into your taller flower beds so noone notices it and the deer cant stand it.
Hope this helps… i’ve been stalking your blog for a while now, i don’t know if i’ve ever commented before.