We bought our home in January 2021 and ready to do something in the front. I know nothing about plants or landscaping but I want low maintenance and minimalistic. Any suggestions on what to do and where? The house is east facing so it gets all the am sun.
Our facebook group were excited to share their ideas.
Below are a few photos and comments on this topic that were shared in our exclusive Facebook Group dedicated to midcentury modern home owners. If you own a midcentury house and are not already a member, join us now!
- “Ask a local nursery about perennials. Keep in mind how big they will get when mature! I just bought a MCM ranch and I am having to remove mature landscaping that is causing damage to fences, stone facade, foundations, etc.”
- “You could hire a landscape designer. They know local plants and have computer programs where you can visualize their plan and what it will look like in ten years. If your local college has a landscape program, this is the time of year when students are looking for projects to design for no cost.”
- “Lots of little rocks, and a rain garden with native plants would be minimal, I think, plus no grass.”
- “My first thought is to create a nice gate in front of the carport, to expand the facade of the house. Ideally, It should be made of same material as house facade, but only 5 or 6ft. high. I would put shutters on the small window with window box below it, for a ‘cottage” look. The foundation planting area across the front of the house could be undulating (some areas deeper than others, not straight across.”
- I would talk with a local nursery for plant ideas with your directives of “low Maintenance and minimalist”. Some large rocks would add interest. Consider a budget and do it in phases if necessary.”
- “PLEASE do not put shrubs that will grow tall in front of windows. On the small window side of the house you may also consider doing a matching fence, or tall tree or tall shrub to expand the facade beyond the house, It should not stop at the corner. I envy you, I love to create landscape plans.”
- “Depends on where you are. Look at your neighbor’s yard. Get one basic low shrub and plant a row across the front, a few feet from the house. Or, get a landscaping service/garden center to do it for you. Don’t plant anything if you haven’t seen it looking good elsewhere in the neighborhood..”
- “Take out the tree for starters. It is out of proportion to house and serving no purpose. Think about plants with more structure in the garden down the drive. It is not a rock garden type house. I think maybe there pyramid type trees in a row that do not grow out over the drive and just need the odd trim. I am on the other side of the world so cannot recommend trees for Seattle!”
- “I hate to say it, but I’d think about removing that tree or thinning it. And you’ll probably end up ripping up and replacing that walkway along the driveway at some point since the tree roots have lifted it up.”
- “I would look for a Master Gardeners class near you or something similar. I was in the same spot as you. I paid $45 for a book and a semester class at our 4H. I think it was one of my best investments.”
There’s much more to this discussion in our facebook group. If you own a midcentury home you can read more tips about this topic here.
