We’ve recently ripped out tons of bushes, plants, grasses, flowers etc that were overshadowing the house. The yard regrading is done and grass will go down soon. I’m looking for suggestions for the raised boxes on either side of the steps. Plants, statuary…? I’m located in Minnesota.
Members of our facebook group for midcentury home owners were happy to help.
Below are some examples of members thoughts on the topic. These are only a few of the thousands of tips that are 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!
- “Not sure how these would do in your climate, but three or foue Spider or Mother-in-law plants would look cool.”
- “Snake plants would look great to add some greenery. I would personally use your blue pot in another location. Paint the door trim, and all window trim a matte black. Leave all brick natural. I would paint all cream painted areas a crisp white.“
- “Definitely plants… it will help the proportions of that window tremendously (sill looks a little high at the moment).”
- “You can do plants plus add a sculpture to the large one in the center. Might find a trio of large round pots to put on the corner of the deck as well. Lots of great options now that you have a blank canvas to start on.“
- “If north facing perennial ferns …. Japanese painted ferns are fun.“
- “Dwarf fountain grass or blue oat grass and the dead grass acts as structure during the winter and then cut back in spring…consider a small growing soft yew if want evergreen… those can get big fast though”
- “What direction does it face? I think Prairie Nursery or another native plant store would be a good start so you can search for something that will naturally thrive based on search filters for soil conditions, appearance, sun exposure, etc. Low maintenance, and something that will support your local ecosystem.”
- “I have big pots in front of my MCM house. I put plants in them last year. This year I bought hanging baskets and set them in the pots, after removing the hangers. The begonias grew much better than the geraniums. You might try something like that to figure out what grows well in your planter locations. And it might not be the same for both planters since they are different sizes and locations. Sunlight and water makes a huge difference.”
- “We did coleus and petunias in a somewhat warmer climate, and they have thrived. But it really depends whether you want green or color.“
- “In the long rectangular box, I think some boxwoods clipped into geometric shapes (cubes, cones, and/or globes) would look great against the wall. Then some creeping juniper at the front to hang over and soften the edge. Would give you some contrast in color (green and bluish) and keep color year round. Then maybe a few brightly colored annuals spring to early fall.”
- “We live in Minnesota and have elephant ears in our planter boxes.”
- “To the left, something columnar or cone-shaped would be nice: Italian cypress or arbor vitae, again with some bright annuals at the base for the warm months.”
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