What would you suggest for updates in this rural WA setting? We don't own, but live here as part of our employee benefit. Necessary repairs are paid for by the camp, but the landscaping or cosmetic fixes are our responsibility. We have lived at camp for over 25 years and are just 500' away from this home currently, so have lots of amateur gardening experience in this woodsy setting.
We have our list made:
- remove tall trees & overgrown shrubs (already cut & removed stumps of firs between garage & house as well as diseased cherry tree next to driveway with many more to do.)
- transplant what shrubs we can to screen back of garage side yard area from backyards of 2 other homes through the trees (some shrubs may not be salvageable due to malpruning from recent occupant, but original owner would like them retained if possible)
- redo walkways from driveway to front door & to garage (increase width to doors plus width for foot traffic from passenger side of cars, level & update, maybe reuse the 10 sunken stepping stones elsewhere because they're too small for a front door entry)
- possibly create a patio and connecting walkways between garage & house (include our existing bistro set, bench, and pondless jar fountain)
- replace front windows
- fix sinking front deck footings & add handrail for steps
- create curved foundation beds to accent the house rather than detract. Keep unplanted area at least 3' from home. Add -paint front door (probably burgundy raisin color) & see if that is enough to offset the brown that I don't like at all
Current backyard patio with red chicken coop in background. Coop will be in backyard, but the furniture and fountains can be in front now. Wood chip paths work fine for the backyard, but probably won't work for a front entry. We have a gravel driveway now that leads right to the front steps, so know that tracks in a lot of forest debris despite a covered porch & entry mats.
{{gwi:31290}}From Drop Box
We will move the backyard stuff (small greenhouse, chicken coop, rabbit hutches, and more) when we get the big trees removed & the front yard figured out.
The entry faces south with the right front corner facing east and the back left corner facing west. There are only 3 windows on the other side (small kitchen window, kitchen skylight, and a bedroom window), so the front lighting is important. There is a solid back door in the laundry room off the kitchen. At some point we may remove a built in hutch in the dining room & replace with a sliding glass door for more lighting and views. We currently have great views to our backyard with fountains, small pets of poultry & rabbits, as well as the wild birds in the birdbath & fountains, so want to create a front yard that is pleasing to view.
What would you do here? {{gwi:31292}}From Drop Box
Huge maple in backyard needs professional removal since it's about 25' from the house.
{{gwi:31295}}From Drop Box
Took off front shutters to open it up a bit, too.
{{gwi:27825}}From Drop Box
{{gwi:31298}}From Drop Box
All those huge trees including the stand of big leaf maples are marked for logging.
{{gwi:31300}}From Drop Box
from the left side SSW of garage where the shrubs will be moved to screen the front yard from views of 2 other backyards
{{gwi:31302}}From Drop Box
another view from further west back toward house & garage (drainfield is further right of where photographer is standing, so will remain grassy area there) {{gwi:31305}}From Drop Box
view from the far right (east) & shows the width between garage & house as well as malpruned blueberry shrubs on left and topped pyracantha at end of house too close to the house
{{gwi:31307}}From Drop Box
Thanks in advance for your suggestions !
trovesoftrilliums
oliveoyl3Original Author
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