Hey where did everyone go? Cherry..

I'm not sure what you would like the forum to do for you. The request is a bit vague, yet has some rather limiting factors. How limited is the budget and how much are you prepared to do yourselves? Re-do or reconfigure hardscaping? One of the benefits of foundation plantings (however one would care to define them) is that they DO provide visual interest when the house itself has no particular architectural distinction. Creative hardscaping can achieve the same result.

I'd be inclined to limit the amount of lawn area (which doesn't seem to be thriving in half the garden anyway), revamp the hardscaping to enlarge and create a more inviting entry and soften the walkway with a gentle curve and fill with plantings of your choice. IMO, expanses of lawns in small front gardens such as yours are unnecessary, a bit of a waste of space and are not a particularly creative solution. And this approach does not necessarily have to provide a heavy shrub border to obscure the stone facing, which appears from the photo to be an attractive feature. And I'd certainly invest in a new mailbox or some other way of dealing with the post - it stands out rather glaringly.

The home improvement stores are filled with books on home landscaping that will take you through both the design process as well as provide photos for more inspiration that might stimulate your thoughts as to what you'd like to see in front. As these tend to be targeted for the DIY'er, most of the ideas are easily accomplished and with a relatively limited expenditure. Or check out your library or book store. Sometimes just wading through various design publications with lots of photos will help the creative process.

Some day we will replace the walkway but not now. I have a daughter in college and a Son on the way to college. So the hardscape needs to stay for the time being.

What I would like is: How would you fix this to be more inviting? I am looking for the AHH factor.. (When people walk by they say, "gee they did a good job on the landscaping")

I will be replacing the mailbox but my husband and I can't agreee right now. I think the previous owners thought they lived in a more rural area.
I recently replaced the entry light with a larger one, and we painted the front door black.
All things we can do ourselves.
I am willing to dig up the lawn and put in a flower garden

With a house with such straight lines is it better to do straight beds or curved?

I can add a flower bed in the front lawn but where and how large should it be?

I have looked at the DIY books but nothing seems to address the low brick ranch that seems plopped down from outerspace.

Thanks for taking a look..

I have looked at your post a few times but I have not been able to formulate a good reply. My gut tells me that you should start with the architecture and paint scheme of your house...those are two topics that I know very little about. You could probably do better than white trim and door and I like the idea of painting a garage door a color that does not stand out (and the white rain spout stands out a bit much as well).

When I look at your house I see a lot of good thing in place. The walk looks like it might be attractive (if a tad narrow). The stone facade is attractive, so there is no real need for big foundation plants. You have a standard layout without any serious flaws, so you have lots of options (I guess that is why you have not had many responses yet...because you could do just about anything you wanted here).

A few things that stand out to me...That short retaining wall by your driveway seems very inconvenient and it does not look like it is needed. Your roof is a dominant feature of your facade and your current roof is not all the attractive. That dormer on the left of your house seems a touch odd (though it at least breaks up your roof line a little and I assume it fits into the interior layout).

I don't have any great landscape ideas. One thing to decide is if you want to accentuate the geometric shape of your front yard with straight lines or hide it with curves. Think a bit about how you currently use this space and how you might want to use it. Would a seating area where you can talk to neighbors, or watch your kids be useful? What paths do you (or the mailman) take through your lawn? Do you have lawn in the backyard, or is this your primary open lawn? How much of a garden do you want to maintain? What style of garden appeals to you?

I think that if you shared some of YOUR ideas it would help out the group.

- Brent

Actually the little peak is very odd it serves no structural purpose. Oddly placed over the left side of the house instead of over the front entry way.. it is an eyesore.

The garage door is plastic so painting it is probably out, the gutters are new and over sized to accomadate heavy downpours.

Repainting the house a different color would help. Seems the previous owners thought barn red would match the brick, instead it is glaringly off in color.

The little brick wall is something my husband would like to remove.. yes it is very narrow. I think I will enlarge that area and remove the little wall. If I create a slope towards the driveway it may soften the straight lines.
thanks for the response.. Lovelycherr

Because of the darkness of the photograph and differences in monitors, it's hard to tell if this is the case or not, but....

Around here there are several houses built in about the same time period with brick or stone faced lower parts and siding above. The brick or stone was selected to go with paint colors that were considered fashionable at the time the houses were built. For example there is an extremely turqoise split-level I drive past quite often. Usually, at some point in time there is an attempt to update the house by painting the siding a currently fashionable color. Unfortunately, the new color still has to work with the brick or stone. The turquoise split has very noticable turquoise highlights in the stone facing which would probably be lost if the house was resided in gray.

The point of all this is that I don't think the current house color does much for the stonework. So my first impression was to put in the usual shrubbery to hide the stone so it doesn't fight with the rest of the house. It's possible there is a shade of blue or green (or possibly red) that exists in both the brick and the stone, and using that as the trim color might tie it all together.

BTW, this may be the real problem with the walk. It's introducing new colors that don't particular go with anything else. If you do get into any DIY landscaping books, every one of them will give directions on how to make a dry-laid walkway. It's time consuming, and can be physically demanding, but quite doable. Since I do irregular stone walks with rocks that come out of the ground, I have no clue about materials pricing.

Ah.. I see. It may be a good idea to hide the lower half of the house with shrubs, rather then have all the competing stone colors. Leave the predominate brick and paint the peak a complimentary color to the brick.

Now what type to use? All one kind or a mix? i know you all will tell me what do you like? Now that I have some sort of plan I can pick them out.
The area is small so my hubby and I can put them in.

Search this forum for "foundation planting" and you should find some old threads on the topic. I agree you don't really need foundation beds visually - I find often I don't think they're needed when a house has lots of taller trees around it. But if this is northfacing, you might have trouble getting grass to grow right up to the stone. What you could do is get some low spreading evergreens that will do well in shade - like yews (Taxus baccata Repandens) or Cotoneaster - and just do sort of a dark green skirt for the house. If you want colour or seasonal interest add hostas, impatiens, whatever.

Do you want to be screened at all from the street? You could put a border out along the city sidewalk, maybe curving up along the driveway and your walkway. If you like informal this could be a mixed border with some shrubbery that would give you some privacy, if you like formal it could even be a little row of marching boxwoods. Am I right in thinking that the sidewalk is slanted relative to your house? If so that is kind of a cool line and a hedge or formal planting would emphasize it. Or, does anyone do decorative fences in your neighbourhood? Here everyone has a fence, so it is odd to me to just have the yard open to the street like that.

Everything can be done expensively or on a budget. If on a budget, you can trade plants, scavenge lumber, scrounge rocks, use recycled concrete for paving stones or retaining walls... so I wouldn't start your planning with the thought that you are limited in what you can do due to a budget. Make your dream plan, rather than a cheap plan, and then figure out how you can afford to do it. The walkway, for example, looks like you could relay it or just replace the red stones.

I like the idea of replacing the red stones... i wonder how I would get them out. they are laid in concrete.

An image search over on Google for phrases like "brick ranch" turns up some results that might give you some ideas...it seems that many of the photos are from real estate sites. Below is a link with some homes similar to yours (ranch homes with a brick and stone front). Most of them are a little plain but I figured that I would pass along the link.

- Brent

Here is a link that might be useful: Homes in St Louis

I would hit the used book stores for landscape books and magazines of the 1950's and 60's when these ranches were built. See what kind of landscaping the "experts" of the time proposed. You might find something really nice.

Ah, laid in concrete... I hate that. Sometimes a sledgehammer or crowbar can work wonders, but the results are unpredictable. Might have to rely on plants to distract from the red. How about growing a creeping groundcover to soften the edges of the walkway and some other plantings?

Thanks.. for all your responses. Your opinions are important to help me formulate a plan.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Ok it's hard to tell from the photo what you have going on,
but here i go.

Paint the house when you feel like it.

As you view the house from the street, go to the left of the front door about 4 feet and start a fence about 12 feet
away from the house (i'm partial to a split rail) take this all the way across to about 1 foot from the drive.
A post w/light at the drive would be nice, then plant a climber on the post. Now you have a nice inclosed area.

plant a lush border in the enclosure. Use staggered flagstones as a walk way across this area from the drive to the front door. Use the fence to support roses or other climbers.

What to fo about that front walkway?? well obviously where it cuts thru the fence you'll need a gap in the fence-- but skip a gate. how about 2 smallish shrubs on each side of the walk right at the fence? Put your mailbox here too.
Along both sides of your front walk a bed of mixed perennials about 18" wide on each side... add annuals during the summer.

That big shrub on the left of the house. is it a rhodie?
how about some smaller shrubs next to it and under the window filling in the blank space between the corner of the house and the fence you build?

Finally, in that left patch of grass, perhaps a small ornamental tree-- spring blooms, good summer shape and a great fall color.

diggerb

I'd lose the bush to the left. I would flank the front step on either side with a floral bush. I would move the mailbox and get rid of the retaining wall. I would create in arc in both directions in the front and create a low flower bed. Perhaps a row of hosta and some flowering annuals or perennials either behind or in front of it. I would change out the roof from the gray which seems to clash with the brick to a brown tone that complements it.

Sorry, wanted to peek again at the picture. I would get a more prominent light for the outside door and some tan or black shutters. I would choose flowers that work well with the red brick. I would prune the tree to the right so you have a better view of the beautiful building. I would paint the front door to match the shutters and put a full view glass door on that has a metallic kickplate that matches the outside light. A more decorative front door with leaded glass might dress up the house and match the formal look of the brick better. I would invest in a more formal mailbox and put it closer to the street.

One last thing, I would put in a bay window and change the one to the left to a more contemporary window. This will really update the look of the home. It has so much potential! I know this sounds like a lot, but it doesn't have to happen overnight. Is that the kind of feedback you were looking for?

My philosophy is to enhance the good and mitigate the bad. In order to do that you have to identify the good vs. the bad. Once that is done, you have to use techniques that do in fact enhance and/or mitigate.

Sometimes it is hard for people to notice the 800 pound gorila in the middle of the room. Or they know about the gorila, yet focus in on the color of the drapes or the placement of a lamp.

You opened by saying the house "lacks interest". Then you mentioned making it more "inviting" and the "Aaaah" factor. These are very generic statements. But one statement that you made along the way was more telling. That is "seems plopped down from outerspace". This is the 800 pound gorila.

You painted the door, you changed a light, and are thinking about a new mailbox. These are the equivalent of the lamp and the drapes. The masonry veneer, the roof peak, and the hardscape are not things that you can do much with right now due to your circumstances. While they can be changed to make your house look nicer, none of them are what makes your house look plopped down from outerspace are they? If that is so, you will still have the same problem after you changed them. Much like the door color and the light fixture, these might improve the look of the house, but the gorila will still be there.

What makes the house look like it is plopped down from outer space?

laag's comments make me think you should take the situation as it is and run with it. Will your neighborhood tolerate kitsch? How about you and hubby? I could envision this as the brick house one of the little pigs built. Look to your childhood books for inspiration; maybe liven up the colors to storybood levels. The colored stone walk is already perfect in this context. Use plants and objects in the garden to relate your house to the theme. What that might be, I'm not certain, but you'd have to have the whimisical mindset to pull it off. Check with your inner child and see what she thinks.

Wow, this might be the one garden where "meatball" and "lollipop" shrubs might actually look good!

I'm not trying to be cute or sarcastic. The problem as seen by the OP is that the house looks out of place. Part of that is that it sits at an angle that relates to nothing that is apparent. Creating something that justifies the angle is one way to help this.

Not every house can be an architectural masterpiece or need to have the grounds of Versailles in order to look pretty nice. I don't want to make a mockery of a modest home. I live in one myself.

If I could do one thing and one thing only, I would probably plant a tree just to the left of the driveway and nearer to the road in order to balance out the space.

I was afraid my post would be interpreted as mocking, but that was not my intent. "Whimsy" has been discussed here before, and some people have the creative talent to pull it off. It seemed like a fun idea when I posted it, but maybe I've had too much sugar today. My apologies.

Hi! I saw your picture, and while I am only a novice, I took the liberty to copy your picture and modify it as I saw fit. I used MS Paint, so the colors will look much brighter than what I would use, but at least you can visually get an idea of what it would look like. This is what I would do:

First, Paint the door, the window trim, garage door, and triangle gable looking structural feature burgundy (i.e. University of Alabama burgundy is a very nice burgandy, not too red, not too dark, just right). Paint the trim around the triangle thing and the gutters with downpour slate gray, to match the stone foundation and walkway. In the picture I modified, you can't see it, but cut a flower bed continuously from the left side of walkway from the street sidewalk to the door, curve to your left towards your existing bush at the corner of the house, curve towards the street sidewalk, loop to the left and back to the edge of the house. You will have one continuous flower bed. I recommend planting a large tree in the circular portion, and add impatients red and pink lining the left of the house and down the walkway towards the street. On the right side of the house, do the same thing, except instead of doubling back with the flower bed, just go strait toward the street sidewalk, this is because of the driveway. Add a dark colored, black, dark brown wooden fence as indicated on the drawing. Plant some srubs of different heights to break up the straighness of the fence. I hope you like it. Burgundy goes well with gray and red brick...I hve it on my house, except my brick is a little lighter in color. I also would add some shutters to the windows for visual interest (either black or burgundy). Also add a mail box outside the fence, painting it the same color as the door and garage. Click on the link, then under the picture go to pics, click on it, then enlarge the picture by clicking on it! Enjoy!

Mitzy

Here is a link that might be useful: Modified Ranch Picture

It's always a good idea to start with the hardscape first. Use the budget you have to alter the walkway to make it more inviting such as a curving walk off the driveway to the entrance pulling the reds and greys from the house. Then bedlines can sweep over the walkway and down the side. I would consider using some type of foundation shrub as a backdrop with perhaps a weeping tree, colorful perennials in front and a tree to anchor the left side of the house. You have a lot of different hardscape materials there-it just needs some pulling together.

Sorry, I forgot to set the picture. It is a myspace account, so you might have to create an account to veiw it bigger. This is the only way I knew how to post the picture.

Anyone who knows me knows I hate photoimaging. This was a quickly thrown together thing by someone who hates using this tool (me) and who could not be bothered to do more than slap some plants fom another photo into this one. The point is that the mailbox, the housecolor, and lack of our favorite plants has little to do with the problem of the house looking like it was plopped down.

Here is what "two trees and some bushes" can do.
{{gwi:52752}}

Oh, and I demoed the walk without replacing it. (the fertilizer is a slow release organic one, so don't yell at me)