Your backyard is busy enough that if you do much besides put some pots with flowers on the patio, it will be overkill. Same for the front--it's a small enough yard that you don't want it to be so busy that it screams for attention. A green well maintained lawn says a lot about a home.

For the backyard, I'm really trying to figure out how to give the lawn some shape. I plan to extend the patio when I add sidewalks around the sides of the house, but I don't want to just extend the rectangular shape that it currently is.

A landscape designer could really help you with the concept of your whole property.

Depending on where you live, reducing the amount of lawn could be a fantastic choice economically and ecologically. Get creative with different colors, sizes, and textures of stone! You could find colors that match or contrast with other colors you already have on your site- for example the color of your house or flowers.

Regarding the back yard and giving it some shape: think about whether you want the patio to be the dominant shape and let the lawn/gravel/planting area fill in the leftover space, or if you would like a lawn/gravel/planting area to have a definitive shape.

The problem is that the front landscaping has no continuity. The house itself has enough charm. I think with a few minor changes to the foliage you’ll be looking good. Here is what I recommend for the front: move the tree in front of the window. This not only looks odd but will be problematic as the tree grows in front of the window in terms of allowing light into the home. It also messes with the diagonal of the home. Transplant said tree to the far left (see attached rendering). Next, there are too many plant species going on here. Nix all the plants you currently have right in front of the home and on the side of the drive. Choose one plant that is your favorite, preferably the height that I show, and then use them both in front of the house and on the side of the drive. This will create a rhythm and will make the house feel like a homogenous/well-thought out design. Good luck! :)

I agree with path to the sidewalk but you could make it a more romantic path with flagstone and groundcover along the edges and for the back you could take out the lawn on the side of the patio and use flagstone and gravel for a path way. If you need a design I'm in southern ca and could help you if you are in the LA region.

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