Hm, doesn't look so terrible in the pictures. Perhaps if you explained precisely what it is you hate about it, someone could respond.

I am useless with zone 5 plants myself. Your first picture looks quite attractive, you are doing something right.

The first think I notice is that the planting is out of scale with the house. Even though the house isn't that big, the plants are lost in front of it. You really need something more substantial.

Some shrubs that will grow as high as the bottom of the window, a mix of evergreen and deciduous, with a couple of perennials tucked in for color. I'd limit the annuals to containers on the porch, but make them fairly large containers, not 6 inch pots.

I've made the analogy before of imagining yourself wearing the tiny earrings made for babies. Out of scale, and barely noticeable on an adult sized person.

Jo

It looks good to me, perhaps not full enough. What is that yellow thing in the window with the heart?

Just my opinions.

The front porch is of substantial size, but ends abruptly. It needs to be extended out from the house but expanding the area where the patio stones are now located. Could be done with paving, or gravel, or more patio stones. Flag stone would be nice. Give it some curves to soften the straight lines of the house.

From this you could easily have two separate paths going to the car.

You could also join the two paths by adding a garden in this area. think of some higher grasses, surrounded by stones. One path goes behind them, the other in front.

this may not work depending on what the right side of the yard looks like. A pic of the whole house would help.

I personally do not like the cedar rails or bird bath. I would also get some curves into this bed - a triangle just does not do it for me. The plantings in this bed look nice, but could probably do with some evergreen to hold it over winter.

I think the front border under the window needs more height on the right side, perhaps another trellis with a clematis or morning glory. Or move the birdbath in that corner and put a planter in it or leave it and you can watch the birds from the bench in the window!

How about extending the corner bed along the property line and linking it to the corner of the sidewalk as one big bed? There's too many hard lines, it needs some curves to soften it a bit. Starting from the corner bed, I would round it in a bit along the edge of your property and then widen it when you get near the sidewalk. I would put some sort of evergreens as a backdrop, or white shrub roses would look good with the trim on your house. I wouldn't get too crazy with too much color, it looks nice already.

Some urns on either side of your door would look good too to fill in that area. Again, I would watch the color...ferns might be good since it's shady.

PS... your neighbor needs to do some trimming LOL

Took me a while, but I finally realized you've taken these photos at different stages in the border's life cycle; there is an evergreen - Chamae of some sort? - on the right that isn't there to begin with. I like it there, but it might not get enough sun to stay that nice and gold.

If I read this correctly, this little spot must never get any rainfall due to roof overhang and window push-out. Also, that bay window starts about a foot above the ground, offering plants little or no headroom. The fern seems to be planted under it, and yes, ferns will grow in those conditions but as your picture illustrates they will look uncomfortable doing it.

To some extent I think you are tormenting yourself and the plants by trying to grow them there. I kind of approve of the hardscaping/pool/fountain idea; maybe with a few urns-overflowing-with-colourful-annuals kind of accent.

If you are determined to keep it a planting hole, then at least don't squish any plants under that window push-out. If I ever saw a place that should be covered with white gravel, that would be it - or some nice paving/flagstone would be even better. Above all yank that poor fern out and move it forward and to the right about a foot.

How about a picture where the walkway joins the driveway.
Does DH park in the garage or in front of it?

You said you can't move the walkway because it connects to the driveway. But I believe DH must get out of the DOOR of the car, not the HOOD, which means he would exit the car at least 8 feet from the garage. How about moving the walkway at a slope from the front to at least 8 feet down the driveway . THen he actually wouldn't then have to walk up to the front of the house, but take a diagonal. That would give a much more balanced size flower bed, make it easier for DH, and look more visually appealing. It seems awkward now and moving your walkway would be more natural for anyone than walking to the top of the driveway and then cutting across.

Thanks everyone who took the time to respond! I appreciate it. I've included a few more pictures at the end of this post, taken this morning.

Cat: Thanks for the positive feedback! I wish I knew EXACTLY what I hate, then I would be on the way to fixing it!

Saypoint: Yes, I think scale is the biggest problem here--I've just been unsure of how to balance that. Putting some bulk into this bed has crossed my mind--I think I've just been scared to end up with the same boring look that was there before. I did start with an azalea there (which I killed--not acidic enough), then a bleeding heart in the corner (useless for bulk come summer), followed by a gold cedar (relocated to back yard).

Adamante: Thanks! You, among others, have helped me to see that this border is too sparse--not necessarily in terms of how MUCH is planted in it, but the SUBSTANCE of what is planted. Amazing how several different viewpoints can help focus your own.
That yellow thing, btw, is a bench which has since been donated to a friend. :)

Madtripper: You definitely have some ideas that have caught my interest. When you were talking about extending the porch, were you thinking of a semi circle of pavers directly in front of the porch? That is what I pictured but I'm not sure if that's what you meant. Wouldn't flagstone be too slippery when it's wet for a main walkway?
I love the garden in between the paths idea. I actually drew up a rough plan for one last year, thinking only of an additional garden, not thinking that this might help solve the problem of the front border at the same time.
The cedar rail bed does have a gentle curve in front,btw, not visible in the picture. An evergreen is a good idea though.

Toothfairy: I know what you're talking about regarding needing more height on the far right hand side! I think that's what I was trying to do when I planted the cedar there (which is now in the backyard). I love the trellis idea--which would nicely balance the other trellis. I've also thought about a trellis on the LEFT side of the border, which would screen the border from the porch. Kind of figured it might look silly though.
I'm not allowed to extend the cedar rail bed yet--DH's daughter is still young enough to want to do cart wheels when she's down so I have to save a little grass for a few more years! :)
The urns are a wonderful idea too--wish the nice ones weren't so expensive!
Yes, the neighbours need to trim. Last year they didn't cut their grass in the backyard AT ALL! (we have a very steep slope in our backyards) It looked like hell, but the birds loved it!

karinl: Those picutres are from 2 or maybe 3 different years, with different plantings in them each time. :) The thuja did well, but for some reason (can't even remember now) I wanted it out back.
Rainfall isn't an issue--the plants are thriving there. Tons of compost and soaker hose underneath the mulch. Nothing is growing underneath the window overhang--maybe it looks that way in the photo.
When I mentioned a small pool and a spitter on the brick wall, I was picturing it in the dirt border. What you described made me picture a pool set in paving stones (or flagstone, whatever) and maybe a little chair among the urns and I'm really starting to like that idea!

gottagarden: Check out the pics! Maybe you can see how DH can get out of the truck in the normal fashion and still need to use a walkway right in front. ;) We also need that walkway for our frequent trips to the garage.

Thanks again for so many thoughtful responses. Any more feedback is GREATLY appreciated. Lizzy

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You can see in the pictures where I've torn up the front lawn by parking on it. (until by-law enforcement put an end to that) We were trying to make a little more room to park and get out of our vehicles comfortably. Can't widen the driveway without adding a substantial amount to our yearly taxes.

Maybe the little border shouldn't be there at all? It looks awkward under the bay window. If you have the walk re-done, you could pave the whole border area, so that it is one with the walk. And then you could have one really nice large pot that corner to the right of the window, and a new flower bed in front of the walk.

It isn't a bad border at all, the way you've planted it, just an awkward situation. And it will look more balanced when that evergreen is a couple feet taller.

Thanks for responding birdgardner!
I think I've been turned off of just hardscaping the whole area because that is what our neighbours on our right side have done. Their house is the exact same layout as ours, except it's a mirror image. They used pavers for that area and I really dislike it. Part of that might be because the pavers were poorly laid and are sunken or sticking up in areas! Hmmm...I should go out there a minute and double check to see what it is I don't like about how they did it. Maybe if I picture a really nice pot like you mentioned it would be more attractive...
As for that evergreen growing a little more, well it HAS grown another foot or so. However it's in the backyard now! LOL Lizzy

Here is a picture of the neighbours' place on the right side of our house. Their set up is a mirror image of ours.
Lizzy

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The bay window comes down so far it looks like it ought to come to the ground, not just above it. In older houses, the bay window will have the house foundation also in a bay, or if it is cantilevered like that, there will be a porch disguising it, or heavy brackets to show some support.

So you could make a false front for it that went all the way to the paving, and that would look more substantial. In the same way you could give your porch columns some real feet, instead of those thin dowel-looking things. Right now both the window and the columns are just kind of hanging there - not looking like they support the house, or that they are an integral part of it.

You could also bring the bay to the ground with a garden bed there if you used rot-proof materials and pre-treated the ground for carpenter ants and termites. Have it rest on a something that looks like a foundation - bricks or stone or concrete. The new walk needn't follow the old lines - it could come away from the house for a bigger bed, or you could shape the bed to follow the lines of the bay.

Your house has a good grounded look on the whole - having just the one story and having the porch roof extend over the bay window make it look nicer than your neighbors'. Also they planted that weeping tree way too close to their walk.

You didn't ask - but - that red Norway maple although it looks good now - its roots are going to make it impossible to grow anything under it in a while, except maybe pachysandra. If it is a heavy seeder, the seedlings are going to be a major pain in any expanded garden bed In the lawn you can mow them, as long as it lets you grow a lawn.

The Norway maples around here have some bark-splitting disease that causes major limbs to die. You might want to start a replacement tree now, and take down the maple in a few years while it is manageable.

Can you tell I hate Norway maples? I have six of them and they are the bane of my garden.

Thanks for the ideas birdgardner! Yes, we hate how the front columns are too short and we've talked about replacing them. Didn't realize until you pointed it out that the window was part of the problem too.

Not sure what to do with the walkway. I tried a few sketches yesterday--one straight, one with a curve in it and I thought the one with a curve in it looked way too contrived since I had to bring the walkway back to the very top of the driveway in such a short distance. On the other hand the straight one is very boring.

Yes, the neighbours' mulberry is way too close to the walkway--in summer you have to squeeze by it to get to the front door.

Thanks so much for mentioning the Norway maple. I loathe it!!! I having been reading these posts aloud to DH and made extra sure he was paying attention to what you said about the maple. I've been wanting to get rid of it and he doesn't want to because it's a mature tree. His ex-wife planted one in the backyard 8 years ago or so and I chopped it down with an ax last week. Can't do that with the one in the front yard, unfortunately! :)

Lizzy

Okay, here are some low cost ideas you could do right away that would probably help. (my interior design background helps here). Get rid of those hanging baskets on the front stoop forever. Plant them somewhere else. Take that trellis on the corner of the house and paint it white, then place it against the brick wall on the front border. Plant a climbing whatever you want or transplant what you have on it alreadly. Then plant some bush roses under your windows.(do 3) I'm seeing pink ones to go with your blue trim on the front and garage doors. You should mix in some white in your flower beds too, maybe some alyssum to finish the borders. Then hunt garage sales or flea markets and find an old, cheap wooden chair with or without a seat, paint it your blue trim color, plunk an unusual container on the seat filled with your annual flowers or pink and white geraniums, or whatever pleases you. Put that chair on the edge of the front porch on the opposite side of your mailbox. Sometimes you can find children's chairs to use. My last cheap suggestion is to faux finish your stoop. I did this with great success. Just look up walkways on this site, peruse the internet too for ideas on faux finishes. I even saw a model home (a large saltbox) using a faux finish floor on their concrete screened in porch where the hot tub was. A good exterior latex paint works well. Then use a sealant in at least 4 coats. I go to the paint store and look in the returns and discounted bins for paint. I got some for $3 a gallon. Good luck with your projects and have fun, designing and decorating is an ongoing process, and if you don't do anything really permanent you can always redo it.

Honestly, this is a case where I'd hire a landscape designer/architect something like that to redesign the front of my house, and then do it in stages. The porch posts are kind of weird, there is a mix of styles, and you deserve something really cute in the way of a brick walkway and flower bed in the front to show off your gardening talents. This might be a case to look for the elusive "small job" landscaper, lol!

If you can't widen the drive, can you put a walk next to it? That would allow space for you to get out of the car or for visitors to get to the house if both of you are home. And if you head it to the house farther towards the street, you'll get a wider bed and expand your plant options.

(stop reading out loud here)-
The other benefit to this plan is that building the walk will mess with the maple roots enough that it will probably die. You'll want a nice deep footing for that walk. And make it at least 3 1/2' wide. Four feet is better.

I didn't read all the responses so pardon me if I repeat something that has already been suggested. I would add a walkway to the front door from the sidewalk. Right now people must go thru the driveway -- not very inviting, especially if your car is there. I would add a planting bed around the tree framed by pavers and add something evergreen like huecherra and also plant bulbs that will bloom throughout the different seasons for a changing colorscape. I would add height to the bed by the house and be sure to add plenty of evergreens throughout the front landscaping so that the house looks good all year long not just in the prime growing season. I think a white iron fence framing the front yard with flowers planted between it and the sidewalk would be pretty... although I would probably run a line of low growing evergreens (maybe something small and globe shaped) NOT a fence alongside the driveway.

Also, try to get rid of all the squareness. Try curves!

What is so awful - other than some things being out of scale. May not be exactly what you want eventually, but hardly looks awful. I like the fern, do think it should be moved out and to the right, as said in another post.
Personally I hate urns right next to door on both sides - I'd put them closer to the edge of the porch if I decided on using.
I like your triangle!!!

Thanks again for more responses!

Homeandfriends: I really like the idea of doing something with the cement stoop but I'm quite certain I don't have enough talent to paint a faux finish on it without it looking like, well, a cement front stoop that's been painted by someone with not much talent! Some of the finishes I saw that caught my eye were VERY well painted and looked just like flagstone or brick, etc.

lpinkmountain: I really hate the idea of hiring someone to do something like this for me, but maybe I should hire someone to do something with the front stoop, because that is something quite beyond me. Any rough guesses what it would cost me to hire someone to come up with just a design for the front yard--something I could implement myself? $500? $1000? I really have no idea.

Creatrix: You had me laughing!! Even hubby had to chuckle. He said if I'm going to kill the maple I might as well do it in one shot, not gradually! I think that was "permission"! He's telling me that he never said it would cost too much to widen the driveway (I KNOW he did) so we are now looking at widening the driveway about 3 feet. Hopefully we can hire someone to do the driveway this summer.

Gardenway: Thanks for the positive comments! I like the fern too and DH just LOVES it because his Mom had ferns growing beside their porch in the house he grew up in. He wants me to put more in!

Here's what I'm thinking so far:

Widen the driveway about 3'
Replace walkway with pavers and add a new one coming from 2/3 of the way down the driveway (gives me that extra planting area creatrix mentioned LOL) Not sure whether to keep the walkways straight or somehow make them curvy.
Make a garden in the area between the walkways
Replace original front border with mix of deciduous and evergreen shrubs along with a few perennials.
Do something for height against the garage wall--trellis? small tree?
Remove the Norway maple. Replace with?

In a few years: Extend the cedar rail bed towards the house keeping the edge along the property line straight and the other edge curved.

Sound OK? Sound terrible?
I'm really not sure what to do with the walkway. I would like to curve it but not sure how without making it look contrived. I would like to continue the walkway with the same material down the left side of the house. The existing walkway on the left side of the house is about 4" from our property line.

Lizzy

It's time to move from the theoretical to something more concrete--get your pencil and paper and draw the outlines of your existing house, driveway, walk, etc to scale. Doesn't have to be real pretty, but generally to scale. Then use some tracing paper over that and doodly with curves, rectangles, width of walk, how it intersects front step. For example, you may not exactly need or want to "widen the driveway" its whole length; maybe you need just a band of extra width. Curvy is often good, but not always--you may find that a rectilinear path connects the side of the driveway and the wide front steps better.

Check out some of the books titled "Front Yard Gardens" or similar--these show a lot of pix of walks, porches, drives and how they can be linked and combined with planting areas. You'll likely find many of them more involved or even more expensive than you may be wanting, but the pictures are good for ideas. Also shows how different materials look, and combinations.

Well, I thought that was a great idea, frankie, so I got out the graph paper last night. I ended up with a straight walkway in front of the house and a gently curving one coming from my car to the front porch. I think that is how I will do the walkways--I really liked the look on paper. I'm considering buying some decent design software.

I'm going to look into the books too. Funny, I have quite a few books about gardening, none about design. Some of them of course have chapters on design, but nothing solely devoted to design.

Thanks for the ideas!
Lizzy

The elusive "finding of the right person" in design question! I hired a landscape designer, I feel I got nothing special in the way of design of hardscaping. I think some designers are better at hardscaping than others. I don't know if it's a landscape architect you want for this type of small job. I paid 250.00 for my design, which was deducted from the price of the whole 4K+ job, but frankly I used almost none of the designers plant choices but I did use them as a general guideline. I think being a gardener you really don't need plant advice, you need hardscape advice. A general "look" could be designed with it being up to you to fill in the plants. Lots of discussion here about how to go about finding the right person. I suggest contacting a firm specializing in hardscaping. I dunno, you have to shop around.

Thanks for the ideas lpink! When someone first mentioned hiring a designer I was somewhat put off the idea because I usually really enjoy doing my own designing in my yard. I knew I was having a lot of trouble with this front border and was pleased to find many ideas shared by other posters.
The idea of hiring someone to just design the HARDSCAPING really appeals to me since that leaves the planting up to me and actually, after reading these posts, I'm full of ideas for planting--anxiously waiting for the better weather. ;)
Lizzy

Hi Lizzy,

I'm not really answering your question, but something is bugging me that I thought I'd get off my chest. Why is that black plastic edging along the sidewalk? I use black edging myself, but I've never understood why people use it along sidewalks. I also don't like it sticking out of the ground so much. My guess is that it's holding mulch in the bed, so that it doesn't wash out onto the sidewalk. If that's the case, it would look better if you removed some soil or mulch so that the edge of the sidewalk would hold it in.

Other than that, I think your yard looks good, but will look better with some of the ideas that have been suggested.

Hi juggler!

Yes, isn't black edging awful? At least the cheapy kind at my house. I've rid our yard of all the plastic edging except in the front. You should have seen the lovely plastic necklace around the maple.... ;)
I've just left the stuff up in the front until I do the walkway, then I plan to lay a course or two of the same pavers as an edging. It does keep the mulch from going all over the walk, at least until I can do something better.
Lizzy

Actually, I have a lot of black plastic edging and I like it. I install it very low so that it almost disappears. I don't like it when it looks like a little fence. I buy fairly expensive stuff so that the frost doesn't push it up, and it doesn't kink. I don't think it's the best possible edging, but for the price I think it's the best option.

I just go with the grass edging. Best option for price for me! I have to trim it up twice a year, but on the plus side my borders get a little bit bigger each time. ;)
Lizzy

The red and blue-violet color scheme is one that is hard for me to look at.
Just a personal thing - some may think it's great :)

Wow you received lots of responses. Without reading all the posts, my first thoughts are:

Remove existing walkway and make a new one that is 4 feet wide, flares at both ends and is 4 to 5' from the house.

You need a deciduous med size tree on the left side of your house to soften the hard lines of the house cornor and to visually off-set where your house ends.

A large tree in the back of your house will help balance the scale between the size of your home and the never ending sky,

I am a big fan of plantings that are viewed from the inside of the home. I can't be sure from the photos how much room you have so my ideas might be way off. Pictures tend to make spaces seem bigger then what it really feels like when standing in the site. So forgive me if my ideas prove to be totally of base. These are just some of my design principals.

I do not think you should put taller shrubs under the window, it will only create a bulky look. Try small low groundcover 12inches, evergreen, and carry the bed to the other side of the walk so you are walking between a sea of green, maybe long blooming clematis w/trellis on wall if exposure is apropriate or something like an Enkianthus which is an upright growing decideous shrub with great follage and a growth habit that can be prunned and kept natural and airy and NOT sheared into a ball or square thus making your house look more boxy.

Good luck. Remember that works of art take time so rather then you budget controlling the final results, let the best design do the controlling a little at a time.
Ally