I am just now reading a great book called "Front Yard Gardens - Growing More than Grass" by Liz Primeau. It was mentioned on the landscaping design forum and I was able to get it at the library. It's very nicely written and has lots of beautiful photos. It shows a variety of houses whose owners have gradually turned their grassy yards into more environmentally-friendly mixed gardens.
I am trying to get ideas for my back yard, since that's where we park and it serves like a front door. Unfortunately, I do have to leave some grass for my kids (or I could lock them in the basement!)

The one thing I noticed from your photo, is that you may have to make the beds along the walk larger if you want them to make an impact from the sidewalk (because of the slope).

Good Luck
Maureen

Thanks Maureen,
I'll have to check the library and see if they have that around here...

I've thought about widening the bed by the walk...when we moved in there was a straight line of 1/2 dead, ugly sticks that probably were at some point very nice shrubs. So all I've really done there, is rip out the dead stuff. I'm not much of a non-flowering shrub kind of gal, so that was fine with me anyway. My problem with widening the bed now, is I have no idea what I'm going to do with the existing, empty, beds, and feel like perhaps I should work on that before I start ANOTHER project, you know?

I say lock the kids in the basement, and do what you want! ;)

thanks again!
Dorothy

Hi, Dorothy,
I'm pretty much of a lurker here, but I know everyone has such great ideas. To me, your house screams for roses (do knockout roses work in your zone?) along the front of your porch, and most definitely vines, maybe clematis or morning glory twining up the pillars. Lavendar and purple coneflowers are a must, as are hanging baskets of petunias and lobelia. I'm sure many more ideas are to come.....
Karen (in really hot Texas, lusting after zone 5 weather)

Karen,
I agree! Knockout roses are on my "list" of things I have to have this spring...can't seem to find them locally yet...may have to find somewhere online. That sort of scares me though, because you never know how big of a rose you'll get, you know? I just saw at Lowes last night, some Carolina Jasmine, which twines...thinking hard about getting that for the pillars, but I'm not sure how "full" that will look...I wonder if I can have two or more different vines going up the pillars? Purple coneflowers are sprouting as we speak (winter-sown)...and lavendar I love, but I was afraid it would take over everything...thoughts?

thanks!
Dorothy

Carolina jasmine (Gelsemium sempervirens) is not hardy for your zone. Try clematis instead :-) Those porch pillars are made for clematis!

And I'd incorporate some shrubs - you need some height and volume (in addition to the trees) and that's just not gonna happen with only perennials. And consider at least a couple of shrubs that will be evergreen to provide similar structure during the winter month.

Try looking at a few good gardening magazines for inspiration - right now they are flooding the newsstands with spring editions. Better Homes and Gardens and Country Gardens have special spring editions that often feature great photo spreads on cottage-style gardens. Or spend some time at your local bookstore or library just browsing through the gardening books. And watch out shopping at Lowe's or Home Depot - you can often find some nice plants there at a reasonable cost but you are just as likely to find stressed plants as well and ones not suited for your locale (like the jasmine).

I agree with gardengal, also, I can't tell what the pillars are made of, but jessamine is quite "woody". I don't think lavendar would be invasive at all and there are many different varieties. What about alternating something evergreen with the roses? If it were my garden I would just HAVE to form a courtyard effect with a boxwood border, even with the front of your garage all across the front, with an archway over the path, and fill it with a collection of cottagy perennials and annuals and stepping stones or mulch paths for easy access, a birdbath or fountain to listen to when we sit on your porch with some iced "tea" !! See ya there!!
Karen