Well, I would say make it all garden. Haha I just said that to dh yesterday about my front yard....well its almost there anyway. LOL. Make sure you know where the gas and water lines and such are and how deep before you start digging and planting trees and shrubs.

What fun!

Sierra

Sierra, glad to hear from you. You've been quiet lately. I received the gas and water line information last year so I do know where they are. I have thought about making the whole thing a raised flowerbed but wouldn't that look odd? I was thinking of a crabapple for another tree in the front and haven't quite decided on shrubs yet. I'm thinking of some azaleas, a forsythia (all Gillians fault since I saw hers), and possibly some roses. I would like to define our yard from the neighbours yard but if I raise it up and level it which is what I was thinking of it will turn their yard into a swamp in spring. Right now it isn't too bad on their side.

Syreeta

Syreeta,

Because you already have a large evergreen tree blocking the left side of the house I would definitely make a flowerbed running down beside your neighbor's property up to the road. The 10' you are talking about I am assuming is the city property running parallel to the road, am I correct?

Almost any type of shrub would work then on the left side because the evergreen provides a background for you and it would get full sun. I am thinking of spireas and potentillas or shrubs with interesting bark or leaf color. I like spireas cause they come in all sizes and colors of flowers (and the deer do not eat them in my yard). What about making a mini fence between you and your neighbor and planting some clematis on it?

Rose bushes, lilies, daylilies, veronica, spring bulbs, peonies, and, of course, sedums would all do great in the south exposure. Place some art work, like painted wooden signs or put a rock in somewhere to give your flowerbed added interest. You could even use a nankling cherry as a shrub beside the evergreen. Or, use some red currant bushes in the flowerbed. Which gives me an idea...to post a picture for you to see.

I have shown a picture of one of my perennial flowerbeds that I took yesterday. The arbor was going to be thrown out by a friend, so I rescued it and sprayed it white. Beside the arbor on each side are mature red currant bushes. The post is for an anchor for the brugmansia that I overwinter and plant behind the bench each year. Behind the post and arbor are 4 lilac bushes planted there 2 years ago that will gradually grow, flower each spring and provide a backdrop for the flowerbed. This summer I will place some windchimes, ornaments and painted wooden or plexiglass signs in the bed to add interest.

{{gwi:748561}}

Place a walking path in your front area and add 2 old chairs or a bench (that you don't mind being stolen...if that is a problem where you live, being that this is your front yard) that will draw your eye to that area. Place a lilac (non-suckering) in front of the evergreen and then the chairs in front of the lilac so you have a background for the "room" you just created.

Do not make a straight edge on the flowerbed, and once you get close to the road, curve the bed in a wider, fuller area coming along the front property/road/10' line. Does this make sense?

Against the house between the windows on the right and left side of the door place two trellises and plant clematis beneath them.

In front of the left evergreen you could also place a flowerbed, but just place shrubs/perennials there that you can still look over as you walk on your driveway or sit in your vehicle.

If you do not want any grass then make a walking path around the front area and in the center, place a statue or make a water feature. Place shrubs and taller perennials around closer to the evergreens. Just remember to have your mature heights of the plants not too tall so as to hide the front door to your house when looking at your house from the road.

What are the rocks for? Is there already a flowerbed between the rocks and the house? Is that an edging for a walkway? I have seen many people use rocks to edge a flowerbed. Be sure then to use roundup to clean up the grass that will grow between the rocks cause it will look messy otherwise and also can be a pain to mow beside.

You have a lot of potential here for a wonderful front yard! Let us all know how it is going...with pictures, of course.

Brenda

Hi Syreeta, my first thought is that right now it's a bit "pine-house-pine-driveway" all in a straight line. Since you have to leave grass in the front, I would incorporate grass but add depth and interest by creating a curve. I can see you bringing it down as close to the street as you can at the driveway, then swing it back almost to where it is now in the middle, then form a bulge that circles the tree at the other end. Also, I really like your rocks but a brick retaining wall might give a better visual definition. But it would also cost a lot so I wouldn't say it's important.

I agree that mixing in some other trees would be nice as long as you are willing to prune them so they are all the right height. I think two main groups of unequal size surrounding the two spruces would be best. White or yellowing flowering trees against the dark pines would be great. Spirea is a great landscape shrub because it comes in so many shapes and also in mainly white or pink flowers. Philadelphus would be nice too. A fruit tree of some kind isn't a bad idea but I don't think you want anything too big that will create a third focal point. Bear in mind that I have never had to work around spruce trees (despite my name I've never been compelled to plant one, LOL) and you will have to find out if anything you want to plant doesn't grow well near them. A very hardy, tall rose would be good too, perhaps something like my Harison's Yellow or Therese Bugnet.

Once you get the shrub heights right, it's pretty easy to fill in the rest of the bed with perennials, small shrubs, roses, annuals, mulch or whatever.

It's amusing that my forsythia is enabling people, because I think it's kind of a scrawny runt. LOL.

Also BTW this is all just MHO, and I hope that wasn't too much information.

Hey Syreeta, Not really quiet, more busy. LOL! Wallys has Forsythia, I almost bought one last weekend. I bought two little roses...Morden 'centenial' and Bonica, which is a zone 4 own root rose. So thought worth a try, it was cheap. I know Gil is such a BAD enabler isn't she... ;-)LOL!!! Think she will whack me for that comment? haha

You won't be able to level your yard completely..you will have to let is slope slightly towards the road for run off and drainage. And NO I don't think that would look odd at all, but then I would rather look at a yard of flowers instead of grass anytime! Azalas are a problem to grow here.

Happily gardening away here....my greenhouse is done, just trying to figure out how to regulate night time temp, so I can put all my plants out in it.

Sierra

Thanks for the suggestions Brenda. I guess I should of said that in-between the trees inside of the rocks is a raised perennial garden. On the other side of that towards the house is a gravel path leading to the front door. On either side of the front door is two more flowerbeds filled with perennials. In the one to the left (in the photo) is a large light purple lilac (behind the evergreen) and then to the left of the bathroom window I have planted a mock orange. On the right to the door I have a hydrangea and a white lilac. Then in front of the chimney I have a virginia creeper and a Jackmanii clematis. In front of the far window to the right is a plume poppy. I wanted to plant deciduous bushes in front of the basement windows as when we originally bought the house it was all evergreen cedars and they didn't let any light into the basement during the winter. I haven't planted any shrubs in the large bed yet as I haven't decided what to plant.

The 10' I'm talking about along the road is city property. This way they can pile snow from the road on your lawn, but you aren't allowed to rake all the gravel back onto the street from them sanding the street. Figure that one out... I like the idea of a mini fence between us and the neighbour, I've been thinking of a rustic fence with roses on it. If I do that then shrubs might look odd though. Plus I do like the sitting area as well, I could make a bench or a couple of chairs out of willow then if they go missing I wouldn't be out money. Teenagers in this town get bored and take garden ornaments. This is why I only have rocks, driftwood and a frog we got for a wedding gift in the frontyard. The frog is granite and weighs about 50 lbs. No one is carrying that very far. I like the rocks you used for your path. Did you buy them or find them yourselves?

Syreeta

Syreeta,

The rocks in the path...When we moved to our acreage 11 years ago the kids were in the exploring age. They found them for me...thrown over the edge of the valley just into the trees. I guess someone who lived here before did not want the slate pieces and just discarded them into the bush. I had also enough to put under another tree. They are in front of the curved benches.

{{gwi:748563}}

You could also make a "room" in your front yard by using movable trellises as the wall and placing a table and chair set in front of it, like I did last summer in my yard. Although, I wonder if you did so if the trellis and table and chairs would be taken by your local bored teenage thieves.

{{gwi:748565}}

Brenda

If you want to have a sitting area, you could get a nice bench or a couple of substantial chairs and chain them to the spruce tree. You could bury the chain so you can't even see it.

Wouldn't that be a shock to a potential thief if there was a chain attached to the bench? I guess as long as they don't then miliciously (think I spelled that wrong) wreck the bench. It is too bad that some teenagers/adults do not have respect for other people's property.

My girlfriend lives in a section of Brandon where there are a lot of low income people and also a lot of vandelism in the neighborhood. She used long bars into the ground to attach her fountain in the front of her home. So far so good. One year later, still there.

Brenda

Syretta, my suggestion would be not to use straight lined flower beds. I love the look of curves and waves. A defined walkway from your front door to the middle of your yard would make your home have a more inviting look. The rocks??? Mowing and weed control must take a fair bit of time. I use the black lawn edging and on the outside of the edging I've put the little rectangular paving stones at ground level. When I mow the lawn the wheels of the lawnmower sit on the bricks and I never have to worry about any extra tall grass. If you don't know what to do with the rocks, you could build a raised sloped bed using the rocks as a back retaining wall.
Shelley

Great thread Syreeta...I am having landscapers block myself!)
Here's my 2 cents...I love the idea of a fence with vines growing between you and your neighbor. Not only for some definition and height, but it would give you a protected nook to experiment with less hardy plants and if you wanted a bit of privacy you could make it a little higher than mini.
I also see some big curvey beds coming down from your original one along the sides of your yard and curving in towards each other leaving paths between and a central (or off central) landing area. You could have fun with the pathways (I'm going to try a making a path of creeping thyme this year, but I'm not sure if it will have too much winter kill or not...its an experiment in my zone). We have a lot of sandstone pits in this area and its great for stacking for raised beds and for making flagstone paths (and its free)- I'm not sure if you have more granite your way or do you have sandstone there?

My other idea is for a non movable bench (I wish I had a digital camera :-( ) My DH came home one day with a couple rectangular slabs of concrete about 16in. by 3 ft.(seats)and two hunks that resemble the big triangular shaped cement blocks they use along the hiways around curves and above drop offs and stuff (can't think of the technical name-burms maybe?)but these ones are only about 10 in. high and maybe 3 ft. long(base of seat). They're heavy enough that it might deter thieves and tough enough to avoid destruction. I am hoping to one day do a mosaic on mine with tiles and broken glass. They were free, too.
Good luck! Tootsie

Come on you guys, how come I am the only one posting pictures of ideas for her to see?

Anyways, you could also make a path of cut circles of trees like my DH did for me. Or, get some mulch...see if the city you live in has free mulch for its residents...and make a path with mulch. My circle path is now about 5 years old and some of the circles are just now needing to be replaced. I think I will just let them detriorate and have a mulch pathway instead of replacing them.

{{gwi:748567}}

This picture was taken June 18, 2005, right after a rain. Everything looks so green and fresh then.

Brenda

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I have some great ideas to use from all of you. I think I will make a small sitting area with a bench plus some more paths and enlarge the flowerbeds. I do want to keep the rocks as I'm cheap and don't want to pay for bricks. So far that 30'x10' garden has cost me $40 to make and fill with plants. Not bad considering I needed soil, plants and bulbs. Well, plus the cost of gas for the truck loads of rocks I pulled out of the bush. :) I didn't get to it last year but in all along the rocks I'll be making a small trench for the lawnmower wheels to go in so that I don't have to weedeat. A friend has done this and it works great.

I'll keep taking suggestions as I don't know how much I'll get done in the frontyard this year. We were mainly going to concentrate on the backyard but I do need something to do while DH digs all the drainage ditches in the back.

Brenda, I love all your photos that you have posted. It is really making me wish we had acreage so I'd have more room to play. Plus your views are nicer than ours. Where we live it is starting to get into muskeg country so we have lots of swamps plus miles of dead pine trees from the mountain pine beetle infestation.

Syreeta

Yes, an acreage does give you more room to play...more weeds to pull, more grass to cut, more taxes to pay, farther to drive to the city for conveniences, etc. But there is privacy, the ability to not run out of room to plant perennials or vegetables or fruit trees, the ability to yell if you want to and play music as loud as you want to without anyone arguing with you. I love it. I love the quietness. I love the ability to let the cat outside without a leash and the ability not to have to take the dogs for a walk or tie them on.

So if there is a lot of swamp around, is the water table in your yard quite high also? What is your soil like in your yard?

If your DH is digging drainage ditches then why not have him bury waterlines at the same time so you do not have to string a hose from the house every time you want to water your backyard flowerbeds in the summer? Do that in the front too if you can.

Brenda (who will show you one of these days what our view really is like...Our acreage looks north over the Assiniboine River valley.)

Ok i dont have pics of the road view of the house but... here are some things I am doing to the front yard- and my dh thinks I am INSANE that I want that much flower bed.

First talk to the city and make absolutely sure you have to have grass-- my set back is 17ft! I am allowed anything under 2 ft and no gravel or paving. Thus there are about a million seeds waiting between those rocks on the blvd!

{{gwi:748569}}

The entire section near the tree is going into varying height native/seminative (meaning they exist in nearby and similar areas) perennials. I also keep wanting to put a bench out there. Unfortunately I cant replace the tree as the city owns it and they have specific species that are allowed/required. So it gets clematis!

{{gwi:748571}}

Rocks and pathways are fine ideas. This bed is in another section of the front yard. The lawn edging can go under the rocks too if like me you have 6 varieties of grass! I do use round up on the edges a couple times but I also have gone out with a weedeater or even grass scissors to the edges. My rocks are set into the ground around that bed pretty deeply so that the protruding ones are 2 or 3 layers high and that helps both with weeds and mowing!

{{gwi:748572}}

Also as a fence, I am using sunflowers of various heights this year. That or another annual could be an option if you want a border as well.

Another thing is that the whole flower bed doesnt have to be flowers. In that circle bed I have lavender, chamomile, rhubarb and (soon) pumpkins. When the pumpkins are ripening, they'll be fall decorations! Other areas will have other herbs in with flowers-- I do dill with BB's on one side and I have thyme in paving in another spot. I firmly believe in edibles!

I think a curved edge would look great out front of your house. Just make sure to check with the city, you might be surprised with what you can do. Check with a couple different people too-- I called city works, city parks maintenance, and the city forester before I started! Some of the people in our area have the entire front of their house in flowers and even veggies! I love the flowerbeds like that! Have fun with it!

Brenda, I am insanely jealous of your garden! WOW! I love the lushness of it and the big trees with grass. Aparently you have a knack for gardening!

If I could put that little guy that's on my MSN Instant messaging that bows on here he would be bowing now(-:
Tootsie

Tootsie,

Thanks. We are doing our best to get the yard up to where it was years ago when it won the best yard in the area. When we moved here all that was left over the years from precious owners was one tulip, a couple peonies in some grass that never bloomed until I moved them, some veronica similar to Crater Lake Blue and some siberian scilla. No other perennials in the yard, just mature trees and an old rundown orchard. Not even a rhubarb plant.

It has been fun in the making of the beds in the yard.

A general invite...anyone travelling on the #l by Brandon...give me an email beforehand and stop by for a visit. Would love to show you around.

Brenda

Wow, Brenda, I would love to be able to create a garden like yours! Just beautiful. I have a similar type problem, whereas when we moved to our current place there were no beds or gardens of any kind. Just a few mature trees and some flowering shrubs that had been neglected. Our house is kinda plopped in the middle of a 10 or so acre field, and I feel intimidated by the amount of space.

All I have been able to do so far is a few beds around the house. I do have a shade garden located near a small clump of trees on the east side of the lawn area that really turned out pretty good. But I want more!!! And I'm afraid of creating little "islands" that really don't connect well.

Anyhoo! I'm rambling! You have given me some inspiration. If you have any more pics, I would really like to see them.

Thanks!
Ann

Vrie, Thanks for suggesting to talk to more people. I went into the district office yesterday and talked to the guy in charge of permits for fencing ectra. Well, it turns out that because of the location of our house and what street it is on I can do more. I have a gully opposite us which is where all the snow gets plowed so I don't have to worry about the snowplow or giant snowblower that they run. This is why they have the road allowance so that people don't do any landscaping or fences and then have the snowblower wreck it. He said that as long as I don't fence or have anything that might get wrecked on the off chance they have to move snow in my yard I can do what I want. They just won't be responsible for any damage. So... that means lots of perennials and paving stones ectra. I will just try to keep the shrubs and trees away from the road.

Unfortunately that means I now have to think up a new plan. I had planned out what I was thinking of doing but I have more room to play with now. I was thinking of putting in some type of a path since there is no sidewalk for people so that my plants aren't hanging over the road getting damaged or picked. I could just see that, go out one morning and have no flowers left. Plus a little spot by the end of the driveway for the garbage cans to go on. I'm thinking flat stones sunk into the grass might look neat or with thyme in between.

So many design options, so little space, and so little money. It's all fun. :)

Syreeta

Syreeta,
When the thread started talking about a sitting area with a bench, etc. etc., thought I might post a photo of a 'work in progress' in our yard.
My original thought was to create a courtyard with a pergola; however, that has been adjusted somewhat into a project that was more doable. What we've done is put up a fence/trellis about 10' long. Have planted clematis that will eventually climb the trellis with shrubs, perennials and annuals in the bed in front of the trellis.
The area between the trellis and the house will be a courtyard - originally flagstone, but now we are going to do a floating wood deck that will be at ground level.
Already have a bench for that courtyard, along with a grouping of a ceramic planter and a couple of funky birds to hang out on the deck. The actual area of the courtyard is about 10' x 12'. Perfect spot to sit out and have a morning coffee, watching the sun rise!
Don't know if that might be interest for your yard, but thought I would post the idea.
Margaret

Margaret,

Can you post the same picture again so I can see what you are talking about a little easier? I love the idea of the trellis and wanted to see it better. What do you have planted in the flowerbed in front of it? (Can't tell)

Brenda

Hi, Brenda.
Well, this project is definitely a 'work in progress' so I took some new photos that (hopefully) will show this better. The area that will be the courtyard includes the concrete area - that I did three years ago when we moved in and now I can't wait to get rid of - the dug up area in front of the trellis and the grassed area in between to form a rectangle. That will become a wood deck (also painted brown) that will be flush with the ground and is where the bench, planter & 'funky birds' will sit.

The other two photos are views from the street. The original bed was one rose bush. You might say it has been expanded a bit! Nothing I hate more than trying to get a lawnmower around little shrubs & trees here and there, so it all became one large bed in this area.
There are three shrubs in front of the trellis - 'Clavey's Dwarf' Honeysuckle, 'Red Prince' Wiegela and a spirea that was in the back yard but had never bloomed there. In between are two clematis' - Alpina 'Willy'. I intend to plant some annual vines, either nasturtium or scarlet runner bean, to fill in the trellis this year and until the clematis establishes. The rest of the bed is a mix of my favourite flowers (daffodils, tulips, peonies, lilies)and other plants (mock orange, lamb's ear...).

It's a bit hard to see the trellis from this side, but that was intentional as we painted it brown to co-ordinate with the house colour.

Oh, my, this is long...lol! Anyway, it's still raining here - supposed to continue for the next few days, so the work is on hold for a bit...guess I'll just have to spend those rainy days checking out some of the local nurseries.

Margaret

Margaret, that is an excellent looking trellis! And the flower bed too. Just a note - I find Nasturtiums to be reasonably short climbers (depending on variety), but scarlet runner beans are extremely tall climbers. Mine got onto the garage roof last year and kept going, I think they were about 20 ft. Perhaps they could be pinched out to be bushier - I don't know. Anyway just thought I would mention it.

Thank you for the larger pictures. It's much easier to see the details you are talking about. I think it will look great with all the ideas you have.

Brenda

Looks great, Margaret! I really like the trellis in the middle of the bed like that. What about some morning glories as annual climbers?

Marcia, I might try some morning glories. Didn't have much luck with them last year, but maybe in this location that gets lots of sun...?
Margaret

Mine are in full sun and do quite well. If you start some inside right now, you'll probably be able to transplant them in a week or two. Well, actually, you might even be able to plant them outside right now and by the time they come up, the weather should be okay. (Promise not to sue if i'm wrong, though! LOL)