Urns with ferns (say that with passion, it sounds like a motorbike revving)

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=Black+urn+with+ferns&client=safari&hl=en&prmd=isvn&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&fir=x_9Wb3BHkFdwgM%253A%252C5f93GHPy1No0zM%252C_%253BR7HHqQ_hDq6AVM%253A%252C5f93GHPy1No0zM%252C_%253BxcAdKX4q0KN3YM%253A%252C7kxPKyUuUqnX4M%252C_%253BktBKyl2dHDuYvM%253A%252CXlHv_XHfQcuAuM%252C_%253B8oOFGD9p5kuvuM%253A%252CVu7b-kSoqJ9gIM%252C_%253BtU07pggplv4RPM%253A%252C02NpkgEsQJ_6QM%252C_%253B8sIzdSnDvQFUdM%253A%252COzhX_pBI6OEVbM%252C_%253BQduX0yFjszZFXM%253A%252Cs6hwaxHM7wY8CM%252C_%253BSqxommJJpi3nUM%253A%252C6UKJBAD8n-T-XM%252C_%253B2Zfupww4QOV67M%253A%252CdqtcskZIXzgyaM%252C_&usg=__xSRM1ngLpHaCtjQZthYw2vkIA5Y%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiI4PXu0tnMAhVJp5QKHbvYDJ0QsAQIGQ&biw=1024&bih=672

Tibbletrouble...thanks for the multi images! An "urn with ferns" is so classic and ..stately. Now I have to find hardy outdoor ferns, not indoor ones.

Oh, and the door hardware will be black wrought iron latch type. I think I'm getting there! :)

Wondering about this for the backyard too...it is a bird bath, 36 round with the top tier 24 round., but only two feet high. Would look wayyy out of proportion, too top heavy. How would you suggest building it up to make it higher? It is for sale on a bargain web-site.

What about a plinth made of bricks matching your house?

The Mr. says it might look junky. Lol

This plinth is in the uk, but I've seen similar in US pics

In USA, have a look, there is one on a brick gate post, show hubby. Look at the concrete ones too

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=Formal+moulded+concrete+plinths+for+urn+in+USA&client=safari&hl=en&prmd=isvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiA_M3F2NnMAhVGp5QKHUntCVQQ_AUIBygB&biw=1024&bih=672

Great idea! I have one large black cast iron urn already. I could fill it with sand for greater stability and set the bird bath on top! Then I could spray paint the urn the same colour as the concrete top. Solved! Thanks T-T !

Haha, you thought of that one yourself!

Yep. After my second cuppa. Lol

I don't understand how the steps will go in without sticking out in front of the garage.

Love the urns w/ferns pics....

Me too Suzyq53. They are going in this week. The driveway needs to be graded and it will be higher, requiring only one wide step. Evenutally the driveway will be concrete, but needs to settle for a year first.

Also, I just remembered that a few weeks back I purchased a large cocoa mat with rubber black wrought iron effect filigree pattern to it for in front of the door.

yes, there appears to be an issue with the steps versus the driveway.

what are you doing with your driveway?

have you considered pouring it and leaving slots for grass or groundcover? another trend that looks great is putting fake turf in the slots.

I can't really help you with plants for your area.

http://5thandstate.blogspot.com/2011/11/winter-urns-tutorial.html

http://www.320sycamoreblog.com/2011/06/yearnin-for-urns.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+granvillehouse+(320+*+Sycamore)&utm_content=Google+Reader

Hi Kelley Dockery...the driveway needs to be graded, and higher then the step will be perfect. Can't do the block fake turf driveway due to the snow difficulty ploughing logistics here in Canada... Good idea for Cali though, lol.

Thanks Katharine Sharp! Some good ideas for urns on the links you kindly sent me!

EmBee, how is the yard coming now that you must have hour driveway in?

Well....we don't have our driveway finished yet as the builder suggests taking a year to do so while the ground settles. Until then we just have a wooden step but we are going to stain it a grey colour soon. So much to do!! But here is the Dinner Party red paint we chose. The wreath is several shades of green with black and white ribbon. The ferns are loving the eastern exposure...they love the cooler shade in the afternoon. We are thinking of leaving the front of the house without foundation plantings due to snowclearing efficiency. But under the windows at the side yard of the garage (which I didn't take a picture of yet) we will plant a variety of smaller coniferous bushes and mulch on top to keep in the moisture.

I close the drapes during the morning sun to keep things cool...

At night I usually close the sheers...

We hired a compactor machine when we did a path. A year seems long. Is that normal in America?

Because of the four seasons we get and the brutally cold winters, it is better to let it set. However, more and more I read that a concrete driveway is too contrived. In Europe they really like gravel pathways. Paved asphalt driveways sink, crack and look faded after awhile. Lots of maintenance. We might just go for a red gravel driveway. Like this...

Wow, everything turned out so nice. I love the ferns and such a nice idea with the drapes for privacy in the entrance. Have you considered a paver brick driveway? How would you shovel snow off red gravel? I don't think I have ever seen one.
Talk later, one of our neighbors is getting engaged and they have big fireworks tonite.
Happy 4th!

Thank you, Katherine. We considered paver bricks as the builder included it with this build, but we noticed on our walks that after awhile they settle and you need to dig them up level them out and reposition. The red gravel looks beautiful, but when clearing driveway snow you have to lift your snowblower blade higher to avoid throwing the loose stones. In Canada, it seems all driveways have some sort of maintenance issues or setbacks. Just the way it is, lol.

I think some sort of dwarf conical shaped bushes might look good in cement urns near the front left corner of the house to soften the facade. We have a wide side yard leading to the backyard beside that side of the house. Perhaps three large pots in a staggered placement, something like this...

We have some gravel paths and they are not low maintenance.

Yes...weeds love them!

Here are my front pots in Summer. Look into some faux lead or some black urns. The colors of your home seem more formal to me so it may be hard to go with the bright colorful pots but it'll be beautiful and will add tons of curb appeal just with some nice pots on the porch. Do some by the steps, then do some bigger ferns up beside your door!

Oh now I see where you've got ferns! They're beautiful!

How many hers on average do paver bricks last in your area before they need resetting. We have had our patio for over 11 years now and no problems so far. The newer poly sands for the crevices harden better and sealing it helps a lot. I like the advantage that they can be reset if there is a problem. We live north of Detroit. Are you further north than that?

I like this concrete with brick edge.

Do you know what color your brick is? I'm looking for brick to go with our pewter shingles.

Kimberly...yes, this brick is called Federal Hill by I think, General Shale..?

Katherine...a brick patio doesn't take weight on it like a pick up truck or SUV being driven on it almost daily. So that's why a paver patio lasts longer. We are just outside of London, ON Canada in the snowbelt.

It's lovely brick.

pavers for a driveway are different. They are smaller, and thicker, so they don't crack. You can get permeable ones too, though don't know how they go in snow.

Yes, but they go wonky with the frost pushing the ground up and down during freezing and thawing in the cold months.

What do the houses around you have for driveways?

Mostly gravel as the driveways are long. Then some have gravel then concrete in front of the garage. The newer subdivision homes have mostly concrete driveways.. Concrete is nice, but our driveway is quite large...expensive to do. The stamped concrete is quite lovely. But...Red gravel for us, for now, lol.

I'm having tinted concrete paths put in this year, in process of getting quotes. I think it's money well spent. It's not a sustainable material, for the planet, but some new research is partway to solving that.

Then you may be interested in this article.
http://phys.org/news/2016-03-carbon-dioxide-sustainable-concrete.html

That's right, and as they say, this is where they're at

It's one thing to prove these technologies in the laboratory. It's another to take them out into the field and see how they work under real-world conditions."

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-03-carbon-dioxide-sustainable-concrete.html#jCp

Can a car drive over it without cracking it? Lots of testing to do.

That makes gravel driveways more appealing. It is simply crushed natural stone. Hard to beat that! :)

I just love the sound of crunching gravel, especially underfoot.

Yes, approaching vehicles, people. That way they can't sneak up on you, lol.

Ferns are a great choice! Mix textures and tones. Because of all the shade I have my pots are filled with a mix of house plants (like wandering Jew, prayer plant), annuals (begonias, impatiens) and perennials (hosta, coral bells, ivy). But by far, ferns are my favorite. There are so many varieties to choose from. Don't get stuck in a Boston fern rut! The maiden hair fern is fabulous in pots. It is delicate with bright green leaves and black stipes (stems). Enjoy your beautiful home.

Yes...ferns look so lush. I fertilize them every week with Miracle Grow lightly mixed in the water. They really suck back the moisture.

Here is what I did for the Winter season...the door paint colour is Dinner Party Red...

Perfect, Em

Lovely and inviting. Happy Holidays.

Your urns are gorgeous!!

Thank you everyone!! Happy Holidays!!