Thanks for the inspiration, RL Relocation! I think a nice specimen tree/shrub is definitely needed next to the bay window. Lilacs are a favorite of mine and hydrangeas would add a nice lushness or weigelas could also add some colorful blooms. So many options!

My plan is to start a new dilemma for the landscaping once the house is fully dressed. At the rate Jesus is moving, it may be midwinter before that happens.

Amoeba, as you think about your plan for re-landscaping, there are some things to keep in mind. Your bed should be grounded by some evergreen shrubs/ plantings so that it is not completely bare during cold weather seasons. ( Especially important here since this is front and center of your landscape .) Fall is a great time for planting evergreens ,and then you can go back in the spring to, optimally, plant and fill in with colorful perennials and maybe an ornamental tree . Boxwoods are a favorite of mine because they can be planted to grow as a very low hedge or kept frilly to stand on their own. They are very slow growing, easy to trim and they won’t take over the front of your house as your former (?) yews did. Some other evergreens ( and your nursery can help you here ) are holly ( many forms - globe, pyramidal, conical ) , globe blue spruce, for color variety, and bird’s nest spruce. Best of luck and have fun . You’ve done so many pretty improvements already. Even though the drainage problem was unexpected, it reared its ugly head at a very fortuitous time , so that you now can give your home its crowning landscape glory , worry- free , knowing that those problems have been addressed and you have a clean slate with which to work. Best of luck and have fun ! —- I’m including a photo of some of our boxwoods ( amongst other things) that we have used as foundation plantings.

I’d go with two cookies! Making wonderful, if slow, progress.

I do agree with some evergreen. I grew up with a 50 year old lilac, I love them.

Favorite landscape trees in no particular order—-
Ginkgo
Japanese maples
Persian ironwood
Weeping larch
Canadian Hemlock
Cryptomeria black dragon
And I could go on for twelve years...

love hemlock love jap. maples toooooooo.

I would think about being more creative with the planting bed. Extend a portion all the way to the sidewalk instead of having it all up against the house? Step away from the expected.
Get some paper & pencil and start playing around with a plan view (not an elevation view) ......formal & geometric or free form? Is it possible to create an interior courtyard by wrapping the planting around the lawn in some way? Do you want visitors to be drawn into the space - how? Perhaps there is an element of surprise. You may want more than one larger ornamental tree/ larger shrub. Maybe even a trio of small trees (Hawthorne, crabapples, serviceberries or the like - these provide seasonal color, and fruit for birds) to create a grove-like setting. Oh.....just have fun & explore the possibilities. You can do this.

I’d be careful with a lilac.....they tend to grow fast and can be invasive from the roots spreading and can be hard to prune appropriately so next years blooms are not cut off. Maybe a “Japanese lilac” .....

My mom has a Japanese lilac and it smells just as nice as the purple ones we regularly see here, but the flowers are pink.

Lilacs have a one season charm.......lovely flowers & scent. What’s your pleasure ?

I have a lilac in back that is about 13 years old. It now suckers a lot. I'm almost thinking of ripping it out as it just isn't providing enough interest beyond spring blooms. I like shrubs with more interest in multiple seasons. I love viburnums but don't know if they are good in your zone. Spireas are great small shrubs and I have 6 of them in my front garden. I especially love Magic Carpet Spirea. Again, no clue about your zone.

I just planted Indian currant/coral berry and anxiously await its growth. Agree that lilacs are only useful about 2 weeks out of 52. I just ripped one out, it did not sucker, however.

https://www.google.com/search?q=coralberry&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=ismvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwixyYucmMblAhVM1VkKHRc8AkgQ_AUoAXoECA8QAQ&biw=375&bih=630&dpr=3#imgrc=2UR8usP5ahQNEM

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=syor

Removing the bricks will definitely open up more possibilities. A small Japanese maple would be beautiful in front of your house.

Amoeba, it's actually great that you now have any possibility open to you for your front landscaping. It's also great it's moving slow. You can take the winter to plan it all out as carefully as you've planned all the beautiful room redo projects you've done within your house.

BAM

Ok. It definitely looks a little bleak right now without any landscaping. Try to imagine a lush green lawn and lots of lovely foliage and colors at the house's foundation.

Yes. The stoop and window sills definitely need a good power wash. But look at the more impactful light and cool house numbers...

This whole project has taken WAY longer than expected. I much prefer interior decorating where I don't have to rely on someone else to do the work. Now to start a new dilemma on the landscaping...

Wow, the house and porch are really nice and open now! I have to say I wonder if you should do a black front door now? I'm still not sold on that light fixture, but love the house numbers! Can't wait for spring!

That all looks so nice now

Like everything! Very nice choices. Looks like brick cleaned up nicely too. Spring will be so fun!!

Shutters look great! Any plans for changing up the stonework?

I love it all. Such a beautiful house!

Looks great amoeba!

Wow. Looks so much better. The new numbers and light fixture are perfect!

Molly: If by stonework you mean the stones around the planting bed, then the answer is probably yes.

That’s what I meant. :)

hello everyone please comment on my thread

Check out this discussion on Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5835425/need-opinion-on-exterior-windows-trim-and-shutters

Hello again!

I've started dreaming about all things green.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5874884/need-help-with-front-landscaping

Please join me to figure out the landscaping!!

Love love love your improvements!!! Can’t wait to see what you do with the landscaping!!!

OMG.....I just realized that I did much of my growing up in the house next door to you! Just to confirm.....I suspect that the street you live on is one of the few that don’t begin with a “K?” I can tell you some fantastic stories!

As I thought about your yard, I recalled your style inside and your exterior is very different. What basic direction do you want? I am big on low maintenance. In your zone, this would mean some evergreens, varying heights and and various tones of greens and areas to punch up with annual color.

Pat1250 what a coincidence!

I know, right? Pulled me into memory lane & all the neighbors, and all the kids. Lots of kids....major baby boomer time. If I recall, there were almost 50 kids, ranging in age from 1 to 20!

Pat1250: OMG really? Yes, our street is surrounded by "K" streets! Did you live in the house to the north or to the south? Our current neighbors to the north have been there since some time in the 80's, I think. What years were you here? I would love to hear stories! I've been told that two houses across the street had lots of kids. Someone over there got into lots of trouble. I don't remember the particulars. Do tell!

To the north, my parents built the house. I lived there from 1959? Until 1972-73? Would have to check. All the houses in the middle of the block had 5-6 kids each, very Catholic. The red “Georgian” across from you, 2 houses north, I suppose there was some “trouble,” but wouldn’t call it that much anymore. Ask me about Kickball & flashlight tag & I’ll tell you a few stories! I had an idyllic childhood there, including the elderly couple across the “alley” from us with the telescope. You have to imagine that there were some vacant lots back then. We called them “prairies.” Geez, my head is spinning now. Small world.....😆

That's amazing Pat and Amoeba! So cool. The house we moved into in 1959 is only about 40 minutes from where I live now and I've watched its changes. Not too long ago, they modified/added to the master bedroom taking part of the very large backyard. The remodel of that house was brilliant in my opinion. It's just beautiful now! It is now and always was MCM in style, but along the way, one owner put pine paneling everywhere - trying to make it kind of mountain rustic, lol. That's all gone now:) I believe my parents bought that house (new) in 1959 for about $30,000. It sold a year and a half ago (following its nice remodel) for $850,000. From the front, the brick home (same color as your brick, Amoeba) looks precisely as it did in 1959, but now has very nice professional landscaping.

For Pat1250:

I'm sure the street looks a bit different from when you were here. This block has been a great place to raise our son, who is now away at college. There were lots of kids his age (okay maybe not 'lots' compared to when you lived here) and the kids all played together well. When the weather is nice there is usually a group of adults out chatting while the kids swarm around. The kids didn't have scheduled 'play dates', they just went outside and saw who was around. Wonderful diversity of cultures on this little block. We have a block party every year and the mix of foods incredible. I was told that the house you lived in had an electrical fire and most of the house had to be rebuilt. Does it look different from when you lived in it?

What an interesting mix of houses on your block!

Pat1250: I ran into my next door neighbor just now. She says that the house was built in 1960 (according to the deed) and the first owners moved out in 1974. The next owners were from Thailand and lived there until 1976 when my neighbor (Filipino) moved in with her family. Does your last name start with G? My neighbor may have known your dad and may have been his nurse many years ago. This photo is from under the stairs to her basement. She says the signatures were from the first owners.

Oh thank you Amoeba! Funny, but it doesn’t look all that different, except the landscaping. The names under the stairs......never knew they were there. Mary, my “little” sister passed away last September. She & Celeste were great friends, and Sue was either of two “Sue”s on the block. No clue as to the symbol, and now I guess I’ll never know. Drats! The pole set in concrete along the driveway had a backboard on it for basketball. With that, our house became a hub for kids. Countless hours of basketball & 4-square. I can still name all the families & the kids who lived on the block. I am so happy to hear that the character & camaraderie of the block hasn’t changed, and yes, my maiden name begins with a G. I suspect that your Filipino neighbor may have been a caregiver for my grandfather, unless she was a nurse at St. Francis hospital in Evanston? The house just across from yours - they always had a blinking Santa Claus face above their front door for the holidays. Drove me nuts as a kid because it would blink blink blink into my bedroom while I was trying to sleep. To this day, I still dislike blinking Christmas lights. Thanks again for sharing.....Perhaps next time I’m in the Chgo area, I can take a stroll with you down memory lane!

What a wonderful coincidence, Pat and Amoeba!

Oh thank you Amoeba! I just finished a reply but seems it didn’t get sent☹️. Actually it doesn’t look all that different except the landscaping. The names under the stairs? Never knew they were there.......”Mary” would be my little sister who passed away just last September so I guess I’ll never know what the symbol was all about. Drats! She and Celeste were good friends, Celeste grew up in the house the 3rd north from you. Yes, I can still remember all the families & all the names. It is good to know that the character & camaraderie of the block hasn’t changed. Good karma lives on. The pole set in concrete had a backboard for basketball, needless to say that because of that, our house became the hub. Hours upon hours of basketball & 4-square. I suspect that your Filipino neighbor may have been a caregiver for my grandfather, or perhaps she was a nurse at St. Francis hospital in Evanston? Oh, and the house directly across from yours? They had a blinking Santa Claus face above their front door every year for the holidays. Drove me nuts.......that blink blink blink kept me awake. And to this day, I still dislike blinking Christmas lights! Thanks again for sharing.......perhaps the next time I’m in the Chgo area we can take a stroll down memory lane. 😁

Ok, so now I see it did post, so apologies to all for this repetitive blabbing.

Pat1250: This is so cool! My neighbor was a nurse at St. Francis in Evanston. She remembers your dad well. She also still goes to St. Lambert - perhaps that's how they knew each other?

The pole in the driveway had a backboard on it until maybe 8 years ago. My neighbor and her husband generously told the neighborhood kids to play in their driveway, shoot hoops, whatever. I think the noise eventually got to be a little too much for them and one day the backboard just disappeared. The kids tried to play four-square still (that driveway is a perfect 4-square court!), but too many balls ended up bouncing into the garage door, so we had them stop.

I would love to stroll down memory lane next time you are in the 'hood. My neighbor always loves talking about the families that were here when she first moved in. She experienced terrible racism before moving to this block and the families here were so welcoming to her.

My neighbor loves to tell the story of how she bought the house. She knew the Thai man who owned it - I think they worked together at St. Francis. He told her that they were selling their house and that she should stop by for a tour. My neighbor dropped by for a tour - much to the surprise of the wife - who had no idea her husband was fixing to sell. My neighbor ends up buying the house directly from the Thai family without going through a realtor and later learns that several St. Lambert families were upset that the house was never put on the market. I guess living on this block was highly-rated by the St. Lambert crowd back in the day.

😂😁🤣🤣🤣🤣 so here I just took it all for granted in my childhood naïveté. This is getting even better.
Seems to me it may still be highly/honestly rated, don’t you think?

What a wonderful coincidence

Hey Amoeba, I would like to screen capture the photo of names “inscribed” under the stairs for my brother-in-law.
As I’m not the most iPad astute can you leave the image up until I figure this out? Likewise, I can scan some images of the neighborhood if you are interested. Best........

pat1250: I'll leave all the photos up. I'd love to see old photos of the 'hood.

It or something of interest

Oh goodie.....I’ll peruse photo albums and see what I can find. Your neighbor may get a kick out of the annual Easter egg hunt. Sometimes we were sequestered in the garage while parents hid the eggs. It was a mad rush when the door opened.

Pat if you hold the round button on the bottom and the on/off button at the top, you can snap a screenshot. (I think)