Agreed…..you have an exceptional looking house from what we can see. As ken said, the corner can’t handle a tree or bush, which will just end up growing into your entrance. It seems that you already have a trellis in that corner…….you could grow a Clematis or a climbing Rose there or any other type of vine that you. I love what you have done with the front bed under the tree. How about some more shots of the front of your house?

debra

We live in Great Falls, MT. Thank you! I would love all of our neighbors to put more effort into their yards but not everyone has that time. My nine barks and spruces need a major trim. Believe it or not they were the globe spruces and all have grown differently . Yes we like the rocks. We have a huge rock bed on the other side of the driveway currently under construction again. We have extreme wind here so my mulch blows away all the time. I would prefer the mulch but it ends up everywhere so I only have it where I have more delicate shrubs and flowers.

I wish there was a lake behind me!! For these thing from it though. We have a major busy road a block away in the back. I was looking at growing some sort of bone in the trellis outside of the front door. I just haven’t found the perfect one that grows on more shade. My bigger hydrangea (quick fire) to the left of the door had damage done when we had rock places and I can’t quite get it to fill in to where it looks amazing. So I am open to most great ideas!!! Thank you!!

Here are more pics

You've put a lot of effort into the landscaping! I'm not a fan of rock mulch, but I understand your point of view.. May I suggest that the contemporary lines of your house and windows call for the removal of the window inserts in the garage doors. Solid rectangles would be better and painting them to match the siding will make them less of a draw. They pull the eye away from your pretty plantings, especially since they are different sizes. More contemporary ones would be a better choice when you can afford to replace them., and the same goes for the front door.

Yes we would love to do that someday. We actually just replaced our siding a few years ago after hail damage. To bad it didn’t wreck those damn doors !!

the blue spruce.. picea pungens ... is a tree ... not really a shrub ... [though i understand they are commonly referred to as such] .... . and as such.. will never stop growing in your lifetime ... they probably ought to be removed .. and im sure they will when you get tired of shearing them ...

its common that peeps read a label.. and it says dwarf spruce.. so they think its going to stay tiny all its life ... but it doesnt work that way... as im sure you now realize ...

imo.. they should have been planted 5 to 10 feet from the edge of the driveway ... not so close ...

but.. even with my experience level.. i would not even bother to try to move them ... youll end up bleeding.. unless you have leather gardening clothes ...

anyway.. youve done great with what you have... i dont really know what you need the lawn for.. other than apparently someone likes double mowing it.. lol ... if you want to expand.. use the grass and get away from just lining things done the edge of pavements ...

and .... and this is real important. .. take any plant name to a search engine.. find the latin name ... and then search of images of mature versions of what you are planting ... so you have a better idea of where to plant them ...

i will show you what i mean with based on the common name you provided ... converting it to picea pungens 'globosa' .. and note.. as you scroll done.. they just get bigger.. and bigger and bigger

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffcm&q=picea+pungens+%27globosa%27&iax=images&ia=images

ken

Beautiful home. I usually don't comment on people's home aesthetics but since someone else got started before me.....

The white gargage doors detract from that gorgeous stonework and door at the "front" of the house. Would you consider painting them the same color as the siding or just a shade darker or lighter (just a shade)? The little windows you hate would just about disappear. Do the windows actually let in any light? I wonder why you'd have to replace doors just to change or elimnate the windows?

Paint critique concluded....

You could have so much fun with expanded beds- the circle bed, the driveway edging. If you plant densely enough there's no reason you need mulch. For a few seasons you can use the product whose name-may-not-be-spoken in some gardening circles (preen)

to keep down weeds. You'd need to wet it well for a week to keep it from blowing away

And your house is a perfect back drop for a garden. I could see it full of 'architectual' plants that echo the lines of your house....and the mountain environment and clear skies...so much to work with. Have at it! And please keep us updated. I for one am interested!

On second thought, tall "architectural" plants might also be wind-challenged. On third thought I know there's another poster who has high winds and has a big variety of plants. Maybe start planting windbreaks to expand your possibilities. It is so much fun planning other people's gardens, It's so little actual work!

I know!! No wind break area planned in the front. Neighbors have 2 Apple trees and some lilacs so that helps. Our backyard we had a windbreak of arborvitaes (17) and we lost them all😩. Even with those we still get whirlwinds that toss my much everywhere. I have all mulch in the back and I am constantly picking it out of the yard. We are now trying to figure out a new evergreen columnar tree to replace them 😩