One thing you want to think about with furniture that moves is safety with little kids… and their fingers….I moved my platform rocker into my studio room when the toddler stage was happening with the grandkids. I was concerned about their fingers getting pinched or crushed in the mechanism. They’re old enough now so that it’s no longer a worry… but possibly this is a purchase to delay until she’s older.

Lia, thank you for sharing that. Safety is paramount, and that didn't even occur to me.

This very rainy afternoon, I looked out onto my porch. That space is awfully small. Haven't measured yet due to weather. Occurred to me that I may need something smaller scaled. Back to a bench? Idk. Something to be bolted into the concrete so wind can't move it? Things to ponder. Sigh.

A bench built in would be simple and attractive…If you are having other work done at the back, likely you could get it all done as one job, and save. Possibly attachment to just one pillar, would stabilize it.

I’ll ask. Thank you!

Seems like you have lots of options Dsimber! And your contractor may have some additional good ideas. Just need to decide on the look you want that you’ll be comfortable with.

Hi dsimber. Sorry i have been MIA just buried with tax stuff from Sister’s Estate, other Sister’s return and our personal return etc. Etc. Should have those completed by Monday! Just in time! I see you are considering many good options. For front porch and rear of house. I know you are enjoying family so close too. My only thought is in making purchases keep long view in mind. While it’s important to consider safety for little ones, they are only real vulnerable for short periods and some lessons do cone from experience. So consider but keep Everything in perspective. My experience with front porches here, is we tend to live more in rear spaces. So i would put my emphasis on your back spaces. Just a couple chairs and maybe heavy bench on porch and that’s all you need. It is a pretty small area so think about that too. Keep having fun! I am enjoying the small things i have been doing at our place and it is good therapy for me and stress relief! In fact, i should get new, improved long handled weed puller today!! Lol

Thank you, Flo. I recently saw that you posted (on someone's thread) some of the areas you've set up in your front and back yards. They are beautiful! Although we've had some warm days here in eastern Iowa, it's been rainy and chilly--if not cold--a lot of the time. The only garden task I've done is pruning my Bobo hydrangeas. I was about to cut back grasses when nightfall came. This week, we've had over 4" of rain, so now I'm waiting for a dry day.

Re: my front porch, you're certainly right that we will not spend a much time here as we will in the back. I would feel so much better if I can find a solution that would be aesthetically pleasing and provide safety along the two outside edges of the porch. The distance above ground must have barely met code; it's maybe 15-18 inches? I agree, though, the back yard is a better place to spend my budget.

Speaking of budget, I have to make a decision about the new deck project which will include necessary maintenance of the existing screen porch. That maintenance includes staining/sealing the wood, replacing the screen, and replacing the outside trim work with maintenance-free composite wood. Beyond that, I have an option to replace everything with maintenance-free materials including Trex decking, and using the same materials for the new deck.

The deck builder I chose came in lower than my highest bid, and his website gallery is quite impressive, as are his reviews. He and his wife own their business and do all of the work themselves. I have committed to hiring him, and if we do not have too much rain, he thinks he'll be able to be here in early June.

Because the decking on the existing porch appears to be treated pine which has already splintered in one area, I asked about replacing it with Trex. That would require equipment to support the porch (which is not on the walkout level.) Read "$$$$." He advised me that if doing that, since the support system would already be in place, it would be a good time to spend a few thousand more to replace the rail system so everything will be maintenance free. That appeals to me! No more staining/sealing. It looks much nicer and will last much longer. I just have to decide if I want to increase the cost by about 150%. 🧐

Maintenance free could have a lot of appeal…as well, for resale… and the only thing I would ask is are there stairs on the outside…I have heard that Trex is very slippery.

I'm not adding stairs, Lia. After the first summer, I realized I liked being able to leave the slider open on nice days without worrying about someone entering. A future owner can add them if desired. An anti-slip surface of several kinds can be added to stairs.

I received the first draft of a plan from the new landscape designer. The front design is the same, but a few plants needed to be replaced with different selections. He's still working on the patio area. (Design does not show new deck to be added to the right of the mislabeled screen porch.)

North

I like most of this design. I'd like a couple of changes.

1. The right side along the garage needs changes beyond the first few shrubs and perennials. I want something to screen the utilities. Toward the back, beyond a window well and the AC, I want a cutting garden and, in a couple of years, a place for Baby Girl to garden. YS loved his barnyard garden with plants like straw flowers, hens and chicks, gooseneck loosestrife and goatsbeard. He was two or three when he helped plant it, and he was thrilled to show anyone who visited.
2. I liked the shape of the patio I shared last time around after much input from several of you! (See below.) Although not all agreed with me, I very much like the irregular shape on the right side to allow for hostas and sweet woodruff under the deck which would still get early morning light. I would even prefer the left side of the patio staggered as well. My patio in Maryland was even more irregular--not stair-stepped--and I loved it. Why didn't I take a photo?!) I wonder if there is a way to get that with the new design.

Among the 15 perennials that will be used, there is only one that I do not particularly like. It is 'Orange Blaze' Red Hot Poker. (See below.) I asked for orange highlights among the many purples and the white hydrangeas. Great color, but I don't like the plume shape of the blooms. Does anyone have a suggestion for a different orange perennial with this upright structure for zone 5? If not, I'll let this go. It would provide a different texture as well as color. (I'll note that I mentioned an deep orange cone flower. It apparently did not fit his criteria. Maybe it would spread too much? Or maybe it was because it doesn't have the upright structure he preferred.)

• 24-30 inches tall and 18-24 inches wide at maturity
• Hardy in zones 5-9, be sure to check your USDA zone to ensure success
• Plant in full sun (6+ hours daily)
• Space plants 18-24 inches apart for best results
• Produces upright orange flowers throughout summer
• Maintains green foliage from spring to frost
• Great for borders, cut flowers, or as a focal point
• Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds while resisting deer and rabbits
• Drought and salt tolerant, long blooming

.

Your plan with the landscaper looks good what is the name of those orange fluffy flowers? Thanks

Thanks, Happy. They are called 'Orange Blaze' Red Hot Poker flowers.

I'm remembering from the Maryland house that part of the patio extended into a curved area for the pond. I'm going to ask the landscaper if he can do this. He said he is still working on the patio area. 🤞

Orange… do daylilies grow in your area? That’s the obvious choice… or some kind of regular lily… you’d have to pick one that doesn’t grow too tall.

Geum also comes to mind, but neither of those are spikes. If you’re looking for an orange flower with spikes, I think you’re pretty much stuck with his suggestion.

However, regular lilies are not deer resistant. I don’t know about geum

Asclepias also called butterfly weed… Is highly deer resistant. Maybe I should try growing that myself

I’ll look into those, Lia. We definitely have day lilies, and the deer have not bothered the dark orange ones planted by my builder. We have loads of orange “roadside” day lilies that designers frown upon! So he probably didn’t want any orange day lilies that remotely looked like those.

I have that Poker plant in orange and yellow. The blooms are pretty when they fresh. Once they dry, you can cut the stems. Cone flowers (echinacea) are beautiful. You have many options in orange and they do great. The ones that spread more are the regular ones (the purpurea ones), but they are not difficult to remove if needed. I have them and let them do their thing. The white ones don't seem to be as resilient, but they do come back. The good thing about them is that deer does not like them. You could also look at rudbeckia, but I am not sure if those come back in your zone. Lia suggested geums. Those are so beautiful, but yes, they are not the same structure..I got several kinds because I like them so much:)

The butterfly weed comes back for me, but the orange one is not very tall. The light pink one gets really tall

Butterfly weed gets too large for the front beds, but it might be good on the west side. I like geums, too. I’ll ask him about these. Thanks, Lia!

Would you please remind me of the clematis you shared last year, Lia. I know I saved them, but I can’t find them!

Thank you, Printesa! I need to look at the butterfly weed again. Maybe I wasn't looking at an orange one. I love cone flowers, and suggested an orange one to him. I need to ask him about his criteria and if there’s a reason he didn’t choose those. The Poker flower he chose may look great when looking at the bigger picture. I don't want to stress over this.

I can ask questions: it’s my dime, after all. The design fee is at an hourly rate.

I was reading up on the orange flower that he recommended… I couldn’t grow it here, it doesn’t do well in the winter if the roots are exposed in the ground is wet. I have the same problem with coral bells. Wet exposed roots in the winter are very common here because often we don’t get enough snow cover.

The clematis… I have photographs of it, but I don’t think I remember the name.

Etoile? Maybe you can take these photos and do a photo ID.

I think mine is Etoile violette to judge from this photograph that I pulled off the web.

So, so beautiful, Lia! Thank you.

Lia, with coral bells it's a trial and error. Some are very reliable and come back every year, while others fizzle away. I love them and got a few varieties..Some are still going strong. I need to take notes.

Printesa, if you figure out which varieties do well let me know. I think over the years I had one that did decently and then eventually it croaked. In theory I have the perfect Woodland location but the local wisdom is the midwinter freeze and thaw cycle here in Nova Scotia does them in.

Lia, some that are from the Primo and Dolce series (proven winners brand) are pretty reliable..the wildberry and black pearl. I have some that are from different growers that are still coming back after years.. I have two on full sun that are doing well.. I will check to see if I have the labels. I know I have some in part shade called Fire Chief and they keep coming back strong.. The Autumn Bride is in full sun everywhere and those come back everywhere even when you don;t want it:) It's not bad, but it's not very showy

Second thoughts about the landscape plan... I asked for simpler design and shared this image with the designer, early in the process. I think I prefer the waves of color from mass plantings. The mass of dianthus in this photo makes a big impact.

Do you think I can get this look by reducing the variety in his first draft, below?

The problem is that if you do mass plantings when those perennials go by, you will have no colour in your bed. The Advantage to a very mixed garden is that you always have something in bloom. Some plants end up looking very shabby as well once they have bloomed. So if you go for that approach, you would need to be very careful with your foliage and pick plants that not only have interest with the bloom, but have interest with the foliage. That’s a more challenging combination. Another option in that line is to have some shrubs also be blooming as opposed to Evergreen. It’s a different problem.

In addition, with mass planning the plants that you pick need to be very deer resistant, if you have a problem with deer. Otherwise, your beds will be grazed down to nothing. The other advantage of mixed plantings is that they are more deer proof.

Dsimber, will there be a path from the front of your house around the side to your new patio in the back? Just thinking it might be nice to be able to access your new patio without having to go through the house.

Lisalane, I probably need to hire someone else to build steps into the hillside. Due to the walkout level, it’s a steep approach. Thank you for mentioning this. It would be great to finish it all this year…I’ll see if I am less frazzled once the plans for these two projects are done!

Oh, I should have realized the house was on a slope since your downstairs is a walkout. Duh. I would tend to spend my money on steps around the house rather than fancy landscaping on the side. Would landscaping on the side be that visible?

Thank you, Lia, for explaining pros and cons. I understand and agree with you. I had shown the two landscapers two images that I’d also shared here. I don’t know how to attach them from my files, and I don’t have them on my camera roll. One was the simple waves, shared again yesterday and that’s what landscapers and Houzzers preferred. The other was very mixed, and the feedback I recall is that the eyes had nowhere to land. Maybe Ben’s plan for the front is somewhere between the two? Plants are in small groups of 3-5 for the most part.

Thinking about communicating the changes I want is resulting in a long list! Maybe it won’t look so bad if I take one area at a time.

First, I need a different idea for plants under and behind the redbud tree. We had decided on junipers similar to blue rug. Since then, I read that creepy crawly creatures like to hang out under them. My phobias are so bad that I have difficulty even using the words. That leads me to finding a ground cover such as ajuga. Does anyone have opinions on that? Or another suggestion?

It would be good to use a ground cover that would grow to cover the foliage of spring bulbs . Maybe that means something a bit taller than ajuga. I’ve looked at quite a few for sunny areas. It will be a few years before the redbud is large enough to shade the area, and even then, it will only be shaded in the late afternoon.

It really depends on what does well in your area. I use sweet woodruff which can take quite a bit of shade but also is OK in the sun. But it’s a woodland plant so if it’s hot and dry might not be good for it. Ajuga has a problem in that it tends to spread right into your lawn. And due to the darker leaves it’s very visible. Sweet woodruff hasn’t done that.

Variegated vinca is another popular choice but you want to make sure that you’re never going to want to plant anything else there.

Lisalane, I agree! I don’t even like most of what he planned for the sides! [edit: Mostly, it's too many plants and all the curves that I don't like. Too much detail in areas where I'm not trying to draw attention. Would it be boring to have one kind of shrub all the way along the side?--not that I'll do that this year, if at all.] I do wish I could have something that would hide the utilities near the front beds, though. Maybe the first three shrubs on each side.

I like your idea of keeping the sides simple Dsimber - other than hiding utilities (where are those?). I would keep the focus and attention to the non-garage side of the house. And I agree about maybe too many curves - maybe softening the swoopy curve in the front might feel better?

If you have a chance, post an updated picture of the front of your house!

Thank you, Lia. I love sweet woodruff and plan to use them with hostas and hydrangeas on the north side of the house. My redbud trees face south and are still so small that they don't provide any shade. The one on the W-SW side does not get any afternoon shade. Maybe I should try some this summer to see how they fare.

In reading more about what to plant under a redbud tree, I see the inclusion of perennials that grow 12"-18", not just low ground covers. My tree is still so small that I think perennials of that height would be out of proportion. Does anyone have an opinion about that?

Lisalane, I will try to get a photo of the front of the house when the rain stops! Walking on the lawn is a squishy undertaking! Last week, we had over 5 1/2 inches. We're having another storm right now. Today we received warnings of damaging hail, but so far, we've been spared. Sometimes it feels like 1993 when the Des Moines Register headline read, "Forty Days and Forty nights." I think it was about a week later that the DM Water Works flooded. No potable water from July 11 until July 30. The sound of heavy rain still haunts me. To be sure, it's not that bad, at least not yet.

Regarding the curve of the front landscape, it may look severe on paper, but it was needed. The lead walk is such a boring design, but the location of the front door in relation to the garage wall really didn't leave an option for changing it. That's why that design helps a great deal. It's all the curves in the new plan (as of now) that seem ridiculous to me. It makes me wonder if this guy is new. $650 so far, and it's not something I can approve. I don't think we're communicating well!

I'm working on the changes I need, and I don't want to spend all weekend on this! One of the challenges for the back yard is that the city prohibits fencing beyond the back corners of the house. That interferes with a design that wraps around those corners in an organic fashion. A closeup look might explain this better.

brb

That is an extensive amount of garden and a lot of expense for plants…at the sides…to look after! I can’t remember what you had decided for the back, but you might want to put more emphasis in the area that you’re actually going to be sitting in… and spending leisure time in. Did you give him a budget? Also, it looks like the evergreen shrubs might block your view at the entryway. I don’t have any code for what some of these different plants are. If you’re going to put a lot of money in time into gardens, I think it should be in the areas where you’re going to enjoy it. I have put almost all of my energy into my backyard and I have very little along the driveway or at the front because I don’t spend much time there. I’ve put evergreens and some blooming shrubs there; Piers Japonica, Boxwood, juniper, variegated euonymus, and false spirea. This combined with an azalea, a small cherry tree, and a few daylilies, sedum, and Iris. Extremely simple. It’s also shaded because of a couple of maples that have grown up over the years. The Japonica and the false spirea are nice because the foliage comes out in a way that’s very colourful in spring. I think you could definitely do a selection of shrubs selected for foliage with contrasting evergreens and come up with a very simple arrangement at the front sides. Then leave a little bit of room, for spring bulbs and a couple of perennials that would do well in your area.

Have you done any inspiration shots to show him the kind of thing that you would like?

The other factor here is that I don’t garden like this… I put in a few plants that I like and I live with it and then I add to it. It’s a more organic process. This might not work for you, but you might want to put in a couple of things that you like and then just live with it for a while. As opposed to try to landscape the entire yard all at once. Similar to doing the decorating inside. You make some of the big decisions first and the little ones later. The backbone of your garden is the shrubs and the evergreens. Perennials are easy to sort out later.

I also never do anything on paper… lol. I find it absolutely impossible to visualize what a garden is going to look or what will work, by looking at a flat piece of paper. So I’m probably not going to be very helpful to you.