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upnorthmi

landscaping by front gate

5 months ago

By my front gate there are two sides that have some grading challenges. On the side with the electrical box we can’t go down to far enough to make the grade flat, and on the other side it’s a similar issue. So I’m looking for some kind of tiered design idea that looks clean, and not to overwhelming.

Comments (12)

  • 5 months ago

    Adds photos of the entire front straight-on - one from behind the street curb and one from farther back - do we can see the entire area and the slope.

    When you say ”go down far enough”, do you mean make the beds wider (to the right & left beyond the brick wall length) or do you mean extend the beds’ length toward the road?

    Are the areas to the right & left of the walls/beds meant to be swales for water management? Or is it just uneven grading after the driveway construction?

  • 5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    What a beautiful setting! The grade looks minor and I wouldn’t worry about it. Plants can grow on a low slope.

    I would explore perennial grasses, strategically placed to distract from the meters (not too close in case the meters need to be serviced). I can’t recommend specific types because I don’t know your planting zone. Both sides of the driveway don’t need to be exactly the same, just similar. This sample picture below is thickly planted but it’s not necessary to do that. You could get by with half as many grass clumps, I think.

    If you feel you must have the white stones on the right side, put them on the left side too.



  • 5 months ago

    Thank you, I’m located in lower Michigan

  • 5 months ago

    I'd make the beds a more similar size and shape. I'd put a dark winebark on the left side, to echo your maple.


    Ninebarks · More Info

    Then, I'd probably do a taller silver-leaved plants, like Russian Sage

    In front, some coneflowers and edged with heuchera.

  • 5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    This shows my concept of a clean, understated design.

    • Highlight the brick columns and their symmetry with river rock to the pavement.
    • Use the boulders to make two low retaining walls. You can stain them darker with concrete stain.
    • Fill in the existing greenery on the left and as to both sides and to and hide the utility boxes.



    AI would not let me line up the gates opposite each other. Flatten the areas next to the columns as much as possible for the river rock.

  • 5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    I like the change in grade. In fact I'm wondering if there's a deliberate swale there. Like Sigrid I'd make the beds similar in shape and size. Balance the plantings and remove the glaring white boulders which do not suit your woodsy setting imo.

  • 5 months ago

    I'm pretty sure I'm seeing a culvert running under the driveway. So it does look like the swale is part of a functioning drainage system.

    What is there currently is reminiscent of late 20th century landscaping 'islands' that almost invariably end up weedy messes after people get tired of the maintenance. The beds either need to be smaller, or more fully planted. After that happens, I think the necessity of creating flat earth will go away.

  • 5 months ago

    The issue with flattening the right side is that the electrical liines are about 2 feet below the surface, so I wouldn't be able to flatten the right side to match a flattened left side. I like the idea of some colorful plants that are low profile because the gate height gets lower the farther left/right you go on each side.

  • 5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    No one has suggested the beds need to be flat or matched in height.

    You mentioned a tiered design so I kept the stacked boulders and added low growing flowers as you requested.



  • 5 months ago

    What @tracefloyd said. No one is concerned about flat beds except you. Plus as mentioned above, there may be a good drainage reason why your beds aren’t flat.

    Forget flat. I said this earlier - plants don’t need flat ground.

  • 5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    And you have the lamp post on the left so the overall look is balanced with focal points on both sides.

    Low stone planting bowls highlight the symmetry of the columns and allow the lamp post to remain the tallest feature.



    AI could not get the columns and bowls at the same level, they were a bit off when I stitched the two images together.