Sometimes plantings get overgrown, tired, or the current design doesn’t work. They need a face-lift, or a re-design. The front foundation plantings, in this case, were not only overgrown, but they hid a beautiful real stone facade at the front door.
The composition of this left side foundation planting didn’t really work with the right side– different plants and different planting style. I’m not in favor of total symmetry, mind you, but to work a landscape needs all its parts to continue a theme.
Also, as you walked down the path to door your eyes were directed to the woods. Not a bad view, but I wanted them focused on the front door and an attractive planting that welcomed and embraced.
From the street the composition didn’t frame the house and its architectural style, contemporary in this case.
The design solution I planned echoed the right side plants of low growing boxwood, leucothoe, vinca ground cover, and a Kousa Dogwood tree. However, I didn’t just mimic the other side’s planting composition, I responded to it with my planting design.
When the plants grow in, the boxwood and leucothoe will touch and the tree will widen, but none will overwhelm each other or hide the house. The shrubs will grow to about 3′ tall and continue to reveal the stone facade. Also, the planned tree placement will give a bit of a screened view of the street from the living room window and the side deck.
Below are two ‘before’ photos–one from the street and the other from the side path.
Following those are photos of the installation as it progressed. You’ll see there was also a stump that needed removal so the area could be regraded and to be converted to lawn.
And finally, the complete installation–shots from the street and the path. When the newly seeded lawn grows in, it will blend nicely with this suburban neighborhood house.
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