Landscaping ideas/examples

[Boris]

Like many of my fellow Berwynites, when we bought our house and started working on a landscape design, we found it challenging. Basically (if you own a bungalow on a standard lot...or any house for that matter), you have two 20'X20' squares to play with, plus a couple of gangways. So here's what we did with it:

CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE



The front of the house is curved, and presented some interesting opportunities...so what we did was build two berms: a higher one in the back (closest to the house), that match the curve of the front of the house. On the closest to the sidewalk, we planted a boxwood hedge (Glencoe Green from Midwest Groundcovers), that will knit together to form a nice, compact hedge. I'm not going to trim or shape them, they have a nice, somewhat tallish globular shape all on their own.

In the front corners is a trio of blue fescue (mound) grass. In between the berms is a lawn with wide-spaced flagstone to give it some interest:



...and on the rear berm are 5 rhododendrons, a panicled hydrangea and a dwarf Korean viburnum (carlessi)...very hard to find, but worth it. In front of these shrubs is a type of flowering spurge (Euphorbia), that has lime-green flowers in early summer, and the foliage turns brilliant orange in the fall.

In the gangway, we planted Fargesia rufa, a hardy bamboo that will grow to about 8' tall on the shade side, and a 50' row of English lavender on the sunny side:



Entering the back yard from the front, the walkway is lined with a variety of flowering plants including daylillies, geranium, columbine, Jacob's ladder, and on the fence are two clematis species:



Entering from the back is the same row on your left, with the vegetable garden on the right (made possible the original tiny 1-car garage):



...and of course, every garden must have a fairy house:



I'll post a couple pictures of the main yard/patio from later in the summer, later tonight.

[littlealexa]

Wow Boris very nice, I also saw the other pics you posted and you have quite a beautiful space.  I have a few questions for you that maybe you can help answer.  It seems as if the lavender and daylilies don't get sun or do they?  My house faces east and my walkway is on the northside of my house.  Would daylilies do ok here since the sun is somewhat limited.  Another option is I may mix it up with ferns, astilbe and hostas since they like shade.

Finally where did you find that fairy house?  I must have one in my garden.

[PamF]

Very nice Boris.  My questions are similar to LittleAlexa's.  Do your day daylillies get enough sun as well as the garden along the garage?  Nice job though.  I'm jealous.

[Hogzilla]

Wow Boris, inspiring! Great job!

[Guy_on_Clinton]

is that cannabis i see

[Boris]

The lavender is on the south side of the house, so it gets blasted with full sun. That shot was taken late in the day, when the sun had already gone down below the rooftops. I've found that daylillies will grow almost anywhere. Mine that are on the north side of the fence do just fine, but they do get a little leggy, and don't have as many blossoms as their counterparts on the opposite side of the yard. They get late afternoon sun, but the house next to us is pretty small, and doesn't shade our yard at all. The garden next to the garage gets full sun after 1PM...which I find is just fine for tomatoes.

Fairy house was a gift...I think it came from Michigan. I'll try to find out.

@ Hoggzie, we had an incident on our block (hit-and-run) right after I planted the gangway. 3 of the cops milling about made a point of coming over to take a closer look. One of them rather temerously asked, "...is that, uh..." and I said no. It's bamboo. He didn't look 100% convinced.

[chandasz]

Lovely! I look forward to the day that the kids will let me do stuff in the yard! We're in the needy days-- so outdoor time is generally about playing with chalk-- which is fun!

Please post other pics of other ideas. I love seeing these!

[Hogzilla]

I'm not convinced either...

[Guy_on_Clinton]

I'm not convinced either...

you know it.. lol   

[Bonster]

LOL! 

I need to plant some Fargesia rufa to hide my cannibis.

[PamF]

I'm not convinced either...

Yeah, it's bamboo, nudge nudge wink wink 




just kidding, I can tell it's bamboo, no really I can.

[Nazerac]

The secret to your creativity is out !!!

[dukesdad]

Some of my wife's handiwork.

[PamF]

Wow!  I guess I'll never submit any photos of my landscaping.  Gorgeous Dukesdad's wife!  That is beautiful.

[Hogzilla]

I'm feeling like an underachiever today. Some fantastic stuff!

[Boris]

Some of my wife's handiwork.

Very Nice! I like the wren houses...I've been trying to find one that blends in.

[Bonster]

I'm feeling like an underachiever today. Some fantastic stuff!

lol...same here, Hogz!  I have to look at "before" pics to remind myself I'm doin' all right.


dukesdad-
Is that a purple smoke tree in front?  I just planted one in almost the same location to help offset the evil symmetry.

[apatriot]

Everything looks best early summer.  Once it gets hot, forget it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25538908@N08/

[Boris]

Here's a couple more from last August...the first one is from the top of the back stairs:

[Vic0218]

Boris -

What a beautiful yard! Unfortunately you've given my husband illusions of grandeur. 

Where did you get the paving stones in the front of the house? We want to do something similar in our side yard. Also, where do you buy your plants?