by erica
(western pa)
hi there,
I live on a city lot in an 100 year old farmhouse. It is an L-shaped house with our kitchen addition on the back so that would be the top of the L. There is a sidewalk that runs along the right side of the house to the back where we have a fence around the backyard. At the inner corner of the L is our bilco door to the basement. Our 10x15 deck sits at the back of the kitchen addition and we have a covered porch walking out to the deck on the right side of the house. There is a garage at the back of the property and the sidewalk goes from the side gate diagonal to the side of the deck, around the corner of the deck to meet with the steps and goes straight to the garage.
So i'm trying to soften up the yard a bit with some shubbery and don't know where to start. The only thing we have planted is hostas on the side of the house and a shrub by the bilco doors so i don't have to look at them when i walk past the gate to the backyard. The backyard gets most of the sun during the day. Any suggetions?
How nice to have an old farmhouse in the city! It sounds like you have a lot of straight lines. Soften these lines of the house, walk, deck, etc. with soft curving mulched planting beds. Base your plan on evergreen plants that are full all year with accents of color in front of them. For example, the hosta would look nice in front of shrubs on either side of your door. You do have to be aware of the sun exposure on your property and be sure to use plants that can tolerate it. Now is the perfect time to be planning your landscape, so you can start planting in the fall. I hope this information helps you get started. A good design is worth its cost. Look for an experienced design professional that has the eye to make your house look better than you can imagine and gives you the right plants for your area.
Thanks for sending in your question.
Nancy