The Hardscaping is Finished!

As a reminder, here's what the front of our house looked like in late March when we decided to re-landscape the front.




Old View from the Street
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)


At the time we decided on a new design, it was late in the season for engaging a contractor -- they were all committed to existing projects -- so we had to wait until July before the 'hardscaping' part of the project could begin. Those of you who have renovated will understand the mess and disruption that is inevitable.




The Renovations Begin
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)


Gabriele's landscape plan called for softening the look of the front, where native plants will be featured, and to achieve that the asphalt driveway was removed, to be replaced by a 'stone' (permacon) one, and a new feature -- a walkway to the street -- was added. Gabriele wanted to draw attention away from the driveway which is often the most prominent feature of a property, to allow the eye to follow the sidewalk instead.

The plan called for four planting beds: a large wildflower bed at the front; a second, middle-sized bed around the maple tree; a third smaller bed under the front window; and a fourth, tiny little bed at the front patio to accommodate some flowers or grasses. Two old shrubs were removed to open the space for the third bed.




New View from the Street
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)


Even without the plants, the view from the street has been transformed with new lines and areas of interest. There are curves and nooks for the eye to rest on, and the renovation removed a large amount of lawn.




Large Flower Bed
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The large flower bed at the front is the sunniest and it dips down into a small swale at the street. It will be a good bed for some of the sun-loving larger native plants.




The Medium Bed
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The medium bed around the maple tree echoes the large bed and a thin strip of lawn separates it from the new walkway. Except for the very front of the bed, it is a shadier area that will require plants that can tolerate partial shade. We trimmed up the lower branches of the maple to allow additional indirect lighting to filter through.




The Small Bed
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The small bed, directly in front of the front windows, was opened up by the removal of two aging shrubs. It exposes more of the front of the house (and reminded us that we need to re-stain the panelling that had previously been hidden). This is the shadiest bed and will require some adroit planting to be successful.




Walkway
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)


Although it needs the 'softscaping' and some cleaning, the new walkway feature leads the eye, and the feet, from the street to the front door. It succeeds, as Gabriele said it would, in taking focus away from the driveway. It's attractive and 'street friendly'.




Extended Patio
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)


Our previous patio was miniscule -- an uninspired narrow slab of concrete. We like sitting at the front of the house and wanted our patio extended as part of the renovation. This proved easy to accommodate and there is no longer any artificial barrier between the door and the rest of the yard.




View from the Front Door
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)


We love the new look, as we sit at the front. The feel is 'European'. Once the planting begins, the front will become a beautiful native plant ecosystem.

But there's the rub. It's now so late in the season that the pickings are slim for native plants. Once we've added some rockery to the beds, we'll plant what we can, but, alas, the majority of the planting will be delayed until spring.

Still, it's a solid start towards our eco-friendly landscape.