Dear Homework,
In January, we moved into a lovely old house on a busy road. It was screened from the road by a massive oak tree, so although the front of the house was a little lacking in curb appeal, we thought we’d have years to work on it. One rainy night in May, that tree unexpectedly fell over, so now we have a lackluster house front in full view from the street, and a bed of ivy and weeds where the tree used to be. What would you suggest?
— Overexposed in Clayton
Dear Overexposed in Clayton,
The architecture of your house feels rather ‘country,’ but your location is very ‘urbane.’ To balance the two, I would suggest the following landscape modifications:
>>Trim back the ivy overhanging the stone wall. The stone looks great, but the ivy looks messy. I would top the wall with a clipped evergreen hedge, which will give a formal edge to the property and provide privacy from the street. Keep a level, horizontal top to the hedge and let it grow to the point where you have enough privacy from the road.
>>Plant tall evergreens at the property edges to frame the house and screen from neighbors.
>>Trim the lower branches of the tree to the right of the entry, so that the stairs to the entry porch are easily seen.
>>Plant hundreds of seasonal flowers in front of the (trimmed) foundation plantings, to add color and charm. To balance the ‘country’ feel of the flowers and add a little formality, plant them in a straight line.
If you frame your already charming house with crisply maintained plants, you will present a very handsome face to the passerby.
Thanks for asking,
—Homework
[HomeWork is penned by Paul Doerner, president, The Lawrence Group. if you would like your home critiqued, contact us at homework@townandstyle.com]
