Dear Homework,
The landscaping on my home appears bland and does not capture your attention while walking up the sidewalk to the front door. What can be done to help my Ladue home reach its potential?
—Landscape Lament in Ladue
Dear Landscape Lament in Ladue,
While many landscape schemes don’t look their best in the dead of winter, the total effect of your home does look more than a little washed out. The problem is the lack of color and contrast.
To begin with, the house itself could help out. Adding a jolt of color to the shutters and front door could liven things up, even in winter. A tall, dark green, upright evergreen adjacent to the front door adds a vertical note of contrast that plays off the light-colored brick.
Some new architectural changes could also contribute to the solution. A curved stone retaining wall adds an important finishing detail and provides the perfect place for a mass of red and purple flowers. A pair of urns and a large lantern draw additional attention to the entry.
Finally, I have removed the small ornamental tree adjacent to the walkway, which just confuses the composition, and I added a tall shade tree at the edge of the driveway to frame the picture.
It wasn’t that bad to begin with, but it’s better now.
Hope that helps,
—Homework
[Homework is penned by Paul Doerner, president, The Lawrence Group. If you would like your home critiqued, contact us at homework@townandstyle.com]