Lost in the Jungle

Dear Homework,
As you can see from my photo, the landscaping at the front of my home is terribly overgrown. Although I’d miss my lilacs, we would like to tear everything out and plant something fresh, preferably something that doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. We do like to plant bulbs, so we have flowers in the spring and annuals and perennials for the summer.

Thanks,
—Lost in the Jungle

Dear Lost in the Jungle,
Your house is less overgrown than some I’ve seen. At least you can see most of the facade. As you will notice from my sketch, I have kept a good part of the bush to the left as a useful frame to the presentation.  In addition, I have used evergreen hedges as a background for the flowers that you desire to plant.

To the right of the composition, I suggest installing a trellis above the new garage door to bring some landscape interest to this portion of the composition. A low hedge and a row of dogwood trees frame this side and shield the view to the neighboring house.

Supporting architectural details such as larger coach lamps, shutter hinges and tie backs, and enhanced moldings add additional interest. The overall impact is now more charming and complete. Just keep those new hedges trimmed.

Thanks for asking,
—Homework

Homework is penned by Paul Doerner, Founding Partner of the Lawrence Group.if you would like your home critiqued, contact us at homework@townandstyle.com.