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Curb appeal - need ideas (PIP)
We are in the process of re-doing our neglected front flowerbeds but are having trouble envisioning plant placement.
A pic of my house is below (disregard the van, it's not ours). In the near future we plan to paint the brown trim and garage doors kind of a driftwoody, grayish color with a tinge of olive green (mossy, I guess you could call it). Since the crepe myrtles are crooked, I want to cut those back and relocate them to the backyard if I can. The Sago palm. . .I don't like it but my H does, so I am willing to work around it. I'm also not too keen on the Japanese boxwood between the front
doors and the garage, but I might like them better if they could be
trimmed cuter, more like spheres or little Bonsai trees or something, but then I wonder if that might look too modern for my house.
We are in Zone 9, and flowering shrubs like azaleas, oleanders, hibiscus and gardenias are all very popular front yard choices here, and I have some experience with those. Rosebushes grow well here too, but they seem fussy and I want low maintenance - I am not sure they'd be my style anyway. Camellias are also popular for wintertime color but I don't have any experience with those. Also, if I were to relocate the crepe myrtles, wouldn't something tall fill that space better than a short flowering shrub?
Any feedback is appreciated!
Re: Curb appeal - need ideas (PIP)
We had a bougainvillea in the backyard climbing up one of the posts on our deck but I think the freeze got it, even though we tried to cover it. We planted it too late in the season anyway so I don't think it had a chance to get established.
I thought about replacing the crepe on the left with a dogwood or Bartlett pear tree b/c I like the white flowers, or maybe some kind of maple b/c I like the fall color, and then putting some maidenhair ferns underneath and around the Sago palm. Then I could divide up the existing clumps of monkey grass since they're so huge and finish surrounding the bed with that.
The Crepe myrtle is blocking the view of your front door. When you paint are you going to do a pop color on the door. That would give the yard instant color!
I live in Coastal nc where azaleas grow like crazy. I love the small bushes b/c they give great color and then look nice during the summer. What do you think about doing a couple of different varieties of plants that bloom at different times so you get color through different points in the seasons?
I live in a completely different climate, so I can't help you with the specific plants. But my first thought was that some kind of flowerbed or shrubs would look nice next to the curb. I think that if you took out part or the lawn and added low plants (with a curving border) it would help to make your yard more unique.
Also the house itself is dark, so I agree that a light trim will help bring attention to it. Also consider a unique color for your door. I couldn?t believe what a difference it made when I painted our door a dark purple shade (to complement the flowers in our yard).