This was our house when we bought it 5 1/2 years ago. Sadly not much about its facade has changed since we moved in despite my many, many ideas. Ideas typically cost many, many dollars, and as we live on a main road and have two little kids, we tend to spend most of our time in the back yard which is where we’ve put what little money we had to invest into the landscaping. But I’m starting to make a little bit of progress, and I’m ready to start drawing up some plans for the future of our front yard. The first thing we did when we moved in was to take that storm door off the front door. Our front door is (or was) beautiful and original to our now nearly 65 year old home. Unfortunately, it’s on its last legs and desperately needs to be replaced now. We’ve also cut the rhododendron on either corner of the house way down so that they are only about 6 feet instead of 12 feet high. And finally, or should I say FINALLY!!!! my husband has just pulled out all those rosa rugosa that lined the street. While I do like those flowers in general, these bushes had become unwieldy before we even bought the house and were not doing us any favors, but they are a you know what to get out with their stubborn and deep roots. I still need to remove the other two bushes in front of the windows and alongside the house, and will replace them with flowering perennials.
In place of the bushes, I would love to put in a stone wall as it would also reduce the noise of the cars that pass by, but that’s very pricey, particularly for the length we would need.
I’ve also considered putting in a hedge or a fence, but the combination of the two is rather appealing as well, particularly when placed atop a low stone wall! But I really like how bright and cheery the white picket fence looks here and how the hedge offers additional privacy.
Of course, when I see a fence like this with the roses climbing through it, there is nothing else I want more. A few months ago I was set on a low hedge, but after our pup got hit by a car on our street a few weeks ago (she’s ok now), I’m feeling like a fence it probably the best way to go, and if I could achieve this English cottage garden look I would be thrilled.
Back to the front door; we desperately need a new one, and hands down if I can get whatever I want, I will get a Dutch door. I just absolutely love them! And this one with the lattice style window panes would really give our house that cottage look I’m going for.
On either side of the front door, I’ll need square planters overflowing with flowering plants.
And a new coastal inspired door knocker!
Our brick steps are also falling apart and need to be re-pointed, but I would love to replace them with bluestone steps and a new pathway to match.
My husband prefers the brick steps with a bluestone tread, and seeing as we already have brick steps and would just have to have them repaired and updated to achieve this, there’s a good chance he’s going to win that one.
Lastly, it would be crime to leave our current boring mailbox out front if we were able to pull off any of the above makeover so I think I’d go with something like the Endeavor mailbox post from Walpole Woodworkers as a nod to nautical town.
Stay tuned to see what I actually manage to pull off!
Images:
Sarah Fernandez, unknown, Decor Pad, Westie Art and Garden, This Old House, Coastal Living, Walpole Woodworkers, unknown, unknown, Walpole Woodworkers
