Landscaping a Large Yard

I am moving (duh- seriously, I don't think there's a single person on Earth not aware at this point, since I talk about it all the time..), and I will be getting a rather large yard. The lot size is 215 x 65 on a corner lot. 65 across the front, and 215 down the side.

When we first saw the house, it was snowy. The next time I drove over, it was still early spring, before flowers. I had hoped that with the house being so old, there would be some nice aged perennials here and there. I didn't expect anything fantastic, but I had figured along the 100 year history, there would be -something-.

When we went back in late April, it was late enough for stuff to be up, some blooming, some not. However, there was nothing. Zero landscaping except a place where mulch had been aded, but no plants. Eh? Sure, whatever.

Anyway, it got me thinking- what would I like to do with the yard? For starters, I want some nice vibrant colors that will pop out against the pale yellow siding of the house. I also want something that is perennial, and fairly maintance free- I do NOT have a green thumb, but I do well with bulbs, if they are planted in the correct shadings.

Here's what all I do want over the years:

• Hostas- I used to think them plain, but I have grown to enjoy them, and love how they spread.
• Lamium- these are pretty little flowers, and the plants are ever-green.
• Tulips- I would like red ones, I think, but maybe some other colors as well.
• Daffodils- I love daffs, and want them all over the place! Mini's, full size, and doubles! White & yellow!
• Iris- I love irises, they are so pretty and graceful. Probably lavender ones to start.
• Glad's- These I want in an assortment of colors, and I already have the place plotted in my head.
• Lilacs- I want at least 2 bushes, probably white, maybe deep purple. Starters from old shrubs would be best, for strength.
• Morning Glories- not sure where I want these, though- probably lining the fence, but this will be one of the few non-perennials I plant, I think. I want losts of color, and very little seasonal planting each year.
  

Aside from that, I am not sure what I want. I do have an idea in mind for how to do at least part of the landscaping, and while I do want to get some done this year, I probably won't get the majority done until next summer, then just keep slowly adding bulbs through out the next few years, seperating and spreading plants as well.

For the Glad's, there's a small section of land right up against the house where two evergreen bushes were planted. They are young, but were planted within inches of hte house. These, as they grow, will cause serious damage to the foundation. And, I really am not a fan of plain gree pine-ish looking bushes. So, those are going to be ripped right out, and glad's planted close to the sidewalk in their place. **On second thought, this is a shade spot, and glad's love sun, so they'll be going elsewhere.**

There is a narrow, old sidewalk that runs the length of the side of the house from the driveway, up to the front porch. I want to edge the other side of it with Hostas, Irises, and Lamium. I may add in a few other spring perennials, such as the daff's or tulips, but with the irises, I don't want to over crowd it, either. I don't intend to make this section raised, but I do plan to edge it off with black edging, to help discourage plants from spreading outside of it.

Lamium spreads fairly fast, but is not invasive. Irises and hostas both multiply, as well, but not nearly as fast. I want the lamium to eventually fill in all the excess gaps in this edged area, since it will be a long area, with hostas and irises poking up in the middle of it. I am thinking of having this area be around 18" wide.

In the front of the house is a cement porch, which has seen better days- eventually, we would like to make a covered porch, or even a nice screened in porch. This is where the desolet mulch garden sits, as well as a rotted stump. The stump will need to be eaten away at, but one that's done, I would like to have a 3" wide garden that wraps from the side to the front of the porch, with lots of perennials.

In that area, I have to have sun loving plants on the front half, and shade loving plants on the side half. I have nothing plotted out in mind just yet for this area.

Last night, I couldn't sleep, so I did some fun little 'art works' using existing pictures, to show what I want to add to the house. Now, keep in mind I just used a paint-type program to make my LOOOOOVELY designs... don't laugh! I want lots of color. ;)

Now, as a "key" to the colors- the green bushes with lavendar spots I think will be lilacs. The green bushes with yellow flowers are a bush I've seen, but don't know the name of. The bigger green dots are hostas on the shaded side of the house. The red dots are all tulips, except in the hanging baskets, in which case, I'm thinking impaitences.

The purple dots on the ground would be irises, the pinkish dots are glad's, the yellow are daffodils. Then, in the window boxes, the flowers are going to be Hyacinth- I think.

Anyway, this is just my thought. I'd love to have a covered porch built onto the front of the house, with hanging baskets on it. The planter on the back porch will likely be some sort of annuals, too. The window boxes and planters will likely all be a hunter green, not bright aqua, obviously.

I would like to add hunter green shutters to the windows, and to paint the doors hunter green as well. Next summer,we have to get the roof redone, and it'll very likely be a shade of dark green too.

So, what's your thoughts? :P DOn't tease too much on my "artwork" ;)




Let's hope the future contractors don't use my picture as an accurate representation of what I'd like the porch to look like. ;)