A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Landscape trials and triumphs Need landscape ideas

After a long rehab I moved to the new/old house. Still lots to do but it is livable until I get more money to complete the inside. But I can do some things outside this summer. I need some shrubs because the big overgrown trees were cut down now the front needs help. My biggest problem is the front door is not prominent. Visitors keep going to the mudroom door. The mudroom is the structure to the left at the end of the driveway.

I need help...

This is the driveway


This is the view where the driveway stops



This is a pan view. I need something to draw the eye to the right to the front door.

You don't want to paint that door bright red or purple or something? Arrows on the sidewalk? Or foot prints? Paw prints? Big paw prints so they think you have a pet lion?
Really, I would probably go to the mud room as well from the views you show. Do you have a sidewalk to the real door? Maybe a redirecting sign on the mudroom door.
I am so not sure what greenery grows well in your zones. But I would go with short evergreens lining the walkway towards the proper door.
What other plans do you have for the area? Seating in the area between doors? What kind of views do you have? Looking front, back, side? That is just nosy questions from me. I love your house.

jonni, Thank you for the compliment. When I first saw the house I hated it but I wanted land and it was in my price range. I have grown to love it. My views are land and trees the house sits back on 4 acres.

There is a walkway to the door if you look at the pan view the shoveled area is a stone walkway to the door. I tried putting in a white storm door. I have thought about putting a bench by the entrance. I was hoping I could come up with some type of planting but I may have to build a structure to come out further from the house like the mudroom to make it more prominent.

I didn't see the white storm door but I'm sure that would improve it.

I would definitely add planting beds on either side of the walk way with a little 4 to 6 inch fence around them to really make it apparent where you want people to enter the house all year long.

I'm not sure where penna is so I don't know what plants to suggest. I would suggest that the be short ones not over 18 inches tall and that they have different bloom times to keep it interesting all through the growing season.

Then I would plant shrubs around the mudroom so that it appeared more like the a wall of the house rather than an entry way.

Big house.

I think you should paint your front door and the trim if you have some. And if you have room put 2 big pots with pretty flowers on either side of the driveway end of the walk and then again on either side of the front porch. You need to draw the eye to that front door.

Thank you all for the suggestions. I will post a better pic maybe this will help.

This is the entrance to the property



This is the walkway to the front entrance

I do like Sheri's (bestofour) idea of the pots on each side of your walkway entrance and again at the door. I still love your house.

That's a nice house! I would absolutely dig a bed on each side of that walkway. I think that would look really nice. Maybe at the very front on each side pull it out further to the sides. Like around the lampost. Maybe do a little rockery around there somewhere. I'd put a little rockery near the post and on the other side I'd mulch and put a little bench or fountain or something.

Thank you all your ideas are great. I have a block how to landscape this area. I am such a modern milly and do not have a good handle on how work on a old style house.

Loz I brought a bench last year and thought about a bench somewhere in the front. I will put it together and post a pic and see what you think,

so are people pulling too far down in the driveway and going to the wrong door because that walk look like it leads directly to the door you want to use.


Maybe if you can put a bench or other stuff and make it a little difficult to get to the wrong door people will be forced to use the correct one.

Great house though.

The issue is two things. First the driveway ends at the garage and the mudroom is directly to the right making it easy to get out of the car and take 5 steps and you are at a door. Second I do not think anyone notices the front door driving to the end of the driveway because it looks hidden and nothing draws your eye to the front door.

The walkway starts about 5' back from the end of the driveway. It is a conveniece for me but inconvenient for me for vistors or deliveries because I have to walk down to the mudroom if I hear them knocking on that door.

Maybe I should make the mudroom door look like part of the building and not a door. Anyone seen anything that is a door but does not look like a door?

You need signs, Aud.

maybe some type of bamboo shade on the outside of that door to make it resemble a window?

It sounds like you need to block off the end of the driveway so that people can't drive to the garage/mudroom easily. Don't have a clue what would work there.