...because home doesn't happen overnight.
06.09.15 / A Look Outside

exterior 2015

Every year at this time I like to document the improvements and changes to our home’s exterior. It isn’t grand, but there’s something about the spring green grass, the fresh mulch and new blooms that make me conscious of how far we’ve come. 2015 is the first year we aren’t embarrassed by our home’s curb appeal – or lack thereof. Pssst – Can you spot the kitty peeking out the front door?

exterior 2015 3

Probably the biggest difference between this year and previous years is the concrete driveway. Not only has it cleaned up the house’s curb appeal, it has tremendously decreased the amount of dirt and debris that gets tracked into the house. The old asphalt driveway was crumbling and held water, dirt, mud and rocks which inevitably made their way into our house and cars. After the driveway was installed last summer, we sealed it, planted new grass seed and added river rock around the front walk where it meets the driveway. Thanks to a wet fall and rainy spring, the grass filled in without too much assistance from the sprinkler. We considered rock walls or planters for the transition from the driveway to the walk, but the river rock was an easy solution and it ties in to the rock in the front beds.

exterior 2015 1

The trash enclosure is doing its job. We haven’t sprung for a new garage door yet. Last year’s stopgap paint job is holding up so well that we’ll most likely keep it around for another year or two.

exterior 2015 5

A few weeks ago I took inventory of the landscaping. We lost a lily of the valley and a fountain grass. Both were planted last year. That’s not too bad considering the harsh winter we endured. (I read Ohio was colder than Alaska this past winter!)

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A few of the golden mop cypress were looking feeble last spring but I pruned the brown stuff and now they’re as vibrant as ever.

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The rose bushes are thriving with little maintenance on my part. I deadhead them every week or so during the summer and cut them back in the fall. I love the creamy petals.

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After not blooming last year, the hydrangeas are back in action! Last summer they were big and leafy and green without a single bloom. I spoke with a local nursery and they chalked it up to a cold and snowy winter. (2013 and 2014 have been some of the snowiest and coldest on record here in Ohio.) They suggested I wait it out and see how they do over the next few years. After another harsh winter, I wasn’t very optimistic. But they’re blooming!

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Up until this year, most of the landscaping we’ve done has been super basic. For two reasons: 1) Landscaping is not our strong suit. 2) We’ve always planned to add as we go. We feel more comfortable establishing a base and adding to it when we can afford / care for it. It’s definitely a learn-as-we-go experience for us. Steve usually takes care of the larger stuff (like digging the beds) and mows the lawn. Typically, I make the plant selections and water, fertilize, deadhead, prune, etc. Basically, Steve can’t be held accountable for anything dying. That’s all me. But now that my alive : dead ratio is the highest it’s ever been (!), I though it might be okay to try some new plantings.

Layne accompanied me to the nursery a few weeks ago. He LOVES the nursery. He was really excited to pick out more colorful plants. He said, “Mom, this is the first time you aren’t buying green everything.”

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I added a trail of sunsparkler dazzleberry sedum (a.k.a. razzleberry) next to the river rock near the front entry. I don’t know which I love more: the texture or the name? Just try to say “dazzleberry” without smiling. In the fall it will produce raspberry clusters and over time it will spread. I can’t wait.

exterior 2015 7

Layne chose the annuals for the container near the door. I told him to pick something tall, something flowery and something trailing. He did a great job! Last year I used rosemary in the planter. I loved the way the fragrance wafted up to greet you at the door, but this colorful arrangement is pretty welcoming, too. (Plus, we have plans to grow herbs in a raised garden bed…keep reading.)

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Layne also talked me in to hot pink wave petunias. I bought a half dozen or so and sprinkled them in for hits of bright color here and there. He also picked out two sonic bloom pink weigela. I forgot to grab a shot of them but you can see one in the background of the golden mop cypress shot, eight pics back.

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Keeping with the pink theme, I planted dianthus in the front bed near the walk…

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…along with creeping jenny.

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The miss kim lilac was a splurge. On a recent visit, Everett’s chiropractor had fresh lilac blooms in the bathroom and they smelled so good I vowed to plant one at our house. It had the most gorgeous, fragrant blooms when I planted it but they were fleeting. I just missed them when I took these pictures last week. I’m anxiously waiting for next spring.

The smaller shrub in front of the lilac is a little lime hydrangea. I planted two of them last year to replace mini crape myrtle that didn’t survive the winter. I bought the little limes late in the summer and they didn’t look that great but they were discounted so I thought I would give them a try. No blooms yet but my fingers are crossed. They already look healthier than they did last year.

exterior 2015 17

Moving to the back (north-facing) yard, I planted a trio of hosta at the corner.

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The chardonnay pearls are filling out nicely just one year in. I missed capturing their white, pearl-like spring blooms but they might be my favorite of all the perennials. They have a great organic shape and the blooms fill our bedroom with the sweetest scent when the window is open.

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I added several caladium in front of the heat pump to try to disguise it. I love the colorful, veiny, heart-shaped leaves.

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Finally, we cleared out the northeast corner of the backyard to make room for a compost and raised garden beds. At the time these pictures were taken, the beds were made and in place (upside down) waiting to be sunk and filled with topsoil. Spoiler alert: they’re sunk and filled!

A little 2011 vs. 2015 comparison because that always makes me feel better…

2011 2015 exterior

It isn’t perfect and it didn’t happen overnight, but it’s definitely an improvement. With the front of the house looking much better, we’re turning our attention to the backyard this summer. A compost, raised garden beds and a screen for the electric meter are in the works. I’ll share more soon!

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

63 Comments

09.June.2015

Do you have any issues with the grass where the large trees were removed? We had a couple of trees removed when we moved into our current house – one of which was smack dab in the middle of the front yard! Despite our best efforts, we can’t get grass to grow there very well! And it has become a breeding ground for mushrooms! Someone told me that the soil is probably different where the tree was removed but I see no sign of issues in YOUR front lawn. I’m jealous!!

09.June.2015

beautiful, everything!
I wish we could say “it was colder than Alaska” with honest “we’re tough” pride, but it was only colder ’round here because Alaska’s been having a bunch of weirdly warm winters in a row.

09.June.2015

After all your photos of garden goodness–definite improvements (and go, Layne!), what I want to know is where your front door mat came from. :)

09.June.2015

oh, oh OH! it looks so great!! i love spring! what a transformation! a+

09.June.2015

Everything looks gorgeous! I love all the bright colors you added and am so jealous of your roses :) So stunning.

09.June.2015

looks AWESOME! oh how i wish a lot of those plants would grow in austin. well, i guess they will grow, but i’m just not willing to water all that much. so native perennials it is! just a word to the wise: prune your roses around the time of the last frost but before new growth starts peeking out. in austin, that’s usually around valentine’s day (easy for me to remember!), but i’m sure it’s a lot later in your neck of the woods. in fact, i do all my pruning at the end of winter so that all of the previous season’s growth is available to freeze back. if the plants are too small (with exposed new wood) when a freeze hits, they may die completely. deadhead all spring/summer long, but prune in late winter. and remember that gardening isn’t an exact science, so just do what works best for you and learn as you go.

09.June.2015

Dana, if you’re ever looking to add another Lilac to your garden, look into the varietal “Bloomerang” I bought one a couple of years ago and I’m super pleased with how it’s maturing. It gives you the look and scent of a lilac, but all summer rather than the short bloom in May.

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/trees-shrubs-vines/shrubs/lilac-bloomerang/

09.June.2015

Looks great! Prune that lilac for next year! There is a method to it–remove the flowers before they go to seed but not so late that you cut off next year’s bloom.

09.June.2015

How exciting for a compost! I am a compost nerd and I’m always finding new odd things to add to my pile. I bet the kids will thoroughly enjoy seeing the transformation of food scraps and yard clippings into beautiful soil.

09.June.2015

It looks great, pink was just the color it needed, good job Layne. I have to mention the down spouts, they really stick out being white have you thought about making them the same color as the brick? Really a nice looking ranch, well loved.

09.June.2015

I love that you kept the original door, it fits the style so perfectly.

If you had to change the door, why style would you go with? Our ranch nearly the same as yours and we just have a plain flat door that I really want to change out.

09.June.2015

Thanks for giving me the name “dazzleberry” sedum. I found a couple of those in a clearance bin at Walmart years ago. They were half dead and marked down to a dollar. I have another variety with lighter leaves that grows like a weed, so I took a chance, bought them, planted them in some good soil, and left them alone. Now I have several of them – and never knew what they were called! Sedum is probably one of the easiest plants to divide… in fact, just break off one of the stems, stick it in dirt, and you’ll have another plant. All of your plants look great!

09.June.2015

We’ve thought about painting the gutters, downspouts and exterior trim a medium gray but it’s such a big job that we haven’t talked about it seriously. I agree that they would look better painted!

09.June.2015

Thanks for the tip! Looks like now is the time to prune. I need to get on that.

09.June.2015

Whaaaat?! That’s awesome.

09.June.2015

Wayfair!

09.June.2015

I know. It sounds awfully survivor-ish of me, doesn’t it? ;)

09.June.2015

Ugh, I feel you. After removing several diseased trees and others that weren’t allowing the house to dry out properly, we decided to start from scratch with the yard. We had the stumps ground at first but a year later we had the entire lawn excavated to slope it away from the house and smooth it out. (Previously, water ran toward the house.) Then we reseeded the entire lawn.

It was a HUGE undertaking. For a while it felt (and looked) like we lived in the desert. I couldn’t keep dirt / mud out of the house. But the payoff has been well worth it. The grass is really hardy and lush. We never water it now that it’s established. We have an organic lawn care company come out and fertilize periodically. All the neighbor kids meet up in our front yard to play – that’s my favorite part.

You can read a little more about the undertaking here…

https://www.housetweaking.com/2012/09/21/stranded-in-the-desert/

and here…

https://www.housetweaking.com/2013/05/07/we-have-grass/

09.June.2015

Have you ever thought about painting the brick?

09.June.2015

I would still want something that leans toward midcentury modern in keeping with the house. And something with windows! I love having windows to let light in. If you’re concerned about privacy, you could use privacy glass or “frost” the panes with window film.

09.June.2015

Actually, l think the downspouts look fine with the white trim..You and Steve have done a beautiful job keeping all the mid century architecture. I am looking forward to seeing the changes in the back yard.The flowers are beautiful, good job Layne..

09.June.2015

I HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT COLOR OF CALADIUM HERE IN OREGON. LOVE IT!

09.June.2015

Definitely smiled at “dazzleberry!” Twice! Beware the creeping jenny or anything with “creeping” in it. As pretty as it is, it is an invasive plant. Think mint or ivy. If you’re wanting it to stay in one place, it wont. Just wanted to put that out there because I didn’t know that when I first started landscaping. Loving the whole transformation and your roses!

Anything that says creeping will likely take over! Other than Thyme of course!

10.June.2015

Our hydrangeas at home always have a year of heavy bloom followed by a year of just leaves, then the next year it blooms again, etc. It’s always been that way and the plant is fine, so I don’t think you should worry about that.
Your garden looks lovely.

We’ve been tackling our front yard in small steps as well. It does get expensive, but I’m like a kid in a candy store in garden centers! Last year we found a lot of 1/2 off perennials in the fall and although we weren’t exactly sure how they were going to turn out, looks like that was a lovely time to buy them.
When looking at the comparison shot, for a second there I thought you relocated the front door, but looks like it was just COMPLETELY hidden by those trees! Your yard and curb appeal are shaping up so nicely.

10.June.2015

Don’t blame you a bit, I am sure it would be a big job. I am glad you didn’t paint the brick. Any plans on how long you will stay in this house?

10.June.2015

Hi- what an amazing improvement! Your plants are just spectacular I have been working on my previous owner neglected 1952 ranch for around 5 years- one of the things I did that was a major improvement for my particular house was to add a window – so I often think along those lines now. Wondering if you have ever considered adding a window on that right side of the house? I can envision a second window- place close to the existing one, which looks to be slightly off center, to center things on that side and give a bit more interest, less blank brick..

10.June.2015

Your yard looks great! I pinned several images so I can remind myself of these plants when my husband and I finally get around to sprucing up the front yard! I have a very basic question that is probably dumb/embarrassing (recent first time home-owner here! And our house had NO landscaping when we moved in…just weeds): how do you “prep” the plant beds? We recently spent a whole afternoon removing the weeds/junk/leaves from the semi-“beds” that are around our mailbox and in front of the house. We got it down to JUST dirt and it already looked a lot cleaner. Our plan was to buy some mulch to put down over one of the following weekends. By the time the next weekend rolled around, weeds had sprouted up everywhere and it looked messy again (probably due a bunch of rain we had that week). So we are hesitant to put down any plants or mulch until we get the weeds/junk under control (for fear that they will grow through and “ruin” our hard work). Will putting mulch and plants down take care of that?? Or should be doing something before going to the trouble/expense of putting down mulch and plants? Sorry for the long comment, but we are experiencing paralysis by analysis over here. Thanks!

10.June.2015

what a difference! I live in northern ohio but I think our weather/zones are similar. Just as you did for the planter by the door, you want to do something similar in your beds, and add something taller(right now everything is similar height). Consider adding a magnolia tree, a japanese maple,a birds nest spruce or arborvitae for some height, especially at the corner of your house, it would make a huge difference.
(from a landscaper’s daughter)

10.June.2015

All beautiful. Love the white planter by the front door; do you recall where you got it?

10.June.2015

I second the planter question :) And I’m assuming the stand came with it? It looks so wonderful!!

10.June.2015

Plus… another awesome name!

10.June.2015

I soooo needed to see this today. We bought our home a year ago and our front yard is a DISASTER AREA! It’s totally overgrown and I just stare at it and sigh. Thanks for reminding me that these things take time! You’ve made such amazing progress! Maybe there’s hope for me yet!

10.June.2015

Your yard is so inspirational. My yard is a mess right now and I have been lacking motivation.

Also I think it’s great you have clients! Was that always a part of your plan or did it just happen organically? Either way I think it’s awesome and I would be so happy if you were in the PNW and I could hire you!

11.June.2015

Mophead hydrangeas (like the ones to the left of your picture window) bloom on old wood. With the winter of 13/14 killing most of the old stems (same thing happened to mine), they don’t bloom. You would also have the same problem if you pruned them back too much in the spring.
Your Little Limes are paniculatas which bloom on new wood, so you can prune those back in early spring if you like although you probably won’t need to for a year or two. They should bloom later in the summer. I have Limelight hydrangeas (the bigger version) and they start in July and put on quite the late summer show. This website is really helpful: http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/index.html
I do think your mopheads are too close to the house – at least they look that way in the pictures. The pink flowers really does contrast nicely with all the chartreuse foliage!

11.June.2015

Fungus grows where where there’s organic matter for it to break down — in this case, tree roots. If there’s still a significant amount of root down there, they’ll keep coming back, but keeping that area dry will help (rake leaves promptly, aerate it, etc.). Also, pull them up as soon as you see them — before they have a chance to let out spores and bring more friends to the party.

11.June.2015

Dana, I love this post! We just removed most of the shrubs from in front of our house because they were dying. I have no clue what to plant. We have two rose bushes that we transplanted in another part of our landscaping that are basically dead. I took notes on your post and will be shopping based on your suggestions!

11.June.2015

Hi! I found your blog on Pinterest because our houses look SO similar! We have the exact same door (painting it this summer) and midcentury modern look in Minnesota. We bought it this year and are currently tackling our curb appeal :) Where did you get your house numbers? Something like that would look perfect on our house! Thanks in advance!

Emily

11.June.2015

I love that river rock! The pattern and placement is son wonderfully organic. How did you come up with that pattern & is there a website or pics that you took ideas from? Thanks, Jill

11.June.2015

Hi, love the clean curb appeal. I noticed where your mulch and grass meet up there is no divider. We are in the process of putting mulch around our house and thought I needed to use something like that black tubing, but I don’t really like the stuff, and can’t afford stone or brick. What did you use or do to keep the mulch out of the grass. Thanks!

12.June.2015

im so in love with your home and your kitchen. Can you tell me if you have 8″ walls? Either they are larger than 8 or your vaulted ceiling makes them look taller :) … And what pitch is your ceiling? I’m new to house lingo lol. I’m trying to draw out my own floor plan! I think I, going to steal your kitchen!

12.June.2015

Hi Deb. I think I’ve tried just about every method of separating mulch from grass (black tubing, pavers, aluminum edging, etc.). None of it worked well. The tubing and edging always works it’s way out of the ground. The pavers wander too, and require you to use a string trimmer if you want to get close to them. Ultimately I took a cue from some professionally maintained landscapes. Now I cut a trench around all my mulch beds. To do this I rented a bed edger when I put them in, but you can do this with a flat shovel too. If you have quite a few beds, I would recommend the edger (they’re pretty cheap to rent and easy to run). The trench forms a natural barrier to keep the mulch in the bed, and once it’s cut, it’s very easy to maintain. You can also run your mower right to the trench, without requiring additional trimming.

12.June.2015

I love Margaret Roach’s blog – and here is her suggestion for creating new beds- http://awaytogarden.com/garden-prep-how-to-make-a-bed-with-cardboard/

I just mulch and apply Preen, but I still have some weed pulling in my life.

12.June.2015

i just loved this post! you’re home is so lovely + inspiring me to put more work into the “outside”!

13.June.2015

Great plant choices! They look beautiful! If you’d like your caladiums to come back every year, you will have to dig them up and store them in loose well-drained soil (like orchid potting mix or peat moss) and keep them somewhere dark and dry that stays about 60 degrees F. I kept mine in my basement all winter and they came back!

What pretty plants and you chose ones that have such beautiful colors!

14.June.2015

Hey Dana-

Those ‘Little Lime’ dudes are a variety of hydrangea paniculata- meaning they will bloom in late summer through fall. Since the paniculata is a woody variety of hydrangea, be sure not to cut it to the ground before winter like you would with arborescens or macrophylla (the more ball-shaped flower heads that tend to bloom a little earlier). Those two are herbaceous so you can cut them back and they will come up from the crown again in the spring, which makes them great for areas where snow and ice might fall.

Happy gardening!

15.June.2015

Good to know! We don’t really have a good place to keep them over the winter. We’re on a slab (no basement) and our garage definitely gets colder than 60 degrees F. Maybe my dad would let me keep them in his basement??

15.June.2015

The original ceilings were 8′. We vaulted the ceiling in the main living space (kitchen-living room) to make it feel larger. The height at the peak is ~12′. The wall with the picture window in the living room is 9′ just because the overhang outside there is deeper so we had more room to work with. The rest of the ceilings in the house are the original 8′. Here’s a post about the vaulted ceiling if it helps…

https://www.housetweaking.com/2014/02/24/what-it-took-to-vault-the-ceiling/

15.June.2015

Please see my husband’s response above ;)

15.June.2015

That was just a spontaneous, willy-nilly design. We wanted a rock “path” to the planter beneath the picture window and filled in some of the corners of the front bed with rock to keep mulch off the walk. It works!

15.June.2015

They are from Wayfair but I’ve seen similar ones at big box home improvement stores, too.

15.June.2015

Take your time with the yard. Maybe focus on one aspect each year so it’s not as overwhelming. It’s taken us a long time to get this far. As for clients, I’ve always had some behind the scenes. I’ve discovered that I really enjoy working hands on, as opposed to long distance. I like being in person to help out and see the space come to fruition. I think my clients get more out of it that way too. And I get “after” pics! I think I would really love the PNW. If I ever make it out that way, I’ll shoot you an email.

15.June.2015

It’s from Modernica!

15.June.2015

It’s from Modernica and the stand was included.

15.June.2015

We had the old beds excavated with the rest of the yard then rented a tiller and bed edger to create the beds. We didn’t put down a weed barrier. The soil here is rich and drains well. (A local landscaper told me our neighborhood used to be part of a huge cattle farm and that’s why the soil is so rich.) We planted and mulched originally – and mulch every spring. That keeps most of the weeds out. I do go around from time to time pulling a few weeds / stray grass shoots from the beds, but it’s really not that bad. (We don’t use pesticides / herbicides.) With all the tweaking we’ve done to our beds, I’m glad we didn’t put down a weed barrier. It makes it more difficult to add / edit plantings.

15.June.2015

Just for the sake of keeping things somewhat “easy” during renovation, we didn’t mess with the original window placements. We had new windows installed and converted a window in the kitchen to french doors, but that was the extent. I do think it would look better with one large centered window but it’s not something we plan to do.

15.June.2015

We think as long as we stay in this area, we’ll be here. No plans to move anytime soon!

15.June.2015

Thanks, that makes me feel better ;)

15.June.2015

I would actually like it to creep into the river rock…I’m hoping it does anyway. If it starts taking over the walk and beds though, I’ll have to figure out something else.

15.June.2015

I came across your blog last week and am so inspired by it. We are deciding what to do with our 1954 ranch house, which I believe is about the same size as your home (ours is 1325 square feet + 400 square feet attached garage, no basement). Ours wasn’t in as bad shape as yours, but it’s still pretty much original condition, and plenty of overgrown trees in the front yard as well. :)

tiny.cc/50sranch for the floor plan

I hope we can make our home as beautiful as you’ve made yours!

21.June.2015

Wow, I think you can be really proud of the work you’ve done compared to a few years back. I would definitely state that your home has ‘curb appeal’ and that what you’ve done must have added immense value both in dollar terms as well as the sense of proud you must now have. Well done!