Is it too late? *pics*

[Ultra-]

**Edit**

The front of my house looks really bad so I was wondering: is it too late to make a nice looking "garden"?

Thanks

Here are some pics:

http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/5024/garden1kw3.jpg
http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/4994/garden2qf0.jpg
http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/1258/garden3yq7.jpg
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/7612/garden4ew0.jpg

What i'm thinking of is moving the plants and clustering them together, add a couple of flowers, some windmills, come edging, adding a couple of bags of top soil. Price range is around 100-150

[CheapScotsman]

What does your garden have to do with how your porch looks ... and too late for what exactly (a few pots, 50x100 garden currently full of weeds) and for when exactly (next week, next month, next year) and for how much money ($10 or $10000) and for how much effort (DIY or hire) ???

Renovate your post first.

[walleye*guy]

yes

[mrlarouc]

My porch looks really bad so I was wondering: is it too late to make a nice looking garden?

Thanks


I like pie! :|

[Ultra-]

yes
Okay, thanks. That's what I wanted to know. I guess I should have started as soon as it stopped snowing.


I like pie!
I do too. Apple pie is my favourite.

[glaswegian]

Your front entrance is too "busy", clear all that stuff and replace with 2 big urns to make a dramatic entrance and add flowers. The walkway looks like it's not level either, perhaps you want to rip that out and do interlocking stones?

[Ultra-]

Your front entrance is too "busy", clear all that stuff and replace with 2 big urns to make a dramatic entrance and add flowers. The walkway looks like it's not level either, perhaps you want to rip that out and do interlocking stones?

Aren't two big urns costly? Buy interlocking bricks would be way over my budget.

[Menace]

They aren't if you get them from Walmart.


Aren't two big urns costly?

[brownstein]

I would ditch the cheesy swan things.

[CSK'sMom]

Now can be the perfect time for landscaping. Many nurseries will soon start deep discounting plants, trees and shrubs.

I agree, the cheesy swans have to go and the larger pot don't look great due to the poor choice of plant material, it's much too small for a pot that size. The area adjacent the porch looks to basically not have any live plant material....

[Gidget]

I think your lawn is in serious need of help. You don't need a big budget to make the front of your house presentable though. For starters, I would cut and water your lawn. I think your bushes and plants are all in the wrong place. For now you probably have to leave them where they are. But in the fall I would move them. The yellow one I would move to where you have the the little evergreen. The plants and bushes should be planted from tallest to shortest so that it is on a gradient. The way you have them now I see some kind of shrub by the front of your patio slabs then you have a small evergreen in the back. Your bushes are in the front when they should be in the back. All of this requires not money but only your labour.

[Rembrandt100]

It is never too late. In fact now till the late fall is the best and cheapest time. Planter pots are on sale at most places for 50% off at least. Planting stock is starting to get cheaper also. To tell you the truth you could make that place at least 100% better with minimal cash and the next few weekends.

Weekend 1 I would remove all the walkway slabs, ( Do not store them on the lawn ) and recut the edge across from the garage to a straight line and put in patio edging around to the driveway and the rose bush to keep the slabs from moving,. By using the patio edging you could also get rid of those bricks. Then order enough screening to level the ground and relay the stones. $25-30 for the screening if you pick it up. Maybe you could mow the lawn also. Fertilize it also and water it in as you have a cold one.

Weekend 2 Use an edger to cut a circle around the Floribuna on the lawn take out the bricks, the grass and the soil down at least 6" then add a bag or so of fresh soil and cut out all the dead wood and then cut it back by 50% in the fall. Use the edger to cut a new edge around the porch. If you like it as a straight line so be it but this is you chance to play with it. I would remove everything down to at least 8" and add soil to level it. The Aberta Spruce has a dead spot that will not come back so either dump it or decide you want to try to make a bonsai of it. It looks as if there may be a Sedium in front of the spruce that could be saved and divided in the fall also. The Potentilla is in great shape and seems to like it there. I would just reshape it in the fall. The spreading Juniper at the corner could be played with also. Now you just have to decide if you want annuals or perennials to fit in you new garden bed. Go to the Rose shrub and remove any limbs that stick out over the walkway. Then remove any limbs that do not have buds on them right back to the ground. In the fall cut it back to 8 -12 inches from the ground and mound it with soil for the winter. In spring rake back the mounded soil and spread it thru the bed.

Weekend 3 The fertilizer should have kicked by now and you should be able to see what areas the grass recovered in and you could top dress and reseed in Sept.

Sorry dude you are on your own with the front porch. That is about as barebones as it gets. The only thing that I can come up with is a trellis that rises from the garden bed and across to the opposing wall above the door, but it seems forboding instead of inviting. You could put a couple of LARGE pots that have LARGE plants in them. An example would be Ficus benjamina but it would have to be moved indoors in the fall.

Understand that this is barebones, minimum cost repairs to what exists. Op did imply he wanted it inexpensive.

Dave

[Ultra-]

Wow, great posts. Lots of things to grasp.

Now I need to google all these unfamiliar. Thanks

**edit**
Hmm, for the Floribuna, I find that where it currently stands is a terrible placement and looks bad since it's basically in the middle of my lawn. Anyone else agree?

As for my lawn, It's actually pretty short already. Is it necessary to mow it again?

[Dustbunny]

Just to add, now really is a good time to start especially with perennials and things like lattice or other hardscaping type items (no windmills okay... neighbours normally don't like windmills). Home Depot started clearing their stuff a couple of weeks ago and are still doing it. So are other garden centres. I got perennials for $1 each at HD (small containers but they'll be huge next year and I got to get mulitples of everything instead of a single for the same price a month earlier). It's pretty hard to find any decent annuals right now and really they'd only be good for maybe two months now depending on where you live.

Things like urns can be had very reasonably depending on whether they are iron or fiberglass or plastic and if you look around you can probably find them going for 50% off soon. They are also nice because you can use them all year round to put boughs and such in which keeps the porch looking nice.

What really seems a shame is you seem to have lost a lot due to no water or maintenance. If you aren't inclined or don't have the time, consider using gravels and rocks and plants that require little to no attention and make your front a xeriscape yard. You can google that to see pictures.

[gmark2000]

Those builder's slabs make it look cheap.

The swans are cheesey and the big white pot looks like 70s modern.

There's definitely some work to be done.

[gizmo8]

Those builder's slabs make it look cheap.

The swans are cheesey and the big white pot looks like 70s modern.

There's definitely some work to be done.

+1

those patio slabs are meant for the back not a front entrance...they arent even or straight,your neighbors frontage doesnt look that great also...start replacing those slabs with interlocking...

[luv2buy]

Longos had fibreglass black urns on sale for $29.99 last time I was there (about 3 days ago). Saw them at the one on Bayview north of Steeles and also at the York Mills and Leslie location. I prefer fibreglass to iron as it doesn't rust and stain your concrete and you can lift them. Two urns would look nice at your front door.

[don242]

There is never a bad time to start improving the landscaping. I would do whatever work you wanted to get started now. Planting perennials now is fine though it is difficult to find good condition plants this time of year at the box stores, but if you can they will be very discounted. Bushes and shrubs also discounted now and most of those will have warranties so even if they don't survive, you can get a replacement in the spring. Fall is actually a good time for planting some things.

As for your grass, contrary to what others have said, it doesn't look to have any serious problems. It just isn't watered which is perfectly natural for grass anyway. It IS supposed to be dormant in the hot summer months, so why waste water trying to change that. Just make sure you properly fertilize when the times are right.

I would dig a full garden bed along your walkway that encompasses the existing bushes. This will give you room for perennials or next year annuals ifyou wish and will clean up the edge. It will also clean up your existing bushes with the grass poking through and make things easier to trim. When you do plant perennials, make sure you no your sun conditions for choosing appropriate plants.

As for your walkway, I also think you can make it look fine with the patio slabs. Obviously interlocking brick or something would look better but you have already stated that it isn't within your budget so work with what you have. I would take out one row of the slabs so that it is only 2 slabs wide going down the middle. It also means less to adjust because these slabs do take a bit of ongoing maintenance. See if you can lift them and adjust them level and tight against each other. I had these slabs at my old house and they looked fine once I set them in place properly.

You can very easily improve the look with very little cost to you. There will probably be more effort than cost. And as time goes on, you can make upgrades, such as urns and brick.

[Ultra-]

Thanks for the added replies. I'll be sure to take after shots when I'm done if any of you are interested.

As for the swans and large "70s" pot, I don't know if my mom wants to give that up. I guess we'll see.

[glaswegian]

Longos had fibreglass black urns on sale for $29.99 last time I was there (about 3 days ago). Saw them at the one on Bayview north of Steeles and also at the York Mills and Leslie location. I prefer fibreglass to iron as it doesn't rust and stain your concrete and you can lift them. Two urns would look nice at your front door.

There is the chance of wind blowing away the fibre glass one, just buy the cast iron. Am happy to have suggested this, as it seems like everyone else likes the idea :)

[walleye*guy]

OK now I've seen the place in question...

First
go with the big urns - if you have space in your garage go with fibreglass, if they have to stay out all year go with cast iron. Phone around to the Rona's - they have very good ones (if they have any left) that are extremely reasonable.

Next
Save up and ditch the patio blocks by the step. Either pour concrete or use pavers but that is big ugly.

Next
invest in perennials - choose a variety of colours and blooming times. It looks like you have an east exposure....if you do you can grow darn near anything there.

Next
Water and fertilize the lawn. Use a weed 'n feed fert if allowed - but make sure you water the fert in very slowly and very, very well.

Next
Ditch the spruce and edge around the Floribunda (BTW that's a rose bush) mulch around the floribunda and all your perennials - it will keep the weeds down, reduce the water needed and looks better.

Next
watch your clematis - it's going to really grow if you keep the roots cool (just place some big rocks over them) and add some water & fert.

good luck!

[JACKIE26]

I just saw this post in the freebies section, for curbs and interlocking pavers, looks like everything is gone though, but the OP has posted similar materials before. Maybe you should PM him and see if he can let you know the next time he has anything.

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=456872

[Bullseye]

Swan planters, windmills, and edging...sorry, but I think you'll need to renovate your taste before you start in on the garden. ;)

[glaswegian]

The swan lake effect :D

[bacid1]

replace the ugly slabs with interlocking, it'll make a HUGE improvement.

since you have a small area it's very easy to DIY.

that along with fixing the grass and taking out those dead looking shrubs will make it look like a new house.

[don242]

replace the ugly slabs with interlocking, it'll make a HUGE improvement.

since you have a small area it's very easy to DIY.

that along with fixing the grass and taking out those dead looking shrubs will make it look like a new house.

I think everyone either didn't read the OPs initial posting with the budget or everyone has a lot cheaper source than I do for interlocking bricks.