Curtain of greenery offers warm greeting
Owners aiming for privacy from road
Four years ago, the residents moved into a 1920 dwelling in a resort town in Ontario. The home, made of double bricks, was built on a lot measuring about one-and-a-half acres on land that sloped all the way down to the St. Lawrence River. This ideal setting provided a view of the shipping channel from the back, while the front presented an unfortunate panorama of a bustling highway.
A recent ice storm had split open a couple of 60- and 80-year-old trees, so they had to be removed. The young retired couple planted a cedar hedge to provide some type of privacy from the road. I suggested a yearly trim at the end of June, in a pyramidal form, of this natural curtain to encourage its density and prevent holes from appearing throughout the shrubs.
I asked the owner about the lattice enclosing the porch area. He replied that the previous proprietor had used it to keep his dog confined, but he left it there to prevent most of the fall leaves from invading the porch. This small door means: You are not welcome, a psychological barrier.
There was a visual clutter going on with an oddly placed pyramidal shrub and other scattered bushes on the lot as well as a bird feeder and bath that could perhaps retreat to the vast backyard for a tidier look.
The plain aluminum door played down the old fashioned charm of the home. The ’50slooking wooden door should be replaced by a more timeless one. To give the windows more presence, new Shakerstyle shutters will be added. These and the new classic door would replicate a similar palette as the brown roof, but in a much darker chocolate hue free of any red. Like a clean, white shirt paired with a well-tailored dark suit, all natural stained wooden elements would look crisp and clean if painted or opaque stained in a fresh, snowy tint.
Two tall and narrow trellises will be installed on both sides of the ample porch to accommodate gorgeous white flowering climbing Clematis Carnaby. The large petals are ornate with a purplish pink stripe and grouped around a rusty brown heart.
Mounted on top of the short brick walls, a couple of custom-made flower boxes are constructed to fit between the brick columns and shouldn’t exceed the base of their cement toppers. Those dark brown, stained containers should be lined with a tin insert. Because rain is scarce on that side of the house, no drainage holes are necessary — although a bottom layer of small rock filler is recommended, just in case. The
This is a column in which designer Suzanne Rowe selects homes that could benefit from a little inexpensive help in increasing their curb appeal. After examining photographs, she then proceeds to sketch out an artist’s rendering of what they could look like with a few minor changes. We hope you enjoy the results.
vessels, as well as a series of planters, will contain white annuals and cascading greenery. These elements will furnish a botanical screen from the busy street while instilling a cocooning effect.
By the way, to all readers out there, the thick plastic hooks above the pots that are sold with the hanging annuals are detachable and meant to be used in nurseries only. A nice subtle chain, in black or white depending on the container colour, that is easily found in any hardware or even a dollar store would help promote the blooms only as a well-deserved focal point. g
The new landscaping will respect the symmetry of the façade.
Identical beds will be revealed with the introduction of the T-shaped walkway spiced up with dashes of juicy citrus perennials sprinkled with pink florets. This ground cover will hug the edge of peach, red and bronze leafed plants blessed with dainty and discrete white florals. They will be placed in a zigzag pattern. Dividers should be used to prevent the two types of perennials from mixing.
Near the doorway, globular compact evergreens and persistent variegated shrubs at the extremities will frame a series of a disciplined layout of purplish dark green bird-loving Weigela Minuet adorned with clusters of bright pink trumpets.
Along with the commanding scale of the backyard and the more private feel provided by the growing cedar hedge in the front, once entering the property, the front yard will offer an inviting and convivial atmosphere. Vegetation (from left to right):
Euonymus fortunei Emerald Gaiety (two persistent shrubs, green with white trim turning to pink in fall, extremities)
Clematis Carnaby (two climbing white, purple-pink stripe, white trellises)
Lamium maculatum Aureum (persistent perennials, purple pink, citrus yellow, pathways)
Heuchera Peach Flambé (persistent perennials, white, peach/red/bronze, divider with Lamium)
Weigela florida Minuet (shrubs, bright pink, purplish to dark green, birds, porch walls)
Taxus media Brownii (two compact evergreens, near central brick posts, fertilize well)
Impatiens (annuals, white, hanging planters, flower boxes; do not over-fertilize)
Begonia semper florens(an- nuals, white, flower boxes) Hedera helix (cascading reenery, hanging planters)