Help save my front yard!

bigelow965

Just joined the board here and I'm hoping to get some good advice to make the front and sides of my house look really good.  I've let it go for too long and even though it's a little late already this season to be planting bushes I want to go ahead and get it done this year once and for all.  If I put it off another year who know how long it'll take.  Here's some pictures of what's there now...

 

 

 

 

 

House faces ESE so I'm facing the sun when it comes up.  Looking from the front the left side of the house gets sun a lot of the day, filtered until 2P but then full sun for the next 5 hours, then filtered the last 2.  The front sees filtered sun until around 2P then it's in the house's shadow for the rest of the day.  Right side where's there's just nothing except those really ugly windows that need covering gets practically no sun at all.  I'd consider that side 100% shade all day.  Central Kentucky Zone 6 so the summers here get up into the mid and sometimes upper nineties in July and August.

Don't know what to say other than that obviously I'm totally new to landscaping and could use some good advice on what I can put around my house that'll make it look good, if not great.  Although I'm interested in suggestions for all 3 sides of the place, since the left side has a little something there already (and because I'm in a hurry) for now I'd like to concentrate on just getting something up front, and then on the right side after that.  Keeping it simple in the front I'll be installing a new wood bordered raised bed, about 7 inchs on both sides of the front door.  Our soil is hard packed and I think fairly nutrient deficient so a raised bed of nutrient rich soil is probably the best bet for establishing anything new out there.  Not sure where to source the dirt though.  Bags of miracle grow soil would be ideal if they weren't so expensive.  I've got a trailer so hopefully that'll open my sources up to maybe some kind of wholesale landscape dealer.  I've heard the old rule always plant bushes in odd numbers so I'm thinking about 3 bushes on each side of the front door.  I was i

pansyface

Where do you live bigelow? You say that your summer temperatures are high (higher  than the vast majority of people here ever experience) but you don't tell us about winter temperatures. Do you know if your soil is acid or alkaline or neutral? Do you get a lot of rain or very little, and when? With a bit more information I'm sure people will be able to come up with something good.

Dovefromabove

We'll also need to know what kind of garden you like - just shrubs and some groundcover, or do you want flower beds, herbaceous perennials etc, or a cottage-style garden with maybe some fruit and vegetables as well. 

Fairygirl

I'd agree with pansyface. The overall temps are important as many plants will struggle with those extremes. We all like to see things happen quickly  but, gardening requires a little patience! Could you have a look at what your neighbours have in their gardens and perhaps ask them what grows well? Your local library will have books which you could look at to see what shrubs and plants you like the look of and we can the help with advice about them.

The side with the 'ugly windows' could take a climber. Given that the house is very symmetrical, I'd personally frame the front door/under the windows  with matching planting. Something evergreen to give you a focal point all year round, and then seasonal interest. If the soil's poor I'd add some well rotted farmyard manure - you can get this in a dried form here in Garden Centres and DIY outlets so check that out. It will improve the growing conditions enormously. If you tidy  all the edges of the grass by cutting the turf away to give a neat finish, that will improve the look of your garden immediately. Hope that's of some help initially.

batanna

Just looking

Busy Bee2

You have a very pretty house!  Our advice might be a bit 'British'  Are there any restrictions about the grass?  Here sometimes, people who live on housing estates are not allowed to put bushes and hedges round their lawns, because the estate developer wanted to give a spacious feel. 

Ceres

Probably the best thing to do would be to go for a walk around your neighbourhood to see what plants grow well in the area then take yourself off to the local garden centre and stock up. As to is being a bit late in the season to be planting shrubs, its always shrub planting season if you are willing to water the little darlings every day to make sure they bed down nicely.....and in the temperatures you mention, they will need some TLC.

Odd number planting is definitely a good thing unless you are planting a knot garden.