2023 Front Yard Makeover - Finalist #1 - East Hill Heritage - Design Process Part 1
Summary:
I visited this lovely home this past week, and conducted a site survey and discussion with the owners of this older home on a corner lot in East Hill. A Family of 5 lives here, with two busy parents and school age children along with 3 pets. This home has lots of character, with a gable roof and porch facing west toward downtown. The owners love to unwind on the front porch with friends and would otherwise hope for more structure with the front yard design with some added curb appeal.
In terms of the exterior of the home, this family of five has kept the roof, siding, windows and overall appearance in sound condition with recent updates to the porch soffits, and exterior paint. A shared driveway to the back detached garage flanks the left side of the home while existing large maples and well-trimmed hedge wraps around the right side of the home and around the intersection of the roadway. Power lines overhang the right street side of the property and thus the maples have been trimmed aggressively for saftey from these power lines. Asphalt driveway is great condition.
The grade of the front yard has about 24” of sloped grade to it, which is retained and supported with an old cobble wall to provide a near level area of old grass and some separation from the municipal sidewalk. The front yard used to support the location of a trampoline and has had some recent newly planted shrubs and perennials. This property maintains a 9’ city boulevard which sees patch grass and some portions in rock.
Overall, the front yard appears slightly tired, with no real function at present. The front of the home lacks vegetation and therefore the hard lines of the house are quite visible with no help for curb appeal. The small retaining wall is failing and the walkway up to the house is narrow and likely could use updating with saftey in mind. Other than the large maple creating a great canopy for the front yard, there is no real focal point here and no real form to the planting plan.
Challenges:
From a design perspective there are a few challenges. One is the large maples. In no way would I push to have them removed, but I may consult an arborist to look at shaping them properly so that they resume a good form and do not cause future issues with the power lines.
The large established trees also shade the front yard for 75% of the day, making plant selection a bit more limited.
Snow storage is a concern for this property and will affect layout options and plant selection. With a shared, narrow driveway and lack of area to push and place snow, the front yard becomes a target for large piles of packed snow.
From an installation perspective, the narrow East hill streets and proximity to the instesction can cause some logistical issues for material deliveries, temporary material storage, and crew equipment and trailer storage. Notifying neighbours and project saftey signage would be key.
Moving Forward:
Design will begin this next week. Will begin by looking at hardscape options for replacing walls and entry pathways and consult an arborist to see what improvement to the large maples could be made.