Vancouver No Lawn Front Yard Landscape Design

Steve found Landscape Design in a Day after the remodel of their front porch and driveway walkway.  The grass was patchy at best and the plants were overgrown. Steve’s wife recently passed away; she was the gardener in the family and she had wanted a front yard landscape design. Her family wanted to honor her wishes and create a front yard that she would have been proud of, but one that they could care for.

Wish list:

The rose next to the driveway was his late wife’s very favorite plant, so we knew it would stay or be transplanted within the design. The family also liked the camellias that were providing great privacy for the porch as well as hiding the side yard trash can storage area.  No one wanted to mow the slope so no lawn.

Before Landscape Design in a Day

They wanted inviting access from the sidewalk to the front porch for guests and to give the house more street appeal. The newly remodeled porch had a large prominent concrete landing. Our challenge was to integrate the new entry porch and the front yard.

Designers perspective:

The front yard has considerable slope and no entry path. The approach to the front porch needed approximately 7 steps. The garbage cans needed to be brought from under the porch out to the street, which would be easiest to accomplish on a slope if there were no steps.

During Installation (Sam with D and J Landscape Contracting)

We initially created designs with one walkway that would split – one way toward the garbage cans and gate, the other toward the front door. We found that this took away from the beauty of the new wide porch steps and would require a lot more expensive grading.

So, in the end between our designs and Steve’s input, we decided the landscape needed two walkways – a wide entry walk with modern style steps that welcome you onto the porch and a less obvious smaller NW natural style stone path leading toward the back yard (this path also happens to be perfect for rolling out the bins) to the front sidewalk.

Although the special rose is too close to the driveway, we decided to leave it in place.  The risk of moving it was not worth the possibility of losing it. Yearly pruning will be needed to allow people to pass by without a scratch or a worry as it grows larger.

No lawn front yard:

Small sit spot in front yard creates low maintenance focal point. Belgard steps.

For lower maintenance, Steve wanted to go with a no-grass front yard. From a designers perspective this is easy to achieve with slope, adding boulders to manage the grade changes, provides a consistent NW Natural look. But with no grass at all, the front was calling for a visually calming negative space.  We designers know that many no-lawn front yards often look and feel too busy.  We were a little surprised when the family immediately liked our idea of a small sit spot for a bistro table or a couple Adirondack chairs. The sit spot acts as that calming negative space and connects the two walkways.  When the colorful plants fill in, this area will be very welcoming, and visually restful even if rarely used for morning coffee.

Installation:

We referred the project to D&J Landscape Contractors  for a fall installation.

Clients comments:

Our newly remodeled front porch and entrance looked wonderful but didn’t fit with our old front yard. We hired Carol Lindsay of Landscape Design in a Day.  

She and her assistant Alana came out on a Saturday to create the design with us.  Carol and Alana showed us several proposals.  They were all good, but we liked different parts of each one, and they were able to combine ideas to make a great final plan.  They were able to keep our old favorite trees and shrubs and incorporate them into the new design, including some that were special to my wife.  They also specified some interesting native plants which we liked.

Then at the end, Carol referred her favorite landscape installer so we did not have to find someone on our own.   Donna Burdick of D and J Landscape Contractors managed the construction of the new front yard and steps.  She was thoughtful, well organized and the work of her crew was excellent.  She worked with Carol to enhance the design even further based on some challenges and opportunities she saw from her construction perspective.  The new front yard enhances the remodeled entry and we have received many compliments from the neighbors.  Steve – Vancouver, WA

After Landscape Design in a Day

Plants:

We knew just the right attractive plants that are also low maintenance and can suppress weeds:

Rosemary ‘Golden Rain’ – Dwarf variegated rosemary

Lonicera nitida ‘Twiggy’ shows off the golden tiny textured leaves in Grant Park neighborhood Portland Oregon.

Lonicera nitida ‘Twiggy’ – Dwarf gold boxleaf honeysuckle shrub

Classic modern landscape planting combination; ornamental grass Carex m. ‘Ice Dance with Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’

Carex morrowii ‘Ice Dance’ – Variegated sedge (grass)

Red foliaged Sedum spurium ‘Red Carpet’ groundcover in winter

Sedum spurium – Stonecrop groundcover (hardy succulent)

Geranium cantabrigiense ‘Crystal Rose’ – Hardy geranium ground cover (Cranesbill)

And for that wonderful splash of yellow throughout is Erica carnea ‘Golden Starlet’ – An evergreen heather with early spring flowers for bees and beauty.

The warm pink spring flowering groundcover is Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Crystal Rose’ with (Cephalotaxus Harringtonia ‘Korean Gold’ )

With a simple and easy plant pallet, we allow their favorite plants- the Rose and the Camellias – to shine. After a thoughtful  pruning, (by Anne Taylor of Living Elements) the upright Japanese Maple can now show off its glorious leaf colors throughout the seasons and glory in a beautiful silhouette when limbs are bare.

Materials:

The original design called for concrete steps to match the existing but during installation, D&J introduced these Belgard Landing Steps which matched beautifully and were a better choice for the size of the project. Between the steps are these Belgard Pavers in Victorian color which adds a nice texture. The stone used is Camas Basalt Boulders and A-Split Camas Basalt Stepping Stones.

Let’s re-imagine your front yard together.   Contact us here, or call 503-223-2426