tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post6545479409079390143..comments2010-02-01T09:10:17.762-06:00Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10111150807638669133noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-32089036975757551962010-02-01T09:10:17.762-06:002010-02-01T09:10:17.762-06:00Hi Jean, Your house is so lovely and everything so tidy and charming. I think it is great to see your the form of your home better without foundation plantings. Though I am sure it was hard to remove your azalea... too bad it could not have been moved but very hard to do!! If possible... It looks great without it there. Your fence could maybe have an arch going over the gate? It is great to see the before and after shots... you have a great eye and are creating a special oasis there. I look forward to seeing your progress. Your new steps add a nice clean line to your entrance. I am so jealous that you can garden in the winter!! ;&gt;) CarolCarolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067132532095325169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-32978578924446319062010-01-31T14:01:57.387-06:002010-01-31T14:01:57.387-06:00Love the &#39;granite&#39; steps and the planting potential. What fun. It is a gem of a house and we will all be along for the transition. Is a garden ever &#39;done&#39;?Layaneehttp://ledgeandgardens.typepad.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-71038617055644968092010-01-27T21:09:55.925-06:002010-01-27T21:09:55.925-06:00Thanks for a great series of photos. You are really brave to make such big changes esp. in a traditional neighborhood. But I figure the neighbors thinks all of us gardeners are a bit crazy so you might as well do what you want. I&#39;m with Pam on the picket fence. You could do &quot;pickets&quot; but not make them pointed for a cleaner look, and perhaps let it age like the other fence or paint it the house color or even that dark brown like the gutters etc. Something that would take the traditional aspect and give it a twist. Can&#39;t wait to watch this develop. We are in year 13 or 14 of our 10 year plan, so I know very well how long these things can take.Ms. Wis./Each Little Worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02380944603357066650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-22479115199006324562010-01-27T11:40:07.537-06:002010-01-27T11:40:07.537-06:00Jean, how sweet your house is! I love it. I always wanted a gray house to put plants against. Love what you&#39;ve done and can&#39;t wait to see what you will do in the future.~~DeeDee/reddirtramblingshttp://www.reddirtramblings.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-44756141574907263022010-01-27T07:14:55.054-06:002010-01-27T07:14:55.054-06:00Wow, I think your house is charming--it&#39;s a great idea to reveal it in all its cottage-iness. The steps look original and inviting--can&#39;t wait to see how they will tie in to the landscape as it evolves. <br /><br />A fresh canvas for you to play with--I&#39;ll bet you can&#39;t wait to work on it!Susan Tomlinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01532464326705599296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-60019740031573924832010-01-26T07:30:39.318-06:002010-01-26T07:30:39.318-06:00It&#39;s charming~gailGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16194325535496408116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-6179945474908372322010-01-25T12:25:38.704-06:002010-01-25T12:25:38.704-06:00Hi Jean...tku for dropping by my blog and leaving a comment. Always good to hear from those across the pond.<br /><br />Gosh you are one busy and brave lady. Digging up plants is something I do with reluctance.......a fascinating journey. Looking forward to seeing the progress.......Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802468583972118464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-15928073212150054062010-01-25T09:25:10.712-06:002010-01-25T09:25:10.712-06:00Oh how I wish I could convince my husband to agree to start with a clean slate in front! The overgrown yews, burning bushes, and lava rock in the foundation &#39;landscape&#39; of our &#39;60&#39;s red brick colonial haven&#39;t made it into a blog post yet, for obvious reasons. This is not what a gardener wants to see every day as she pulls into the driveway. Yuk!<br /><br />Your house is charming Jean, and it looks like your plan is coming along well. Thanks for sharing the process and progress - very inspiring!garden girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13284047851881823280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-46601947188283448702010-01-24T22:28:38.646-06:002010-01-24T22:28:38.646-06:00Good for you, Jean. This is a really gutsy thing to do. I wish I had the courage to create a clean slate!EALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339266900036592543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-42882887939597477072010-01-24T19:51:04.579-06:002010-01-24T19:51:04.579-06:00Jean, you&#39;ve got a great space to work with there and I look forward to seeing what you do with it! I can see a more contemporary style picket fence in front. Maybe even one with a Mission style influence. I think your plantings will be the key to making the fence fit in with the house. I&#39;m excited for you!Cindy, MCOKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16094260737874973235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-82638362586373526852010-01-24T13:07:21.539-06:002010-01-24T13:07:21.539-06:00Jean, you are doing a wonderful job and I can&#39;t wait to see what you did this year. It looked very nice before but as lovely as the azaleas are, they just don&#39;t bloom long enough. I like the steps too.Philliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546160918395373740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-59134530332697915572010-01-24T12:13:10.785-06:002010-01-24T12:13:10.785-06:00Jean I love the azaleas it is a pity you had to get rid of them because they were in the wrong place. The colour added some life to the front. I wish I could grow them here....well one man&#39;s thrash is another man&#39;s treasure. I can&#39;t wait to see it when you are done.islandgal246http://www.blogger.com/profile/09139072456332225087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-44717624174182443572010-01-24T10:46:47.213-06:002010-01-24T10:46:47.213-06:00Thanks for the advice about which photos to enter in the museum&#39;s contest!<br /><br />Meant to say yesterday that I just noticed the picture of your cats and they are soooo cute!Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904073032627748614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-61213439416701823912010-01-24T08:13:57.854-06:002010-01-24T08:13:57.854-06:00Thank you to everyone for the encouragement. I need it! <br /><br />Pam, the original idea about the picket fence was to ground it in its sense of place. There are many old homes in the neighborhood with them. If I do get one, I would try to put a slightly contemporary spin on it. As for a stucco wall, I&#39;m not sure I could find anyone around here to build one as they are never seen here! You&#39;re right though, it would solve some issues. Probably something like it is going to have to go in if I want those gardens!<br /><br />Donna - good point about the gate. I&#39;ve never really had to deal with one before!Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10111150807638669133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-37785750516865554012010-01-24T07:55:51.511-06:002010-01-24T07:55:51.511-06:00You are a model for others who are afraid to rip out overgrown foundation plantings. I like how the front is shaping up.Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796344366326535406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-11319442295182281262010-01-24T07:18:54.486-06:002010-01-24T07:18:54.486-06:00If those big azaleas would have agreed to bloom 12 months a year, I might have left them. I&#39;m not one for having anything too big growing up close to the house. Must have been hard to get them out.<br /><br />The new porch and walkway looks great, but what a lot of work. Worth it, I&#39;d say.<br /><br />Gates sometimes irritate me....trying to open them when my hands are full. I&#39;d probably leave the fence gateless. <br /><br />Nice windows you have all around the house. Must help bring the outside inside. <br /><br />donnadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06950476333013336671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-6288299656255556182010-01-23T23:19:34.515-06:002010-01-23T23:19:34.515-06:00Your house is so pretty! What a lot of work you have done, I can&#39;t wait to see the progress.susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431629480215008197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-2202905489233406862010-01-23T21:33:54.899-06:002010-01-23T21:33:54.899-06:00Bravo to you, Jean, for being brave enough to bare it all! I never show the whole front of my house either, because it badly needs landscaping as well. You&#39;ve done a great job so far, and how exciting to be able to start from scratch. I would have had a hard time pulling out those azaleas, but I understand the problem about them being too close to the house. I think too many people make that mistake. And I think that was an excellent idea to tear out part of the driveway.<br /><br />I&#39;ve been poring over landscape books the last few weeks and thinking about how to re-do our front as well. My project may take a few years, not only because of time and money, but because I want to make sure I do it right. You&#39;re off to a good start, and I know you&#39;ll be happy with the end results, whenever they get done!Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384059342847120951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-72388436142855879892010-01-23T20:12:59.500-06:002010-01-23T20:12:59.500-06:00Your house is lovely, Jean! It&#39;s wonderful that you won&#39;t have to alter your home&#39;s facade, as I would with my &#39;70s ranch, to get the look you want. I like the new steps and path and appreciate that open, contemporary look you&#39;re aiming for. <br /><br />Speaking of which, I can&#39;t help but wonder whether a picket fence would fit in with that contemporary look. Maybe a low concrete or stucco wall (2 or 2 1/2 ft tall) would give you a sense of separation and privacy without fighting the style you&#39;re trying to achieve. You could even use the wall to level the right side of your front yard, and then put in steps to transition around to the back, making that slope an asset instead of a trouble spot. Just a thought. As you say, it only takes time and money!Pam/Digginghttp://www.penick.net/diggingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547783720122066148.post-88592682863955510372010-01-23T19:20:55.272-06:002010-01-23T19:20:55.272-06:00How wonderful to have a clean slate!<br /><br />Your house is darlingGingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904073032627748614noreply@blogger.com