Happy pub day to us! Today, Gardenista: The Low-Impact Gardenfinally hits bookstores! We can’t wait for you to crack it open and enjoy the contents. Whether you’re a new homeowner looking for landscape guidance or a seasoned gardener in search of fresh ideas, you’ll find a wealth of inspiration inside.
To celebrate the release, the book’s indefatigable author, Kendra Wilson, offers another sneak peek, this time sharing all the cool lawn-free front yard ideas she encountered while working on the book.
Front gardens, stoops, driveways, and parking courts have the potential to spread cheer, absorb storm water, and harbor insects and birds. When there’s a clear design rationale at work, other people on the street will want to get on board. Here are some of our favorite ways to have a front garden that is more than “low-maintenance” (though it can be that, too). All the ideas are from our new book, out today.
Photography by Caitlin Atkinson.
Grow a sponge garden.
Above: The Philadelphia front garden of Kayla Fell and Jeff Lorenz, of design and maintenance practice, Refugia.
Jeff and Kayla removed their front lawn during their first year living in their house in Pennsylvania. Stormwater that used to flow over their compacted grass into the basement is now soaked up by closely planted perennials with mixed root profiles, and an absorbent swamp cypress.
Balance sharpness with softness.
Above: A mid-century house in Pasadena, which saw a light landscape renovation in the hands of Samuel Webb and Kara Holekamp of design group Terremoto.
The sharp lines of this classic house are made even clearer, not from subtracting but by adding lively planting around the edges. This, in turn, is in dialogue with towering trees that seem to be held back by the immaculate walls. Loose symmetry on either side of the doorway adds more contrast, with a pair of Arbutus that refuse to be identical.
Above: The preexisting parking grid lets its hair down around the edges, with a generous perimeter of permeable gravel and plants with varied root systems that soak up rain.
Re-wild the stoop.
Above: A front stoop in Brooklyn, the former home of horticulturalist Rebecca McMackin and her arborist husband Chris Roddick.
In pots on Rebecca’s stoop, long-lasting foliage of easygoing, northeastern perennials (Heuchera ‘Marmalade’ and Aquilegia canadensis) offers rest stops and shelter for small creatures. “Even in this tiny spot, it’s not hard to attract wildlife,” she says. And why let a tree pit go to waste? This one is fenced off with ad hoc railings and planted with tough natives that tolerate neglect as well as dogs. A sign directs dog owners’ attention to a couple of large rocks on the side, with the request, “Pee on me, not the tree.”
Say good-bye to mulch.
Above: With so much texture, green is never dull. Supported by trilllium, columbine, aster and ferns, the glaucous star is Fothergilla x intermedia ‘Blue Shadow’).
In the first decade of America’s post-war boom, a million and a half new houses were built, creating vast tracts of suburbia and giving young families their first opportunity to own a home. Nowadays, however, homebuyers who stumble on a 1940s relic in vintage condition often wonder if it’s worth it to buy a house that needs a major remodel?
For Raleigh and Michael Zwerin, the answer was yes. In 2004 they bought a circa-1944 cottage in Mill Valley, California. From the moment they moved in, baby in tow, they started thinking about the house they wished they had. Nearly a decade later, after having a second baby (and learning firsthand that the charming creeks that crisscrossed the neighborhood were prone to flood in winter), they asked architect Kelly Haegglund for help.
For Haegglund, who lives just a few blocks from the Zwerins, the challenge was to design a modern-family-sized house that didn’t loom like the Hulk over the rest of the neighborhood, where one-story bungalows and cottages were built on narrow lots. The result? A modern three-bedroom bungalow with pleasing architectural details borrowed from the Arts and Crafts era. A low-water landscape, designed by Mill Valley-based Bradanini & Associates, surrounds the house in year-round greenery.
Photography by Mimi Giboin.
Above: After searching for months for just the right dark stain color, Raleigh Zwerin suddenly saw it by accident when she drove by a house under construction in nearby San Francisco.
“I went back to that house in the city several times until I met the lead contractor and asked him for the color, but he said the owner of the house said it was proprietary information and he didn’t want to give it out,” says Raleigh. Luckily, though, the contractor took pity on her plight. “He said, ‘I’ll meet you somewhere and give you a shingle so you can match the color.’ We ended up in a rendezvous by the side of the road. He brought two shingles in his truck, I brought a box of cookies, and it was great.”
The custom trim color? The Zwerins also gleaned it from the same side-of-the-road exchange.
Above: A curtain of cape rush (Chrondopetalum elephantinum) will reach heights of from 4 to 6 feet, creating an airy screening layer behind the picket fece.
When Jane Orvis and Steve Hanson bought their 1950s house in Seward Park, Seattle, they kept the original pink-tiled bathroom. But what about the mid-century shrubbery, arranged around a lawn—did that have to stay? Most people would reply, “absolutely not,” but Jane, who is a keen gardener, wanted to take a more closed-loop approach and consulted with the landscape architect Jonathan Hallet, of Supernature. On a joint visit to the Seattle Arboretum, a trio of plants in the New Zealand garden caught their attention: a topiarist’s hebe, red tussock grass, and a shrub similar to manzanita. They had all the “lightness and air and movement” that Jane’s garden was in need of.
“We stuck with the desaturated greens and off-greens typical of New Zealand plants,” says Jonathan. “We were trying to make it feel more like a dry garden, which it is.” He and Jane also planted natives, and plants from the coasts of Oregon and Northern California. “The overall tough and dry plant palette helped in creating a more climate-adapted garden that will tolerate Seattle’s increasingly long, dry and hot summers, with little supplemental irrigation required.”
“Most garden plants used in the Pacific Northwest are borrowed from Japanese or East Coast or British styles—plants like hydrangea that want summer water, which we don’t have,” says Jonathan. “Seattle has long, hot summers with a Mediterranean climate and we wanted to make a garden that was ready for that. We also tried to give it plenty of evergreen structure, so it feels full and good in the winter.”
Below, Jonathan explains what went into this mid-century landscape makeover.
Before
Above: The former front garden: A static combination of shaped bright greens and pinks in front of the mid-century house. “The typical landscape of the 1970s was lumps and lawn,” says Jonathan. “We wanted to break that up and we knew the lawn was always going to go. It was thirsty and spongey and wasn’t needed—and it was taking all the flat real estate that we wanted for making a lively counterpoint with plants.” Above: “So many topiaries were removed and yet it still feels like there’s a lot,” he says.
When it comes to Halloween, we are pro-DIY, pro-using-what-you-have. We’re not going to judge you if have some plastic skeletons in your closet, but wouldn’t it be better if you simply shopped your yard for something spooky? Or scrounged your utility closet for a witchy decoration? Or tapped into your imagination for some creative crafting? […]
All week, we’re republishing some of our favorite Garden Visits that have a personal connection to our writers. No public gardens here, no vast estates, no professionally designed landscapes—just the backyards, vegetable patches, and flower beds that remind our writers of home. This story by Gardenista founder Michelle Slatalla is from 2017.
Whether it’s a new patio or a complete garden overhaul, any landscaping project can quickly outgrow its budget unless you plan ahead. I speak from experience.
In the six years since I moved into my house on a small lot (0.15 acres in downtown Mill Valley, California), I’ve changed nearly every aspect of the outdoor space, from the backyard to the front garden. The upgrades included a new patio, garden beds, paths, a gate, and a privacy hedge. Every step of the way, there were decisions to make on where to splurge and where to save.
As with most budgets, mine required more saving than splurging. Here are the top 10 ways I saved money on landscape design without cutting corners.
Photography by Matthew Williams for Gardenista.
1. Don’t toss; transform.
Above: My backyard gate is a repurposed vintage iron trellis, which we discovered leaning against the facade soon after we moved to the house and began to liberate the garden from years of overgrowth.
“Don’t toss; transform” is a lesson I learned from my friend Jean Victor, who wrote the chapter on Expert Advice: Garden Design in our Gardenista book: “Avoid the temptation to rip out and discard everything in your existing landscape,” Jean recommends. “Repurpose bricks from a planter for a new pathway; use old fence pickets to make a gate; dig up hardy perennials and move them to a new bed.”
2. Embrace the slippery slope.
Above: Rather than trying to change the grade of my sloping front garden, I planted perennials and grasses that would accentuate the lay of the land.
We know summer’s almost over, but we’re clinging to it for dear life in its final weeks. One way to extend the easy-breezy, school’s-out vibes? With a front door that calls to mind cool ocean waves and sandy feet. We spotted it over on Remodelista and couldn’t resist tracking down the elements that make it […]
Recently we spotted a project on The Modern House that compelled us to stop our scroll and investigate deeper: a home that looks otherworldly and not of this time, located in Dartmoor, a region of southwest England known for its rugged landscape dotted with outcroppings and pre-historic sites. Capped with a rolling green roof and set into a hillside, the two-story residence disappears into its environment, sometimes literally.
“We wanted something that was timeless, that would still be here in a couple of hundred years. I read so many articles about houses with conservatories, swimming pools, tennis courts, games rooms and cinemas. You just don’t need all that,” its owner Gail Pirkis, a literary editor, told The Modern House. Instead, she and her husband, David, hired Peter Hall from Van der Steen and Hall Architects to design a unique but unostentatious house that “faded away around” the landscape.
The project took seven years to complete, during which time they found themselves subtracting the superfluous from their plans (“we didn’t want fancy bathrooms; we didn’t want gizmos in the kitchen”). What they ended up with is a truly low-impact home with a soft, modest footprint that’s simpatico with the natural world that surrounds it.
Here’s a peek. For the full story (and interior images), go here.
Above: The couple prioritized the use of local materials. “The granite that faces the building comes from the spoil heap of the quarry that was used to build nearby Castle Drogo, the last castle to be built in Britain designed by Edwin Lutyens.”
Above: Two levels of green roofs help keep the house cool in the summer months.
Venmo, dishwashers, those Instagram filters that give tired faces a glow-up—we can all agree our world has benefited from progress. But some things don’t need to be improved upon. Case in point: pine tar.
Pine tar has been in existence since the days of the plundering-and-pilfering Vikings, who distilled the stuff in large quantities and used it to preserve their wooden ships. If it’s potent enough to waterproof these vessels that sailed the rough waters of the North Sea, it’s surely good enough to protect your wood fence, deck, garden shed, barn, or home.
To learn more about pine tar, we reached out to the folks at Earth & Flax and Sage Restoration, two North American companies that specialize in natural Scandinavian paints and wood finishes, as well as Emil Jespersen, cofounder of Danish-Norwegian architecture firm Jespersen Nødtvedt, who recently worked with pine tar on a project for a client.
Pine tar is a natural marine-grade wood preservative. Traditional pine tar was made by essentially cooking down pine stumps in fire pits to yield a syrup-y, dark-colored, and resin- and turpentine-rich liquid. Today, most pine tar products are produced in kilns (using heat only).
Post-Viking Age, pine tar is primarily used as a finish for decks, fences, facades, and roofs in Scandinavian countries, but interest in the wood preservative is growing in the U.S. “What’s old is new again. People are looking for alternatives to modern chemical finishes, and architects are looking for something new to offer clients,” says Michael Sinclair of Sage Restoration, which is based in Tamworth, Ontario. “Our sales have been increasing every year.”
Natalie Yon Eriksson, founder of Philadelphia’s Earth & Flax, agrees. “This trend is going strong. Pine tar has been used with or in place of the traditional Japanese shou sugi ban burned or charred siding treatment,” she says. “The best aspects of pine tar are that it is sourced from nature, using a waste product from the timber industry, and is an exceptional natural wood preservative.”
Add this to the long list of small details that, if given some thought, can yield big curb appeal: rain gutters. Chances are you haven’t spent much time Googling cool eavestroughs and downspouts, but perhaps you should. We recently spotted on Instagram super-chic rain gutters—modern, angular, clean-lined, in COR-TEN steel—and decided to do a little digging into the architecture firm behind the design.
Turns out, those unique rain gutters aren’t a one-off for Jespersen Nødtvedt. The Danish-Norwegian studio always makes sure to pay special attention to the design and placement of these exterior drainage features. When we reached out to founders Emil Jespersen and Marte Nødtvedt Skjæggestad to find out why, their response was simple: “We like gutters a lot. There’s just something magical about working with water and you can articulate certain places in the architecture with a special gesture at the entrance.”
Here are three of their projects with stylish rain gutters:
Above: This is the image on Instagram that first captured our attention.
Above: The COR-TEN steel gutter was designed for a garden shed.
Above: From the project description: “The corten steel details are welded together with standard flat and U-shaped profiles, with the resulting kinks and overhangs leading the water out over the wood and into the gutter, and finally down the cylindrical downpipe.”
As a homeowner, your curb appeal is important for several reasons. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate pride of ownership, contribute to the home’s appreciation, create a first impression for buyers, and help to maintain the overall home values in your neighborhood.
And a recent report by Nextdoor and Thumbtack found that curb appeal also affects the neighborhood and neighborly relationships. There are projects that can boost your home’s curb appeal; however, the report also found that neighbors have pretty specific complaints regarding bad curb appeal as well.
“There are more than 305,000 neighborhoods on Nextdoor and each neighborhood exudes its unique charm and character, making the perception of curb appeal a subjective experience,” explains Caty Kobe, head of community at Nextdoor.
So, what could seem out of place in one neighborhood could be charming in another. “Embracing the distinctiveness of each community is essential in appreciating the diverse tapestry of curb appeal across different neighborhoods,” she says.
However, bad curb appeal can negatively affect both potential buyers and neighbors.
“Generally speaking, when people are choosing a neighborhood, they want to know that their future neighbors care for their homes as much as the buyers will care for the home they plan to purchase,” says Bret Ceren, associate broker at Platinum Living Realty in Scottsdale, AZ.
New buyers purchasing in an area want to feel that they belong and will fit into the community. “Since homes are a reflection of our lifestyle – what we currently have or what we want – then feeling like we belong is usually a priority,” Ceren explains. And if property owners do not care enough for their own home to maintain it properly, he says it’s a good chance that they won’t be concerned about what happens in the neighborhood, either.
“This can lead to an uneasiness about future circumstances that could escalate into needing to move to a different community, which is a costly chore – as such, whether true or not, potential buyers heavily evaluate a home not only on its own curb appeal, but also by that of the area neighbors.”
And existing neighbors tend to have strong feelings as well when someone is engaging in bad curb appeal.
In fact, the Nextdoor/Thumbtack survey respondents agreed that these were the biggest curb appeal faux pas.
Trash in the Yard (81%)
The most egregious curb appeal faux pas, listed by 81% of respondents, was trash in the yard.
Ceren considers this an inexcusable offense. “We live in a first-world country with weekly trash service in the vast majority of municipalities,” he says. “Not only is it unsightly, but a health risk, and attracts unwelcome visitors, both insects and animals.”
Ceren’s view is shared by Gene Caballero, co-founder of GreenPal in Nashville, TN, who tells us, “A yard cluttered with trash is not just visually unappealing, it can contribute to pest issues, as many types of refuse provide ideal breeding grounds for insects or can attract rodents.”
And that’s not all – it can actually be harmful to the environment and local wildlife, according to Caballero, who is a landscape expert. “Discarded items can leach harmful substances into the soil, contaminate groundwater, and pose hazards to animals.”
However, homeowners may have differing views regarding what’s considered trash. Hopefully, everyone is in agreement that household waste should be placed into a trash bag, and then a trash can – but that’s not the only definition of this term. “Trash could be a tired old swing set, old toys, clutter around the yard, a broken mailbox, or old faded house numbers,” says Michael Crisp, real estate agent for The Keyes Company in Coral Springs, FL. “Or, it could be lawn equipment, unrolled garden hoses, stacked items, old pavers on the side of the home, or just abused and tattered patio furniture.”
Overgrown Landscaping (81%)
Trash in the yard is actually tied for first place with overgrown landscaping (81%) as the worst curb appeal faux pax. According to Crisp, it’s important to cut back hedges and trim trees that may hide the home and make it feel old and dated. “Cutting and trimming can make the home and yard feel larger and more open, which in turn makes the property feel full of life – and this resonates with both neighbors and potential buyers.”
Overgrown Lawn (77%)
Survey respondents also listed an overgrown lawn (77%) as a serious curb appeal problem. “Not only is this unsightly, but it is a waste of precious resources,” explains Ceren. “Taller grass requires more water, or only those areas around the sprinklers will grow, depriving the rest of the lawn of the water it needs to be healthy, which may require future reseeding to make it grow again.”
Also, overgrown lawns (and landscapes as well) can host pests and diseases. “Thick, uncontrolled vegetation provides perfect hiding and breeding places for insects, rodents, and other pests,” Caballero says. “Overgrown plants are also more prone to disease, as the lack of airflow can create a damp environment that many plant diseases thrive in.”
Parking Old Cars, RVs, Vans, or Boats Out Front (64%)
Another major curb appeal issue, listed by 64% of respondents, is parking old motor vehicles in front of a home. “Repairing vehicles is as much an American pastime as baseball, so the desire to do so is respected by many,” says Ceren. And he understands that some projects may be delayed or forgotten. “The problem is that the materials for these projects take up a lot more space than just a workbench in a garage.”
And he notes that it’s one thing to park old vehicles behind a backyard fence, but says it’s another thing entirely to let them spill out into the front yard. “And, they can also attract reptiles, rodents and other vermin to live in them, creating another safety hazard.” And in addition to being unsightly, Caballero notes that unused vehicles can leak oils and other fluids, which can seep into the ground.
“It may be worth your while to speak to a storage facility or yard to store old vehicles there,” Crisp recommends. “It is a huge distraction from the property when they are a major barrier just taking up space.”
Poorly Maintained Fences and Exterior (58%)
Next on the list, 58% of survey respondents were turned off by poorly maintained fences and exteriors. Ceren says deferred maintenance is a red flag to potential buyers, and it doesn’t sit well with neighbors, either. However, it’s more than just an eyesore. “Over time, issues like rot, rust, and general wear and tear can compromise structural integrity, potentially leading to safety issues,” Caballero explains. And the damage can escalate over time if not addressed, and may result in more costly repairs in the future.
Depending on the type of fence, Crisp recommends pressure washing it, as well as the driveways and sidewalks. “And many items such as fences can be changed drastically with a little paint or spray-on stain that will add a warm pop of color,” he says.
Home’s Exterior Needing a Wash or Paint Job (57%)
The last major bad curb appeal issue was a home’s exterior in need of being power-washed or painted (57%). Ceren says this is another example of deferred maintenance that could be a red flag to potential buyers. And it can also be frustrating to neighbors trying to maintain their own home’s property value.
Nicholas Oliver, principal broker at HomeDax Real Estate in New York, NY, says this is even a problem with the townhouses that he is involved in selling, buying, and renting. “Townhouse sellers often overlook the need for facade cleaning prior to listing, as pigeon poop is a recurring problem (birds often perch on window ledges or cornices of townhouses),” he says. “The accumulation of bird droppings and feathers not only makes the townhouse look neglected, but also reduces natural light.”
And since most NYC townhouses aren’t particularly bright to begin with, Oliver says any reduction in lighting can deter buyers – especially those transitioning from apartments. “Façade cleaning is particularly important for narrower townhouses, which in NYC is anything less than 18′ wide.”
And beyond aesthetics, Caballero says, “An unclean or poorly painted home exterior can have implications beyond aesthetics, since mold, mildew, and dirt can accumulate over time, and cause damage to the home’s exterior surfaces if not cleaned regularly. On the other hand, he says a good paint job acts as a first line of defense against weather, insects, and other potential damage to the home’s exterior.
Extenuating Circumstances
Bad curb appeal is a turnoff to both potential buyers and neighbors. However, as it relates to the latter, Kobe warns against being judgmental or jumping to conclusions. “While curb appeal can undoubtedly enhance the aesthetic allure of a community, it’s important to recognize that every neighbor’s circumstance is different and external appearances seldom reveal the true depth of someone’s character.”
For example, she says a neighbor’s lawn may be overgrown because they’ve been facing health challenges and are not currently able to address their front yard. Or a neighbor may have lost their job and doesn’t have the funds to move an old vehicle or repair their fence. “If someone’s aesthetic doesn’t match yours, it could be a great opportunity to lean in and learn more about your neighbor,” she concludes.
LandMentor is a market-proven solution in innovative design, surveying, architecture & engineering methods with technology to solve growth problems.
Press Release –
Jun 27, 2022
MINNEAPOLIS, June 27, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– With today’s escalating construction costs and increased interest rates, the LandMentor System is being offered for free to those involved on the private and government side of growth and redevelopment.
Neighborhood Innovations, LLC is gifting this free system on July 1, 2022, to developers, builders, consultants and municipalities. It will increase living standards, greenspace, values, and connectivity – while decreasing costs and environmental impacts.
LandMentor is a ‘System‘ that blends technology with an education in advanced market-proven design methods. It should decrease the infrastructure needed to develop land between 5 and 40 percent compared to conventional development patterns. This has obvious economic and environmental benefits.
It was time to share the system:
Neighborhood Innovations, LLC wanted to make a gift to the world to solve problems facing growth, from the regulatory (government) side and the design (consulting) side. With over 1,500 developments in 48 states and 18 nations designed with LandMentor, the firm felt it was time we spread the knowledge and share its technical advantage to the world.
How can LandMentor improve the world’s growth?
CAD & GIS software companies serving the growth industry automate geometric relationships that have been in place for centuries.
Other software offerings boast that hundred lots can be designed and calculated in a few minutes, producing cookie-cutter subdivisions, but not likely a great place to live and raise a family. How could it be, with a minute of thought behind it?
To address this, LandMentor introduces an industry-first – a software packaged with a holistic industry education. For example, does Microsoft Word instantly make a great author? Obviously, no. But what if it was packaged with a complete education in storytelling or technical writing?
Reducing (or eliminating) the dependence on CAD:
LandMentor has no commands, and its patented graphic & video prompts make all tasks easier, quick to learn, and enjoyable.
A ‘Surface Based’ solution:
The world consists of surfaces – not lines and curves, and those surfaces have environmental and economic consequences. LandMentor reports surface impacts with easy-to-understand charts. Designers can take action to reduce waste, and cities can communicate the waste to the developer.
Changing the Way the Industry Communicates:
LandMentor ‘video gaming’ interactive 3D is easily created from normal planning, surveying, and engineering tasks. Most users today will be familiar with video gaming. Thus, no learning curve. Its ‘plug & play’ VR headset support transports users into a meta virtual environment.
What’s Included?
All is needed is to download the ‘system’ from www.landmentor.com and dedicate the time (about a week or two) to go through the included initial training (video and PowerPoint with examples) as well as the internal textbooks under the Help menu. LandMentor reverts to a subscription model in 2024. Pricing is to be based on the volume of users (projected to be 10% to 20% the cost of CAD).
About LandMentor.com:
LandMentor was developed by Neighborhood Innovations, LLC, a software spin-off of Rick Harrison Site Design Studio which is a Land Planning research firm to discover new methods of design, engineering, surveying, and architecture. Its profits funded the software development.
