Front Garden Inspiration

Spring has been teasing us for weeks now...a warm day here and there followed by cold, wind, and even some snow!  So, our outdoor projects remain in the planing stages.  In addition to tackling a major paint job on the front of our house, we're hoping to do some landscaping in our front yard.

We came across this front yard in the May issue of House and Home magazine:

It's simple but effective.  Just 3 types of plants:  Purple flowering vinca, Calgary Carpet juniper, and Morning Light maidenhair ornamental grasses.  The front walk is Indiana limestone flagstone, and the frame around the maple grove is made from corten steel.  Here are some detail shots:

The steel frame adds a really great sculptural element.  The rusty orange colour works perfectly against all the green vegetation.  That said...those 4 maple trees are going to get pretty darn big.  We definitely don't want such large specimens overshadowing the front of our house.  Perhaps something smaller/ornamental could work too though.

Surely some real spring weather is just around the corner...we may not get to the whole front yard this year, but I am hoping to at least tackle the front walk.  Come on spring!!!

-kyle