Columnists
Countdown continued
When I started writing this four-week series about the biggest mistakes people make in their outdoor spaces, I never though I would get so much feedback. I joked that my neighbour gave me trouble because I banned red mulch and she didn’t find it very funny that I shared this with all of my readers (guess I’m in trouble again). This past week I received several emails from upset homeowners who have spent a lot of money on the second-storey decks with little to no privacy which came in at number five in my list of biggest mistakes we make outdoors. Lets hope the next ones on the list don’t cause as much grief.
My number four on the list is a curious situation that we have just started to accept in Canada. I call it the “No Front Door” house. With more homeowners placing emphasis on large garages, our front entryways seem to be migrating to the sides of our homes. It surprises me because online studies show that when guests come to your home for the first time, they look for the address of the house and then immediately look for the front door or the access point. We feel better when we know where to go, and a house that has no visible point of entry makes visitors uncomfortable. I know that when I come to a house like this, I’m never sure if I’m at the right door when I ring the bell. If you have a house like this, there are a few simple solutions. Our default has been plant beds and gardens that create a visual cue that the door is “over here”. Even items like benches and large urns can be used to create the semblance of a front entryway. Personally, I like to use a large pathway. Many homes have the path right up at the garage, but by adding more path down into the yard and along the driveway, it clearly shows where a guest should walk to get to the front door.
Number three is one mistake that I think every single homeowner has made at one time: planting a cedar or a row of cedars to create privacy.
Now I know that a healthy and established cedar hedge can be a great way of creating year-round privacy. The issue I have with them is that there are very few successful examples that are healthy, full and green. Instead, I see hedges that have one tree in the middle that has died and turned reddish-brown. Or the hedge itself has lost all of its branches at the bottom, creating an ugly gap that we try to fill with hostas or other doomed perennials. I am also surprised that we haven’t figured out that trying to create privacy with a triangle is a tough challenge. In the case of a cedar, the skinniest part of the tree is at the top, right where we need the most coverage. Instead of just a cedar hedge, try planting a pair of cedars with an ornamental deciduous tree. By layering trees that are different shapes, you can create more privacy significantly faster.
Next week I will wrap up my top ten list of the biggest outdoor mistakes with my two biggest pet peeves and I’m sure that all of the landscapers out there are going to agree with me on these ones! Stay tuned!
Comments (0)