Chapter 1: The Style of Your Front Garden Creating harmony between your front garden and the front of your house is simply a matter of looking both outward and inward. To create that harmony, reacquaint yourself with the nature of your house, and then take a look inside both your house and yourself to see what you are made of. Start with the house. That's easier than self-reflection. Go outside and stand on the road, street or sidewalk and take a close look at the front of your house. Is it one, two or three stories high? When was it built? Does it have a certain style? Colonial? Victorian? Cottage? Arts and crafts? Is it a classic suburban home with white clapboards or a ranch house? What materials were used in its construction? Brick? Stucco? Stone? Cedar? What, if any, paint colors were used? What color did you paint the house and is that color different from the trim? What color is the front door? Is it like most houses on your street or road, or does it have a distinctive style? Also look at existing features in the landscape-those elements that you cannot or are unwilling to change: major trees, close proximity to the sidewalk or street, a garage or outbuildings. Answers to these and other questions about your house help you choose a style for the garden in front of it. A cottagey house gives rise to a cottage garden. A distinctively painted house gives rise to a very colorful (or subdued) garden. A long, low house suggests a long, low garden. A rustic house in a rural area gives rise to a relaxed garden style. Excerpted from The Welcoming Garden: Designing Your Own Front Garden by Gordon Hayward All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
