When I work on real estate ads for the paper... and when I have the time (like today)... I browse through all of the photos of the houses for sale checking out their landscaping. The sidewalk entry of this first one caught my eye right away. I just didn't like the way they used the blocks with the bricks. ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) Then I saw this second one and thought "now that's much better!" ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) Of course... can't totally fault the homeowner or landscaper in the first one since there is no space between the wall and sidewalk (like in the second one) but I think they could have done something different/better. Okay... time for me to get back to work and quit playing virtual landscaper.
Cheryl, the first one reminds me of a pathway to the guillotine! Narrow, not particularly welcoming, and leading up to . . . The second is better, but not much better. On the right side of the walkway, how does a person get to the second and third tier of plants to tend to them? Unless your gardener (and I am absolutely sure there is a gardener involved here who does not live in the house) has a hovercraft or wings, it will be very difficult to get to those plants! I admit I have a prejudice against garages with a house attached (look at house #2 and what do you see first?) but in this price range, someone ought to have designed the landscaping to be more people- and maintenance-friendly. Sincerely, your virtual landscaper, Marlingardener !
I can't see having bushes and trees that block the window view. There is not much sense having a window in that case. The brick and blocks make it feel half done. It should be all brick or all blocks. There is no transition between the two types. The plantings could have had some more thought in their placement or at least some thinning. Jerry
I agree! It looks like they just ran out of blocks and finished with bricks. I think it looks big, bulky and overwhelming! The second one is a bit better, but I really don't like those 'walls' at all. I feel they look harsh and uninviting.
You wouldn't believe some of the impractical and ugly landscaping some of those homes have. Guess they spend all their time at work trying to pay for a half-million-dollar building or they stay indoors....
I really love the tumbled stone they used in the first one before they added that horrible out of place brick wall. I would have just continued with the tumbled stone. If you closely at the pic it looks like they have it going up the walk after the brick wall ends. That is way to weird. I also agree that the landscaping leaves much to be desired. They should have taken out those two big yew bushes in front of the house and added some color to the flower beds. In the second photo they should have never planted those trees so close to the house. They could have put one in the middle of the lawn area in the front yard. I would have not put up those two half walls of brick. What purpose do they serve? Again they should have just continued with the stone all along the walk way. Oh well. At least I do not have to look at it, or clean those way to big of homes. I would rather be out playing in my gardens.
The first one looks really weird, with the stone & the brick together!! Definitely like the 2nd one better.
Since those houses are in south Texas, that tree in front of the window of the second photo is really common sense especially if that is a west facing window. With that window being two stories tall that would be a whole lot of heat coming in, making the room unbearable and the cost of keeping it cool would break the bank.
Our house faces west, until we could afford a new central AC system many years ago the west windows in the livingroom and two bedrooms were covered with aluminum foil from May through late Sept. Now we have some trees that do the job....and a much larger central AC unit.
Not keen on the first picture it doesn't flow like the second picture and its also planted so much better!!
