Hi, my husband is in the process of putting up a double deck front
porch onto our colonial house. The house has a walkout basement in the
front, and when we bought it there was no deck so basically there was
a door to the 2nd story(which is the main floor of the house) that
couldnt be used because there were no stairs leading to it.

To give you an idea, here is a picture of the deck in progress
http://www.curranphotography.com/wed...ges/HOUSE1.jpg

The stairs will start where the tractor is, and go up to the landing
and then turn 90 degrees and go up to the porch. I would like to
figure out a nice design for flowers/shrubs/bushes to go around the
porch and stairs, but I am pretty much stumped, mostly because I am
not creative at all!

What are some good plants that would do well? They need to LOVE the
sun, because this house gets sun all the time. BTW we are in Vermont
so I would like perennials that can stand the winter, but also I like
annuals.

I would appreciate advice and even links to other sites with good
pictures. Thanks a bunch!

Kristen

kristen wrote:

What are some good plants that would do well? They need to LOVE the
sun, because this house gets sun all the time. BTW we are in Vermont
so I would like perennials that can stand the winter, but also I like
annuals.

I would appreciate advice and even links to other sites with good
pictures. Thanks a bunch!

If you don't have much garden experience, I'd recommend getting a
landscape plan from a landscape architect. Plans tend to be relatively
inexpensive; it's hiring people to implement them that costs.... A
landscape architect should look at the whole space, not just a specific
patch, and help everything flow together. Which is not to say you have
to landscape your whole yard. The plan would look at the area in
relation to the house and yard, not just the porch, so all the elements
around your porch could be better balanced.

As far as plants go, perhaps you should start by thinking about what
overall effect you want. Are there colors or textures you particularly
like or dislike? For example, I find I like a "fluffy" quality to
plants, a kind of visual fullness, so I like things like coreopsis and
Russian sage, but some people like strong, spiky vertical lines or
neatly rounded mounds. Do you want a manicured look or something less
constrained? Do you want to focus on a few terrific plants or do you
enjoy the blend and contrast of different plants mixed together?