House Exterior Photos: After

Dec 11 here in Minnesota, with the kitchen remodel underway.. snow outside.. I thought it would be nice to post a little reminder of warm days. I found the after pictures of our front yard! We completed this project in July / August 2005, with the help of Chad's company, Diggit Landscaping.


The project included new front steps tiled with Slate tile, a new cobblestone concrete walkway, stone front steps, and all new, low maintenance, japanese style plants, and boulders and burms surrounding the plants. We also put in a new screen door and added accent painting around the windows.

Detail of the stone steps. These are so pretty -- they also weighed a ton, we could barely move them. That walkway behind it is a tumbled concrete paver -- it looks like stone but was much less expensive. I also love the curve of the walk, it's a playful touch to the symmetry of our house.


The path on the right is flagstone, set in trapstone that matches the large boulders, all held together with steel edging. The steel edging will age over time and get a rusty patina. The path on the right is much less formal and sturdy than the concrete paver path. That path goes to the backyard and to the neighbors house, and is mostly for the mailman.

Detail of the entry way. The path on the right is for the mailman, and is trapstone with steel edging. The steps are poured concrete covered with slate tile and a sealer for weather. We made the steps wider than they were previously, to hold potted plants. We were also happy to discover that we no longer needed railings, since the height is below the minimum requirement. We debated for awhile about what material to use for the main path -- we wanted to make sure that the path up to the house was sturdy enough to shovel and had enough presence to lead up to the entry of the house. Since the pavers are made of concrete, they are very consistent and even, easy to shovel in the winter.

The plants that we installed included: hydrangea (I insisted), japanese painted fern, rhododendron, japanese red maple, nishaki willow, magnolia, korean maple, korean fir, japanese junipers, creeping jenny, azalea, sumac, globe spruces, pagoda dogwood, creeping cottoneasters, dianthus. The plants are little in these pictures, I can't wait to see how they grow next year and the year after. I am impatient to see it fill in!