I have a confession: When it comes to certain new-homeowner tasks, I suffer from analysis paralysis.
My husband and I bought our first house, a snug little Cape in Maine, two years ago, an anniversary we celebrated recently by readying the backyard: planting seedlings in the raised beds, pulling the pots out of the potting shed, then kicking back on the patio with a glass of wine. It’s a little oasis back there, with a surprise crop of rhubarb we inherited from the former owners and succulents from my parents’ garden starting to take hold around the edges of the patio.
But guess what we’ve done in the front yard? Nothing. Last summer when I couldn’t take it anymore, I painted over the flaking green paint on our front steps and cut down one of two spruce trees that was growing precariously close to the front window (after reading The Overstory my husband lobbied to keep the other one). But that’s it. And we could not agree on what to do about the paved front path. I hate it, but Matt insists it’s practical for shoveling in snowy Maine winters (fair enough; he does most of the shoveling). In short, we didn’t know where to start.
So when I heard about Yardzen, the online landscape design platform that walks you through the process step by step—from learning about your existing space to pairing you with a designer to creating photorealistic plans, CAD layouts, and curated plantings to giving you the tools you need to set a budget and talk with contractors—I thought: that I can do. And, reader, I did, and I’m one step closer to making good on my curb appeal plan. We even found a compromise for our front path.
Here’s our Yardzen review—plus a look at our house before (eek), and our new plans for a lush but low-maintenance front landscape that’s as considered as the back.
The Before: Help
Above: Our place, in need of assistance.
Here’s what we’re working with. Good bones, yes, but there’s so much we want to change we didn’t know where to start.
Luckily, Yardzen did. The first step? A thorough get-to-know-you questionnaire all about our existing space and budget. I opted for a front yard package, but there are options for projects big and small. My neighbors definitely wondered why I was creeping behind our own forsythia bush to take photos from every angle, but it all made sense when Yardzen revealed a very accurate map of our property.
Their questionnaire helped narrow down things we love and want to keep (three stately trees; some inherited plantings); things we want to part with (the scraggly spruce tree and—oof—that paved front path); and things we wanted to prioritize. On our wish list: a wide, minimal front deck for sitting; more generous garden beds; and a low stone wall for containing our 15-year-old rescue terrier who likes to run around in the front yard. There were even detail-oriented questions I didn’t know I had strong opinions on until they popped up. (E.g. Any plants you want to avoid? Yes. Why do I detest roses and hostas?)
Above: Inspiration, featuring this Danish project Fan wrote about on Remodelista that I love.
The best part? Filling out the inspiration section, with imagery from my very full Pinterest board. When we met, Matt was working on the High Line in New York, and we love the Piet Oudolf plantings that look lush in the height of summer and sculptural in the depths of winter—perfect for Maine’s seasons. We also took cues from Swedish summer houses, gravel gardens, and the boardwalk at a nearby beach—I love the way the greenery grows over the clean lines of the path.
The only demerit came from Yardzen’s design quiz, which revealed my garden style to be “modern farmhouse.” No shade to modern farmhouse, but…no. I couldn’t retake the quiz, so modern farmhouse it was, and I just hoped I wouldn’t end up with any distressed white-painted furniture. Luckily, though, adding my inspiration images seemed to offset the results of the quiz to create an aesthetic that worked.
The Space, In Process
Above: Version 1. Much improved!
A couple weeks later, an email in my inbox: Your Yardzen designs are ready. It was like glimpsing an alternate life, one with a usable front space and without a green-painted foundation.
I liked that I could go through the photorealistic 3D plans and make notes on specific details. Yardzen nailed it with the plantings, and I was surprised by their attention to including drought-tolerant plants native to Maine. (No hostas in sight!)
Above: The path, revised.
Another pleasant surprise? The design team’s thoughtful solution to our front path predicament. Here’s what they wrote in our brief: “Thinking of your preference for the fine, casual texture of gravel, we’ve opted for a herringbone-pattern paver path and set the pattern at a 45-degree angle to reduce the odds of a snow shovel catching on paving joints.” Smart. This is why you hire a designer.
Above: My notes with Yardzen’s design team: Like the seating area, but not the location.
I also loved the dark siding and asked to go even darker, shou sugi ban style. And I liked the seating area but thought we’d be more likely to use it on a wider, simpler front porch, even if it meant losing some yard—less to mow, better for the environment.
The Final Plans
Above: The end result: minimal yet lush.
And, a week later, presto: the final plans. There’s an option to add on another phase of revisions, but I don’t think we need it: Unlike our current underused front yard, this space feels like us—and sets us up for success as two still-learning gardeners living in tough Maine seasons.
Above: There’s no yard to mow or keep up with….
…Instead, there’s a gravel garden and a low, wide front porch where I can see us having coffee in the morning or reading after work. The High Line-inspired plantings (Yardzen provides a list!) will attract pollinators and provide some much-needed privacy from our neighbors. And our pup can romp around to her heart’s content.
Above: Oh! And went with a slightly revised, simpler paver path that won’t snag the snow shovel but is far, far more beautiful than the asphalt welcome mat we have.
Above: Now all we need to do is break ground—hopefully sooner than two years from now.
Curious to try out Yardzen? They offer packages for projects big and small. Head here to get started.
