Curb Appeal For Friendly Neighbors

September 4, 2024/Sharing
A family’s yard in Southern California was due for an update.  Principal designer Sacha McCrae helped them add curb appeal with plants, pathways and an inviting sitting area in the front yard of their corner lot.

McCrae describes her clients as warm, lovely and friendly, so it makes sense that they wanted a yard that would foster community with neighbors. “The most urgent project for them was improving the front yard, which we finished first,” the designer says. It includes a strong approach to the front door, a meandering pathway, a beautiful mixture of plant textures and a welcoming seating area with a fountain.

Photos by Sacha McCrae

Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young children
Location: Orange County, California
Front yard size: 3,000 square feet (279 square meters)
Landscape designer: Sacha McCrae of Living Gardens Landscape Design

Before: “The approach was really about curb appeal,” McCrae says. They wanted to get rid of the brick, which was very red and felt dated.” Part of the front makeover was painting the house, including changing the color of the red door.

After: A new concrete path adds a fresh look. McCrae used smooth rupturewort (Herniaria glabra, USDA zones 6 to 10; find your zone) as a ground cover between the slabs. “I like to create green seams in a path like this, whether with plants, wood or gravel between the pavers,” McCrae says. “It adds to the curb appeal, and it’s great for drainage.”

Plants, including fescue (Festuca sp.), lilyturf (Liriope sp.) and various succulents, line the path and fill the space between it and the house.

The front door’s color change gives the door a presence without taking attention away from the plants. McCrae accentuated the door with three large planters. “The dangling plants add another layer of greenery and softness,” she says. The tall, fluted concrete planters and the lightweight cream planter fit in with the color palette of the hardscape, which is a mix of gray and cream tones.

McCrae installed a small deck at the entry. She lined the base of it with a low row of succulents, adding another sweet layer of green.

Before: The path’s brick edging didn’t serve much purpose and had a clunky look.
After: McCrae designed pathways flush with the ground for a more modern look. They put the focus on the surrounding plants. “I kept to a really simple plant palette with lots of repetition. I find that tends to make for an effective design,” she says.

The plant palette includes lilyturf (Liriope muscari, zones 5 to 10), aeonium (Aeonium urbicum, zones 9 to 11), star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides, zones 8 to 10), ‘Myers’ foxtail fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myers’, zones 9 to 11), ‘Elijah Blue’ fescue (Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’, zones 4 to 8), Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha, zones 8 to 10), ‘Iceberg’ rose (Rosa ‘Iceberg’, zones 5 to 9) and echeveria succulents.

Caution: Liriope muscari and Asparagus densiflorus can be considered invasive, depending on where you live and your garden’s conditions. ‘Myers’ is considered less of a threat. Check your region before planting.

Before: This mature elm tree was an existing asset.
After: The tree has a lovely presence and provides height, structure and shade in the front garden. McCrae replaced the grass around it with a mix of plants, including jasmine. “Most of the plants in the yard require low water. Jasmine requires a little more, but the shade protects it so that it doesn’t need as much,” she says. The property has a drip irrigation system for the plants.
This photo provides a good overall look at the front yard’s layout. The path in the foreground leads from the long driveway to the new gravel patio, while the meandering wooden path connects the patio to the front walk. A limestone fountain provides calming bubbling sounds.
The wooden path from the front entry to the gravel patio complements the entry deck. “The elm tree dictated where we placed this path, because of its root system. We worked within the flatter areas,” McCrae says. “We wanted it to feel natural and give it a somewhat meandering feel as people walk through the plants.”

The wood pavers complement the natural gravel pavers. “It’s good to mix materials that work together. Wood is grounding, but it also softens the hardscape palette. Because this wood will fade to gray, it’s cohesive with the natural concrete pavers and the gravel,” McCrae says.

While the hardwood is rot-resistant, the designer notes that you don’t want it to sit directly atop the soil. Underneath the path is a frame with a gravel base, with the wood laid on top.

The plantings along the path have a variety of textures and green tones, from spiky silvery-green fescue to soft round succulents, from deep green blades of lirope to dainty white jasmine flowers. “I wanted this to be green and lush and interesting, even if absolutely nothing is flowering. Flowers are a bonus and secondary to all the rich greenery,” McCrae says.
The gravel patio has a frame beneath it and a weed barrier fabric. It also has wood edging to keep the three-eighths-inch gravel pieces in place. “The gravel is a mix of creams and grays and browns, but from a distance, it has a creamy look,” McCrae says.

The homeowners requested this seating area so they could interact with neighbors. But because the house is on a corner lot, McCrae wanted to give them privacy from one of the streets. So she planted a hedge of tall fern pine (Podocarpus gracilior, zones 9 to 11) along that side. This evergreen will fill in to create a solid screen of greenery.

Before: This area was simply a flat lawn. The project did not require grading. “This was a great flat site,” McCrae says.
After: Plants surround the new seating area that the dining room overlooks. The staggered concrete paver path allows guests who park in the driveway to walk directly to the patio for a visit or continue along the meandering path to the front door. The layout creates an enjoyable experience that lets visitors take in the entire front yard as they approach the home.

“This is such a lovely and friendly family. Now they can hang out in the front and talk to neighbors. It’s an inviting spot to sit, chat and watch the kids play in the front yard,” McCrae says.

A family’s yard in Southern California was due for an update.  Principal designer Sacha McCrae helped them add curb appeal with plants, pathways and an inviting sitting area in the front yard of their corner lot. (cited)
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