Background About Our Project - 1204 Upland Dr

We would like to have the yard and layout redesigned, including:

• Put steps into a sloping area going to the driveway 
• Add some rocks and planting areas 
• Remove some bushes, add some plantings (need help with plants) 
• Add a “seating area”, perhaps near existing bench
• Replace existing concrete drain path with something else
• Retain some grass

General design preferences

• Modern design and geometric shapes
• Dark rocks
• Rusted metal edging

Pictures of current yard:

You can see a little of the slope going to the driveway from this angle.

Not much going on along the side by the driveway, other than dirt and rocks.

Concrete channel for drainage that typically gets plugged up and is ugly.

 Some pictures of landscapes that we like:

Like the size and contrasting colors of the rocks. And the rusted metal edging. With the subtle plants in the white.

Cool rusted metal wall. Also like Merri Gale and Donald's with the metal panels and curve.

Cool mailbox and planting area in the neighborhood.

Like the simple layout and the shape of the pavers.

Like the symmetry in this, and the rocks.

Had seen similar steps in Travis Heights. Thinking about for the slope down to the driveway. They had metal boxes filled with rocks, similar to this picture, though they were all the same size shape (not sure how I feel about that)

Like these crazy pom-pom bushes. They have a shape, and they're pretty well filled in. (Hood)

 Like this planter. (Hood)

You can see the other plantings in this one .(Hood)

Another cool planter. (Hood)

Do not like this type of yard where there's a bunch of stuff growing all helter-skelter.

Saw this in Travis Heights. Generally like it, though not sure how we feel about the smaller gravel-type stuff.

 House in our neighborhood, with the separate closeup of the mailbox area.

Like this style, in the 'hood.

Another one we kind of like in the neighborhood. Like the big agave. Not so sure about having all the different stuff thrown in there.


Other details:

• Installation to include our new mailbox (http://modboxusa.com/collections/all/products/mid-century-modern-mailbox-modbox), color is Turquoise-White
• We think we like the crushed granite, but are wondering about the dust.
• It would probably be nice to see more of the porch and the stone, so unless there are plants that we should or want to keep, maybe that stuff should come out before deciding what goes back in so we can see how it looks. 
• We're thinking about painting the porch rail, or just sealing it. 
• We don't know much about plants. We generally like things that aren't scraggly or look like the wilderness.