Mini Makeover: Morgan’s Fresh Front-Of-House
Last updated: Nov 07 2022
Key takeaways
Morgan transformed the front of her 1830s farmhouse by combining evergreen shrubs and ornamental grasses to add year-round color, texture, and curb appeal.
Blue Star Junipers, Flirt™ Nandinas, Wintergreen Boxwoods, and Black Mondo Grass created a low-maintenance landscape designed to thrive in her Zone 6b climate.
The makeover began with careful planning, edging, and site preparation before installing the new plants, resulting in a polished and cohesive landscape design.
Tune into Morgan’s, also known as @lifeonwillowcreek, mini makeover to see how she turned the outside of her mudroom into a fresh masterpiece! With a garage-to-mud-room conversion recently competed, Morgan and her husband wanted to bring some color and vibrancy to the outside of this new space. This was the final step in one of their many DIY creations.
Morgan and her husband reside in an 1830’s farmhouse, and they’re constantly thinking up fun ways to update their space. In fact, Morgan’s whole channel is based on budget-friendly DIY projects. For this particular undertaking, Morgan utilized a mix of Blue Star Junipers, Flirt™ Nandinas, Wintergreen Boxwoods and Black Mondo Grasses to bring some much-needed life and volume to their front of house.
Located in New York, Zone 6b, Morgan needed hardy plants that would withstand some colder temperatures and stay looking good year-round. And the assortment of evergreens, shrubs and grasses she chose fits the bill. Plus, each of them is versatile and low-maintenance with unique visual appeal, adding both practical and aesthetic value.
The planting took about two days to complete and went much more smoothly than Morgan anticipated. She loved having the plants delivered right to her door—something that’s very convenient when her and her husband are managing busy schedules. “Ordering our plants from Trees.com allowed us to visually prepare and research the plants before selecting them,” she said.
As an avid home DIY-er, Morgan knows the importance of planning and prepping ahead of projects to ensure a smooth process. She “normally feels a lot of pressure when it comes to picking the right plants for [her] climate and design, but it was so much easier than [she] imagined.”
Before they could get to the actual planting, though, they tackled the ground prep and installed some edging. Then, they got to work adding their selection of lush, long-lasting plants, including the hardy juniper bush. Morgan is especially excited to watch her Black Mondo Grass grow, and with its out-of-the-ordinary, glossy, black leaves, we can understand her love for this border-perfect grass.
We also can’t wait to see how Morgan’s garden grows in the seasons to come! With the right mix of plants and a little hard work, she was able to bring her vision to life. Now, her space is lively and inviting, so we think she’s achieved her goal of freshening up her front of house!
See what other DIY projects Morgan is up to by following @lifeonwillowcreek, and be sure to shop her plant picks below! Plus, follow along with the rest of our Mini Makeovers Series for other garden transformations we’ve got going on.
Written by
Sarah Logie
As Content Strategist at Trees.com, Sarah is smitten with words and a fanatic for flowers, particularly cut florals and house plants. With a love for curating compelling content, she also enjoys furthering her plant knowledge along the way! A few of her favorite flowers include hibiscus, hydrangeas, peonies and dahlias.
Sarah’s fondness for plants was cultivated through many childhood trips to Longwood Gardens in southeastern Pennsylvania, as well as through her first job out of college at a floral event design company. In her free time, catch her snapping photos of anything and everything, day-dreaming about interior decor, and enjoying the outdoors any chance she gets.
