curvy new landscape for our boxy lustron

Landscaping at Lustron home; photo by finelycrafted.netFor nine years, our Lustron has needed curb appeal like leafy greens need ranch. Last month we worked with Plants Creative Landscapes here in Decatur to finally put some “ranch dressing” on our bland front yard.

Lustron home before landscape makeover; photo by finelycrafted.net
Scraggly gardenias were hiding the porch, and the linear layout didn’t complement our boxy home.
Landscaping at Lustron home; photo by finelycrafted.net
Curvy beds, sculptural plants, and boulders bring SoCal style!

Since the bones of our ’49 prefab are slick and boxy, we created softness with three curvy beds. Taking inspiration from all those modern landscapes I’ve been ogling on trips to Southern California, I picked a topiary pine, a blue agave, and boulders as my must-have focal points. We filled out the beds with shrubs for year-round color (wintergreen boxwood, variegated yucca, gold mop false cypress), sculptural perennials (variegated iris, autumn ferns), vivid grasses (blue fescue, dwarf acorus, silver liriope), and cascaders for the retaining wall (chartreuse creeping jenny, pink-flowered phlox). Black bark mulch makes everything pop.

Lustron landscaping; photo by finelycrafted.net

Blue agave; Lustron landscaping; photo by finelycrafted.net

Lustron landscaping; boulder garden; pom pom pine; photo by finelycrafted.net

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Lustron landscaping; variegated iris; pom pom pine; photo by finelycrafted.net

Lustron landscaping; photo by finelycrafted.net We united the two existing silver maples with a pear-shaped bed. When our funds rebound, I’d like to add irises and hostas around that lonely boulder.         Lustron landscaping; photo by finelycrafted.net

Lustron landscaping; boulder garden; photo by finelycrafted.netA second sculptural tree, a Hinoki cypress, is the star of the bed along the street. I can’t wait until the creeping jenny and phlox stretch their tendrils over the granite wall! Lustron landscaping; boulder garden; photo by finelycrafted.net

Lustron landscaping; boulder garden; photo by finelycrafted.net

Lustron landscaping; Hinoki cypress; photo by finelycrafted.net

If you want more peeks into our life in a Lustron, you can take the grand tour here and see the latest living room makeover here. Also, photographer Amy Herr took great photos of our kitchen and dining room for TheKitchn online magazine.