Hi! Some questions about landscaping...plant ideas and help.

So I went to visit my friend's mom near Minneapolis, MN, and she asked me for some landscaping ideas.

She has a story and a half home, with a cedar-shake roof that has really unique angles and dormers. The house is painted gray on the wooden areas and faced in various shades of brown brick everywhere else. It was built in 1973, and is a very long house...probably close to 70 feet. The "style" of the home is sort of a cross between English cottage and Craftsman. Hard to explain, but despite it's size, it has a cozy appearance.

I wish I had a picture, but alas, do not.

Anyway, she pulled out ALL of the landscaping this summer, and is now stuck. She's looking for low, horizontal, minimal to zero-maintenance shrubbery. Perhaps some of it can flower, but she's not interested in planting flowers themselves, since she has many flower beds in the back of the home. The home is secluded (tons of trees) but the front yard is cleared and only has two trees. The rest is grass.

Obviously, a Minnesota climate needs to be taken into consideration. I'm just wondering if anyone can give me some helpful links, or has any ideas! I'm not very good at the whole plant/bushes/flowers thing.

The one idea I have come up with is to plant Engelman Ivy to climb up some of the brick, which I think would look gorgeous. It works well in Minnesota.

Thanks!

Matt :)

PS: I'm heading back over there soon, so hopefully I'll snap a couple pictures of the house. We wouldn't do any work until the Spring, either.

probably get more responses

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=246

OMG, I didn't even SEE that group. Thanks!!!

*smacks head*