Thursday, September 8, 2011

Pictures, Please and The Front Yard

We've been working out in front of the house every weekend for over a month. Things are FINALLY beginning to take shape! There has been a lot of digging, moving bushes and splitting of day lilies and liriope. The first owners of our house were great gardeners. We even have a separate fenced-in vegetable garden! We can tell from the things that they planted, trees from Ann Magnolias to kousa dogwoods, azaleas, and TONS of lilies and liriope. All of our neighbors have told us that our property used to be perfectly manicured and maintained.

Unfortunately, we purchased it from a second owner who basically did no yard maintenance or gardening for four years. Everything was badly overgrown and root bound. When you don't prune your bushes for 4 years, eventually your windows become covered and they start to crowd your house. The plants also don't thrive when they are so crowded because there is no space for air movement. Last spring, my ornamental trees and azaleas were packed so tightly together that they all had powdery mildew- a plant disease.

Some things have had to be sacrificed; others we are reusing elsewhere. We dug out the hedges that had been planted in front of the house. I need to be able to see outside my windows more than I wanted to try to save them. The azaleas in our side yard were planted back to back. We pulled out the second row of bushes and created a new planting bed on the other side of the house. We pulled up all of the lilies and liriope on the property and divided them. We wound up with enough lilies and liriope to create neat perennial borders throughout the front yard.

We also dug out all of our beds and increased their depth. I may need to spend more on mulch every year, but at least I won't have as much grass to mow or water. Or maybe I should say, my husband won't! (c: I think a small amount of lawn is a necessary evil when you have kids, but I really think it is a colossal waste of water.

Did I mention that we are doing all of the work ourselves? It has been a lot of work, but we really work pretty well together. Emma is always trying to help us with the most difficult task of the day. She's such a go getter! Never scared to lend a hand!

So, without further ado.... here's our yard. We still have quite a bit of work ahead of us- but I think its a a BIG improvement!

Shasta Daisies 

Day lilies and Variegated Liriope in front of azaleas moved from other side of house. The azaleas will need a couple of years to fill in. 


Ann Magnolia Tree with Day lilies and Variegated Liriope behind and around the tree. In front are some annuals (begonias). 

View from the driveway. Shasta Daisies, a Crete Myrtle tree and about a million Day lilies that have already bloomed. 


On the right side you can see my small gardenia bush which we just planted. It will take a few years, but it will eventually be balanced with the Ann Magnolia on the other side of the door. 

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