Front Landscaping Refresh
The warm weather this spring had me itching to get outside. I actually wanted to do yard work! I had a small list of activities to do on the front landscaping that we completed last year, and that list is now complete.
It was certainly a joy to be working outside in relatively mild spring weather, compared to the 90+ degree temps we experienced last July when we kicked off the landscaping project.
First,we transplanted the Blue Lyme Grass that was my only real mistake of last year’s plant purchasing. I thought the blue foliage would look fantastic mixed in with our other plants, and it did. The ornamental grass looked great throughout the summer last year, and survived the winter without issue. In fact, it survived a bit too well! Apparently I forgot to read the tag on the plant. It’s a highly agressive grass that is even considered invasive in some states. It spreads via rhizomes which means it throws tendrils up everywhere – even amidst other plants. Even after transplanting it I’ve been pulling out tendrils that managed to survive.
We moved the lyme grass to a bed on the back of our house in an area we plan on filling with rock (to make it easy to mow around). I don’t have any pictures of that area, but it’s not much to look at anyways.
We replaced each lyme grass with a trio of Blue Fescue, which is a much smaller grass that tends to clump rather than spread. They’re quite tiny now, but I’m hoping they will fill in nicely as time goes on.
We also added a tree-form Limelight hydrangea on the corner to complement our Annabelle hydrangea.
The Mr. Bowling Ball arborvitae that bit the dust before the end of last summer were finally replaced.
A fresh coat of mulch cleaned everything up. Fresh mulch makes any landscaping look better. Hooray for not having bare dirt patches with weeds popping up everywhere!
Solar lights along the path were the last addition to the front landscaping. They are just cheap ones from Target, but they seem to work well.
Now a few shots of how the landscape has filled in over the past year. Adding new plants is definitely rewarding, but seeing them come back after a long winter and really start growing out is even more satisfying.
These Goldflame Spirea were tiny, rather pathetic looking bushes when we planted them. Now they are full of lime green foliage and bright pink flowers.
The three barberry plants have also grown quite a bit. The transplant shock last year caused them to lose most of their leaves, but now they are bright and healthy looking. The Mr. Bowling Ball are actually a bit smaller than the ones we planted last year, but I’m hoping they’ll last a little longer.
We still have a little room around the hydrangea tree. I may add additional perennials in this area in the fall or next spring once the tree has had some time to adapt.
I’m glad we chose to do the landscaping ourselves. It may mean a few mistakes along the way, but it’s a rewarding activity that gets me outside enjoying the warm weather (and has the added bonus of being good exercise). There are huge swathes of yard left to do over the next few years, from around the patio, to the rest of the house foundation, to the large and empty side yard. It’s a bit overwhelming all at once, but tackling it in small chunks makes it an accessible DIY task.
Posts about the patio will be coming soon. The landscaping crew probably has only another day left and we will be able to enjoy a meal out there! It feels like we’ve been waiting forever.
