Project: Front Yard

 

Our front yard has gone from ugly and weedy to oh so pretty in just 2 days! Thanks to my BIL and FIL who were visiting from Texas. We always seem to save the big projects that require a lot of back breaking work for when they visit.

Matt pulled up all the weeds by hand over the entire yard and rota tilled. We then had a layer of top soil brought in. Here is what it looked like the morning of “Project: Front Yard”

The pond was already here when we moved in, however, the electrical outlet that the pond was plugged into was never hooked up. Surprising?? Nope. Nothing surprises me when it comes to this house. Matt dug up the wires that ran from the pond, under ground up to the street then under the driveway and down the other flower bed and then under the drive way again and then after cutting a huge whole into the drywall inside of the garage he found it. It was about 6 inches away from the breaker box… just sitting there. So we had an electrician come out and hook it up for us. We now have a functional pond!

 

Trenches are dug and sprinkler system was laid.

Cohen loved to dig and help Poppy install the new sprinklers. Nana watched him while I went shopping for flowers.  It' was nice to get out by myself.

The next day, Matt was home from work and the all 3 guys started laying sod.

 

Then there was flower placement, stone placement, flower planting and mulch

Something about the green grass sure makes the yellow on the house pop more. We want to paint the house grey with white trim and black shutters but the more I look at it, I think I am liking the yellow. Just needs a fresh coat.

I have always wanted a grassy front lawn (from Sod) Instant beauty and lushness.

All the plants we put in were “deer resistant” but that didn’t keep them from coming by this night and eating the blooms off of ALL my new plants. I have now sprayed them with some deer off repellent that smells of something I can’t even begin to explain.

My hydrangea on my front porch took a beating =( all the new blooms which took so long to appear, gone.

My water can was a debate in our household. I wanted it. Matt did not. I LOVE my water can. It was used on our last pond and I insisted it be used on this pond! It was a garage sale find for $5 and Matt rigged it up to be a fountain. In the end, he ended up installing it and I couldn’t be happier. Happy wife, happy life =)

Our fishies. We had 8 and are now down to 3 or 4 I think. Only the strong survive! Once they stick around long enough I will consider naming them.

The plant in there will grow quickly and provide shelter for our little friends.

I painted the other adirondack chair and covered some pillows out of this thick fabric that was actually 2 valances and 2 pillow shams that I picked up at Goodwill for $2.  The colors go well too!

 

I still turn onto our street and think, “wow, that's a good looking lawn!” LOVE our house!

Now… I need more gravel for the front parking,  paint and some shutters and we have great curb appeal!

Spring

I have been playing in the dirt and it feels wonderful to have dirty hands! Since I don't have garden beds to garden in, I am settling for hanging baskets...

Today reached 70* and when it's that nice, you have to take advantage of it! I drilled and hung all the hooks on the pergola that would hold the hanging baskets and then filled them with flowers. It was very exhausting!

I still have to fill 5 more baskets, which I plan to do this weekend, but they are going to look great!

Venus Flytrap

I have a plant… a beautiful plant… but at the rate it is growing, it is going to eat my house!

I planted this beautiful Morning Glory vine on April 1th.

On April 14th, it had already grown 1.5 feet.

I decided to mark its growth so I could actually see how much it was growing.

I did that with a stick. 7 days later I measured. It had grown 9 inchs in 1 week! I am not exadurating.

In the last 16 days, this thing has grown up towards 2 feet. I am really excited that it grown so fast, but geese! It’s scaring me!

what if my plants turns into this?!

My plants are dying

The weather was nice this weekend…if you think 91* is nice! I mean it’s April..who would have thought we would have already turned on our Air Conditioner this early on in the season… Not me.

The heat I was so excited to have has killed all of my plants. 4 Azalea’s and 3 NEW hydrangea’s. I am seriously very very upset about this. They are on life support right now and I don’t think they will make it. I mean, if I was a plant and went from living in 65* weather to the next day being scorched in 91* weather, I might not feel to good either.



I think I might send the Sun a bill for these plants that he killed… It’s going to be pretty expensive since some of these plants were from last year and had matured… While im at it…I think I’ll send another one for me missing a day of work for being sick with allergies from all the new plants that just bloomed

Spring Blooming

Here are some pretty flowers from the garden. Spring is officially here!

Matt has been working pretty hard reshaping the front flower beds. Here is the finished project.

Before- Rounded

Now-straighted edged...a much smaller and more manageable flower bed

While I was out

My husband is wonderful.

While I was at work today bringing home the bacon, he built me a raised flower bed for my vegetables I want to grow this summer. Now I have a place to plan my tomatoes and onions and cucumbers and anything else I feel like growing. Maybe I'll even start my own Saturday market and start selling all my yummy produce!

Baxter even helped a little!

Here are some photos of the pond with the bark around it. We still need to add water plants and fish, and let the plants around it develop, but I am so happy with!