New Landscaping!

~Throwback Thursday - November 2011~

When we first bought our house (3 1/2 years ago!) our front yard left a lot to be desired... and we actually haven't changed too much about it. Landscaping and upping the curb appeal was always low on the totem pole of things to be done. Other then cleaning up the flower bed to the right, everything has pretty much stayed the same. But you guys - this spring/summer is finally the year for making some big changes to the front of the house.

The first to go? The big, ugly, overgrown, boxwood shrubs under the windows!

Digging the stumps out was 100,000x harder than we anticipated. We had to dig and pull and saw and shake those babies to get them to reluctantly let go of the earth! It was ridiculous. I tried to talk Mark in to renting a backhoe to dig them out but He didn't think it was necessary. So with blood, sweat and tears (just kidding, but I did kind of want to cry at one point) we finally got them out!

After the roots were out, it was smooth sailing! We tilled up the ground a bit, shaped a new bed design, filled it in with some new soil and planted some new (much smaller and prettier) foliage!

We want to plant a pretty bush (maybe an Azalea?) between the two windows to give a little height dimension back to the area. Also, do you see the enormous Arbor Vitae at the corner? If you look back at the first picture you can see this thing has grown a couple of feet since we've moved in! We want to have that removed as well. But... we're going to need a professional for that job, and we'll probably have that done in the fall. Once that comes out, I want to wrap the flower bed around the corner and down the side of the house, and then plant a pretty flowering tree for Reaghan's first birthday. ( A Dogwood maybe?)

It might not look like much, but I'm just so thrilled to be able to see the brick under the windows! I feel like it adds new life to the house. 

I'll be sure to take another picture when the plants have grown a bit. :)

Next up on the curb appeal project - painting the shutters, front door, porch railing and all of the trim!