The nasty juniper bush was a mouse breeding zone (ew!) so it had to go. And although I love the color of the bright red bush at the corner of the driveway and the walk to the front steps, it was full of thorns. Not exactly a welcoming plant to rub against every time you come to visit, right? We tied a tow rope around that big ole bush, hooked it up to my brother’s truck, and ripped that sucker out. The two big mum bushes in front of the basement window blocked a lot of light and were too big for the space. I transplanted them to another part of the yard. The flower beds were so choked with grass and weeds that you could hardly see the cement border. And the gravel driveway was overrun with weeds too.
After hours of back breaking labor, this is where we are today:
I personally thought it was ugly, plus with little children around, it’s a huge safety hazard. So the pond had to go. I just finished shoveling the last wheel barrow full of dirt this morning, and I have to say, I’m proud of myself. I filled that pond in all by myself! That’s a LOT of dirt, my friends!
Now that everything is level, I am going to finish off the landscaping. I bought a bunch of plants from Gurneys online that will be shipped to me soon. I’m hoping to install weedcloth and mulch, at least in the area that’s currently empty.
In the photo above, you can see the two mums I transplanted from under the window. No flowers yet, but they sure will be pretty in another month or so.
Thank heavens for petunias. They are growing really well for me and are super low key.
I just added three Stella D’Oro daylilies to the mix. Love these plants!
It’s been fun to watch the yard transform. I’m learning a ton! I’m a little nervous about the plants I ordered. I hope they grow and look good together. What are your favorite plants? Any suggestions of things that are easy to grow?
Comments & Reviews
Firefly says
Lavender (if you don't mind bees) is really easy to grow, looks pretty, and helps keep some pests away. If you get a low-growing variety it'll work nice in that big space so you have less weeding to do. OR.. go with plants you can eat! Blueberry bushes don't need to grow huge to produce a lot of fruit, love acidic soil, and look really pretty in the autumn.
nanaferrell says
Hostas can add a lot of "filler"…and they are perennials!! Some varieties have pretty flowers that grow in the center, and best of all–just water them!!
Jennifer {The Craft Patch} says
I ordered some hostas! Yay! Great minds think alike!
Moon Whaler says
It looks great– and like a LOT of work!
Just to let you know, if you ever move you'll likely need to inform the next owners about the filled-in pool. My aunt did that at her old house and nearly got sued about it later. It would be a nasty surprise to hit a brick with a tiller or something if they ever did!
Jennifer {The Craft Patch} says
We completely removed all traces of the pond down to bare dirt, so that shouldn't be a problem! But thanks for the heads up! 🙂