I've never had a green thumb. Yellow maybe, but definitely not green. So when it came to replanting and landscaping our front "yard," I wasn't so sure how it was going to go. The trick was... slow and steady.
Before we get into details and tips, let's take a look at the front of the house before we moved in.
Real quick: look at little bitty Liam!!!! This was later summer 2010. He was just a little over a year old. Sniffle.
Okay, moving on. So there are the planters. Lots of green. Lots of succulents (which are easy to take care of, but not really my thing). And some serious hedge action going on.
And now (insert drumroll here), a picture of the front now...
Another break: look at Liam in this pic. It totally wasn't planned that he happened to be in each picture. But so awesome that it happened that way. My little man. Pushing 2 and 1/2. With his short haircut and McQueen backpack. Be still my heart--this kid kills me.
First things first: best thing we did in these planters was put down weed cloth and black bark. I wasn't so sure about this idea when my mom suggested it, because "bark" always brought to mind orange clay colored yards out in the desert. Anyone know what I'm talkin' about? But I trusted her and went with the black color and wa-la. I freakin' love it. It looks clean and like rich soil and really makes the colors of the plants and flowers pop.
It's really easy to do. You buy the weed cloth in rolls from a garden center (we got all of our supplies from Home Depot) and lay it down in your planters (working it around your already established plants). Then you put stakes down to hold it in place and dump your bark right on top of it. Easy peasy. Then, as you plants new plants, you just cut holes in your weed cloth with your shovel or whatever and dig and plant right in there. The weed cloth really does to a great job of keeping the weeds out. A few do pop up every now and then, but they are easy to spot.
So let me walk you through our little garden as best as I can using these pics. In the lower left hand corner we have ground cover which we kept from the previous owner's garden. But the little tree popping out is a Japanese Elm which we planted. Behind the Elm you can see some of our Mum plants which were also from before. They get huge and the stalks get heavy with blooms, but they are so pretty and yield soooo many flowers. Lots of blooms to bring inside. Love them. (On that side we also have a Judy Garland Rose bush, a Desert Hibiscus, and a Hawaiian Hibiscus.)
In the front planter (right hand side), we took everything out and planted a Birch Tree. We sprinkled in a handful of large rocks and small plants. This area gets lots of direct sun so it's been a task to find small plants that thrive in this planter. Peonies seem to be holding their own, and we also have a bright pink plant that is doing great in here but admittedly, I have NO idea what they are. I'll get back to you on that one.
In the back planter (at the top of the photo), we removed all of the hedges which, all by itself, was a HUGE improvement. Then we added 4 rose bushes (two white, one pink, and one Judy Garland), a red rose tree, vinkas, hydrangeas, jasmine, mini carnations, and a gardenia plant. We also have two azelea plants that we kept from the previous garden.
One of my favorite things we have goin' on is the climbing fig trailing up our chimeny. I L-O-V-E this look. It took forever to take off, but now that it's going, there's no stopping it. I can't wait until all of the brick is covered. Me gusta mucho.
At the top of the yard near the door we have a little courtyard. Let's take a look at the courtyard at move-in time.
Aww, there's the little peanut again.
So, as you can see, it was pretty plain jane. And you can also get a glimpse of that beauty of a hillside we had goin' on (AKA Weedtown, USA).
And here is our courtyard now...
Two potted Ficus trees on either side of our gate. We also have a small bistro table (you can see it peaking into stage right), another Ficus (not pictured) and some potted trellis plants as well (also MIA from this pic).
And perhaps the biggest change.... the hillside. You can get a little peak of our 3-tiered brick hillside and white wrought-iron gate. You can get a better look at this HUGE upgrade in Liam's birthday post and I am working on posting before and after pics. But as a quick spoiler alert, the first level is a deck with paving stones, a dining table, a sitting area, and 2 firepits (free-standing, not built-in, but that would be dope). The 2nd level is kind of a weed farm right now but someday it's going to be a fruit and vegetable garden, and the 3rd level is where we planted five trees (one Birch and 4 Ornamental Plums).
So that's that... the lowdown on our front-yard redo. It's amazing what landscaping can do for the front of a home. Major curb appeal. And gardens are so personal... you get to plant 'em exactly like you want 'em and then they just feel like "you." Hope you guys like it. Now to keep it all watered, trimmed, and weeded. That's what Gramma's are for, right? :)
This little lady was chosen to photographed by the AMAZING Kelle Hampton for Infantino and Step 2's new "Everybody Plays" campaign! To say that I am stoked would be the understatement of the year. I am dorking out in a big way. Of course I am proud of my little girl (I gush over her sweet smile and baby blues every chance I get), but I am also thrilled to be part of such an awesome movement that's celebrating all of the wonderful things that make our little ones so beautifully unique. And yet, in the midst of their differences, kids are kids... and everybody plays. I am just down for celebrating babies... babies of any shape, size and color. Oh, and the little ol' chance to have my all time favorite blogger take pics of my baby girl? That ain't half bad either. I have to tell you, sometimes it is just amazing to sit back and see what life throws your way.
