The last couple of years in the fall, not much has gotten done in the "outdoor" area of our property. Two years ago I was pregnant and we had two foster children along with our own two children (ages 2, 3, 4 and 7 altogether), and last year I spent most of the fall in the hospital with our baby who was going through his cancer treatment. This year we are finally home, not pregnant, and with only three children...time to get to work.
Not too long ago (August, I think it was), I was lamenting to my girlfriend Jennifer about how many, many projects we had to do this fall and how there was NO WAY we would ever get them all done. Remember, this was August...fall hadn't even started yet.
Just a few days ago I realized that we had already completed nearly all the outdoor projects we had set out to do.
First, we pruned the Red Bud tree in the side yard. This was a "little" tree I bought at the local farmer's market for $3 a couple of years ago. We thought it had died the first year, but then it came back. This year it has really taken off! I pruned at least half of the branches and this is what was left.
The next pruning project was the forsynthia bush at the corner of the house. This thing grows like a WEED! My dad pruned it back drastically last year, and this year I pruned at least half of it again...and it is still this big! This bush was a gift from the backyard of a friend a few years ago (we don't like to spend much money on landscaping!)
This next project was a long time coming, but you can't tell from the picture! We have a very large rock in our front yard (we do live in ROCKingham county). Since we could not move the rock, it has become my flower bed. I had beautiful phlox planted here, but the grass was taking over the phlox, so I decided to dig it all up and start over. And, since it was now an empty bed, I finally planted spring bulbs. Hopefully next April or May I will be able to show you a picture of daffodils, tulips, and other beautiful flowers instead of this picture of, basically, dirt.
The next pruning project was the forsynthia bush at the corner of the house. This thing grows like a WEED! My dad pruned it back drastically last year, and this year I pruned at least half of it again...and it is still this big! This bush was a gift from the backyard of a friend a few years ago (we don't like to spend much money on landscaping!)This next project was a long time coming, but you can't tell from the picture! We have a very large rock in our front yard (we do live in ROCKingham county). Since we could not move the rock, it has become my flower bed. I had beautiful phlox planted here, but the grass was taking over the phlox, so I decided to dig it all up and start over. And, since it was now an empty bed, I finally planted spring bulbs. Hopefully next April or May I will be able to show you a picture of daffodils, tulips, and other beautiful flowers instead of this picture of, basically, dirt.
Now, for one of my most anticipated projects for next spring...my strawberry bed! After years of working at the side yard to get rid of crab grass (or wire grass, I'm not sure what it's called, I just know that I HATE it!), I finally decided that it was time to plant strawberries (and it didn't hurt that my girlfriend Jennifer was ready to get rid of some of her strawberry runners). Come next June I hope to be indulging in some fresh red berries!
Our front yard has needed a tree for a while. A Weeping Cherry tree, to be exact. I actually wanted to plant it the year we built the house so it would kind of "grow up" with the house (I know houses don't really grow, but you know what I mean). Anyway, 5 and a half years later, the tree finally got planted. Following our theme of being "thrifty," we bought it from a local greenhouse which has an annual fall half price sale. My loving husband agreed to dig a hole and plant the tree if I drove out to buy it and bring it home in our mini-van. So, I piled all three kids in the van and off I went. If you are like me and have doubts about whether a 6 foot tree will fit in a mini-van, you are mistaken. It most certainly CAN fit in a van and as a side benefit, it can provide driving entertainment for your toddler who can take the leaves off one by one all the way home. This leads to even greater entertainment as your 9 year old tries to keep the toddler from taking the leaves off the tree all the way home. We somehow managed to get the tree home and in the ground with at least a few leaves still attached.
Ok, so those are the major projects that we have finished so far (and fall just barely started, what WAS I stressing about?)
Our front yard has needed a tree for a while. A Weeping Cherry tree, to be exact. I actually wanted to plant it the year we built the house so it would kind of "grow up" with the house (I know houses don't really grow, but you know what I mean). Anyway, 5 and a half years later, the tree finally got planted. Following our theme of being "thrifty," we bought it from a local greenhouse which has an annual fall half price sale. My loving husband agreed to dig a hole and plant the tree if I drove out to buy it and bring it home in our mini-van. So, I piled all three kids in the van and off I went. If you are like me and have doubts about whether a 6 foot tree will fit in a mini-van, you are mistaken. It most certainly CAN fit in a van and as a side benefit, it can provide driving entertainment for your toddler who can take the leaves off one by one all the way home. This leads to even greater entertainment as your 9 year old tries to keep the toddler from taking the leaves off the tree all the way home. We somehow managed to get the tree home and in the ground with at least a few leaves still attached.
Ok, so those are the major projects that we have finished so far (and fall just barely started, what WAS I stressing about?) Here is one of the remaining projects...my overgrown flower garden which will soon become an herb garden. The corner of this flowerbed has a gorgeous Bleeding Heart that flowers all spring. This plant is significant because it was NOT given to us, nor did we purchase it at half price...
We transplanted it when we moved from our old house five years ago. We really are cheapskates when it comes to landscaping.
We transplanted it when we moved from our old house five years ago. We really are cheapskates when it comes to landscaping.
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1 comment:
Not cheapskates---SMART.
-JJ
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