Front Garden Face Lift
When I purchased this house in 2018, it was a pretty boring front and I had ideas to spruce up the front yard. But I had to wait until the spring to make my ideas come to fruition!
2019 Spring Before
2019 Spring After
2020 Spring
The “upper” front garden before the plants were put in and after, and then a year later! I had a friend of mine who was studying horticulture give me a list of plants that would do well in this spot - it gets the afternoon sun and I am notorious for killing plants almost as soon as I acquire them, so I needed plants that were drought-resistant!
Planning the layout of the plants
Laying down the weed block
The digging begins
First Julie and I laid out the plants she had told me to get. Some I couldn’t find, but I looked at tags and chose ones that loved sun and that said they were okay with someone who might forget about watering them… ;) My neighbor asked if I wanted some of their edging that a previous tenant had left and I said yes. After digging the top layer of grass and soil out, we laid down a roll of weed blocker and then started digging the holes for the plants.
Side note: this was my first time digging in this soil and I have since dug many more holes. I hate the soil here - very, very rocky. BUT, I have learned now about the joys of a pick - that makes it SO MUCH easier to dig out the rocks! This first gardening venture was spent with nothing but shovels…Julie and I were exhausted!
The first full year, I lost some plants (some right away). I don’t think it was my care (or lack thereof), but rather they just didn’t like my soil. I even tried buying more for the lower garden the next year and they died as well. But the ones that survived LOVE it there, especially my rose bush, the strawberries and cream ribbon grass, and the blue fescue. My roses especially loved their new home - they tripled in size before the winter, and then doubled again the following summer!
