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Clearing A Path To Our Front Door

Let’s do the path (I’m not good at math, but digging up a path, I can do). And John’s good at both. Overachiever, much? Anyway, this is just a photo from before we started working on the garden beds on either side of the porch (more on that here and here) so you can see how that clump of bushes in front of the porch was kind of weird and reversed. Don’t you think plants on either side of the porch would look nice and balanced while the path to the door and the porch should be more open and airy instead of crowded by overgrown boxwoods? It was like things were backwards. Business in the middle instead of business on the sides. It was a bush mohawk.

Landscaping0

And when a certified landscape expert (more on that here) confirmed that those boxwoods were on their last legs anyway due to some bare spots and diseased tops, we were even more sure we had to open things up so the path to the door felt less crowded (don’t worry, we still tried to transplant as many as we could to see if they’ll make it in a less in-yo-face location).

Landscaping 1

See what we mean? On moving day we dragged things down this path approximately 5,000 times with the bushes reaching out and grabbing us the whole time.

Path1

They just don’t have any understanding of personal space. We actually learned from our little landscaping consultation that pathways are ideally four feet wide so two people can walk next to each other or carry large items without getting bush-groped. So the least we can do is make this path feel as wide as possible by opening things up.

Path2

Operation Clear The Path began with us digging out the azaleas that were completely crowding the porch (their base was literally just inches from the brick side of the porch). That garden bed is tiny, and no place for large bushes like that. They weren’t too bad to dig up since the ground was wet from rain the day before – and we transplanted them on the side yard that we’re trying to naturalize so it’ll have some pretty pops of color down there and they won’t be nearly as cramped.

Path3

Next it was time to dig up those boxwoods along the other side of the path. They were a bit more challenging to get up, but again thanks to moist soil from previous rain, it wasn’t too bad. It probably took about fifteen to twenty minutes per bush and there were eight of them, so this was an almost three hour process done over two Clara naps. A few of the bushes were too far gone so we just cut them out with the reciprocating saw and then dug up their roots since that was easier if there was no saving them.

Path4

But the ones that looked like they might stand a fighting chance of survival also got transplanted in the side lot near the azaleas.

Path5

Then it was time to do something we’ll probably be doing until the end of time at this house. Digging up more of that ubiquitous liriope that abounds. This stuff was actually growing up and over the pavers – making the path look a foot narrower thanks to at least six inches of encroachment on each side. See the root system of the one below actually covering half of that paver?

Path6

We knew digging them out would widen the path again (no more bushes or grasses trying to tickle people’s legs as they walked by), but we really weren’t expecting just how much of a difference clearing out this small bed that once housed giant azaleas and endless monkey grass would make. The porch could finally breath again!

Path 7

We went ahead and mulched it all the way down, just to keep weeds from springing up all willy-nilly, but we do plan to plant some small pretty flowering perennials or annuals eventually. Just holding out to find some we really like that will do well in such a narrow spot (we’re sure there are a ton of options, so we’ll just see what we like and resist the urge to try to settle too quickly on something “meh”).

Path8

And we can’t even explain how much of a difference it made to clear out those big clumpey and crowded boxwoods that were on the other side of the path. Are you ready for the biggest landscaping difference we’ve seen this spring? Check out the path before we cleared it out…

Path1

… and after:

Path9

Doesn’t the path itself look about twice as wide and a lot more open? Don’t your eyes travel to pretty things, like the woods beyond the path, and the open and much more welcoming porch? We have plans to seed the entire left side of the path so that grass just comes right up to it (nothing big will pen you in, so the path will look nice and wide and welcoming). We have a ton of other areas to garden around the perimeter of the house, so we’ll appreciate just having to mow that strip of land instead of needing to plant/mulch/prune/weed another bed. So picture that big patch of brown as green as the grass beyond it. Can you see it?

Path10

And here’s the difference from the other side. Before:

Path2

And after:

Path Other Side

And now for some shots from a bit further away for ya. First here’s how this angle looked back when we moved into our house (what house?):

Exterior Before

And here are how things are looking these days:

House Front Side Far

Of course we still have about 679 other things on our exterior to-do list (see more of that here) but we’re inching towards something that looks a whole lot better than what we started with.

Exterior Before

Ah landscaping, you take a while and make our arms and back ache, but you’re worth it.

House Front Straight

As for how long clearing the path took in total, the entire project – including the time it took to transplant things in other areas – was around 8 hours. We started it about a week ago, which is why we couldn’t show wide shots of the garden beds on each side of the porch (since that path was torn up/in progress – and we wanted to get ‘er done before taking pics from further away). That last shot from the street deflates us further emphasizes how much more we still have to tackle, but it’s definitely nice to look at the before pic to remember how far we’ve come in the time that we’ve been here. Slowly, but surely.

What are you guys doing when it comes to the path to your front door? Is it open and clear, packed with flowering plants? Full of overgrown bushes you’re planning to relocate as well? Tell $herdog all about it.

Comments

  2. Carrie says

    Lovely! I can picture the gables and grey paint already :-) The yellow door is so happy. (Nice use of ‘ubiquitous’ by the way!)

    Reply

  4. Janette@The2Seasons says

    My daughter/blog partner and her husband have been doing the same back-breaking work on their yard. They took a long week-end to go on a cruise and rest their weary bones. But guess what!!! The yard work will be waiting for them when they get home. It never ends…..

    Reply

  5. Sabrina says

    Amazing Job! Can we hire you guys? lol We are still in the process of digging up our endless river rock/cement/brick paver/white rocks mess we had in our house. A little at each kids nap time!So exhausting! I planned this whole landscaped veggie/fruit garden but with all the work (the area is 20 ft by 12 ft) we are just throwing down some grass seed and calling it a day. Do you guys have any advice for digging up big hedges? We have them all in the front and someone said the only way to dig them up was to hire someone. We had an estimate of $2000!!!! There has got to be a cheaper way. The roots are dangerously close to my foundation.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I would wait for some rain so the ground is wet. It’s easier to dig that way. You can totally do it yourself though! If you don’t want to save them you can even use a reciprocating saw to help get them cut back so you can dig the roots up with more access (without the bush being in the way). I’ve also heard of folks tying a rope or chain around the base of each bush and attaching it to the back of their car and slowly pulling away from the house (thereby pulling up the bushes) but of course you want to be extremely careful that the chain or rope doesn’t snap and hurt someone/something!

      xo,
      s

    • Sabrina says

      Thanks! They are beyond saving, the side that is against the house is totally dead. They just create homes for bugs. Kind of scared to see what is behind them lol

    • heyruthie says

      you’d be surprised how much you can even hack away with a big set of cheap loppers. i’ve hacked at bushes over a period of time, and gotten rid of them that way. eventually you can get the stump down to ground level, and then work on the roots over time too. decay helps out a lot if you don’t have a lot of muscle! it’s better than the $2,000!

  8. CohoesMom5 says

    I love the look of your wide, open path. Our path has gardens on both sides but very low on the side away from the house.

    For the narrow part in front of the porch, I suggest tulips and filling in with annuals as the tulips die.

    Reply

  9. Kahley @ Ambiance says

    What a HUGE difference!! For me the most beautiful thing is the bricked porch & steps that you can REALLY SEE now! What an absolute awesome transformation! You guys are doing an incredible job!! :)

    Reply

  10. Bailey says

    WOW! Looks awesome! What is the area that was next to the boxwoods near the driveway- It doesn’t look like grass, but is lower like grass?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That’s a clump of ground cover that we’d love to transplant to around the magnolia so the yard is greener and doesn’t have that ring of dirt under the tree! Haha.

      xo,
      s

  11. Katie @ explanationrequired says

    I feel your landscaping pain. We moved into our place around the same time you did. The former owner was an avid gardener and we’ve got tons of plants to care for (including 16 varieties of roses – eeek!). We spent the weekend weeding and mulching our front flower beds. We’re 40 bags of mulch in and probably need about 20 more to finish up in front. Not to mention the ginormous beds in the back. It’s never-ending work this time of year!

    Reply

  12. Vanessa says

    Does anyone else see that person in the background of one of the after pictures? Maybe I’m just seeing things lol

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, oh yes that’s our neighbor raking his leaves! We have so many mature trees that we have to rake in the fall and again in the spring since a lot of them drop after the winter! Haha.

      xo,
      s

  13. Ariane says

    Good job guys ! It does look a lot wider ! I did a little herb garden in pots and I watched the contractors work in the barn (I’m transforming it to open a bed and breakfast, can’t wait !!). It’s on my blog …

    Reply

  14. KathyL says

    Beautiful, really beautiful. I’d be tempted to throw in some impatients in the bed for huge color until you figure out what you want. They are my go to flower anytime.

    Reply

  17. Ginny @ Goofy Monkeys says

    I love how it looks now that you have cleared out the path. Adding some plants back in is a great idea.

    Our front yard is pretty bare. We have some stuff in a bed by the front door, but the rest is just crabgrass. We really should spend some time on that….maybe later this month.

    Reply

  19. stef says

    It looks SO much better. The bricks look really great now that you can actually see them. Getting snagged on those bushes would drive me batty. Like a shower curtain that keeps touching your arm. BAH!

    Reply

    • Amiz says

      I thought I was the only one who was crazy about shower curtains haha. Glad to see I’m not the only one!!

  20. Hannah says

    Whoa, it looks so amazing now! Yay for hard work!

    I always like pansies (especially the purple and yellow ones) for small spaces. Daffodils would also look good in that space, and both of those flowers would accent the yellow door! Can’t wait to see what you guys do!

    Reply

    • Hannah says

      Glad you like those suggestions! Here in Wisconsin, daffodils are really popular because the deer don’t eat them (whereas they decimate tulips before they have a chance to bloom :( ). Not sure if that’s a problem where you live or not.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Hannah! We have deer (have even seen them in our yard) but haven’t had them eat much of anything. Same thing at our last house. Maybe we’re just lucky?

      xo,
      s

  23. Anika says

    WOW that really is a huge transformation, like night and day! Well done you guys!

    Can you do a post/include pictures sometime of how you get a larger plant (like the boxwood) and its roots all up at once so you can transplant it? I’ve never had a problem getting rid of a plant I wanted to dig up, but I love the idea of reusing a plant that’s healthy and just moving it to a new location. Tips/suggestions?

    Thanks! So glad you guys are able to take advantage of the warmer weather.

    Reply

  25. Taya says

    It looks great! We did something similar to my parents’ house last fall and it completely opened everything up! Nice job!

    Reply

  27. Lori says

    All the hard work really opened up the space! And now your charming front porch is really visible! Do you ever spend time sitting out there or do you mostly use the side and back areas? My kids love to people watch so we spend a lot of time on the front porch :-)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We actually get a lot of use out of the porch with Clara. Sometimes we just go out there and rock on the bench (it needs some WD40 and makes a creaky sound that Clara finds hilarious). We definitely use the patio the most since it’s fenced in and Burger can hang out there with us as well, but the porch is nice for a quick change of scenery with the bean if she’s getting restless inside.

      xo,
      s

  29. kara @ launching our life together says

    I would love to know what your neighbors think…”It’s about time someone tamed that jungle” or “OMG! Since when did that house have a yellow door-it’s been years since we’ve seen the door!”. I’m sure they’re loving the sprucing up of the neighborhood. Good work!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Our neighbors are so nice! A lot of our yard is still completely terrible (our entire weedy and leafy side lot is a source of huge embarrassment for us) but our neighbors have been saying they like the more open look in the front and the yellow door. Yay! Slowly but surely!

      xo,
      s

  30. miriam says

    We did a little work on our outdoor area this weekend, too… our entryway is about 3 feet below grade, so dead leaves and fuzzy pollen-bearing things tend to collect there. We swept everything clean (including that darn concrete pad!) and even weeded the sidewalk seams in front of our house. It’s still not pretty, but at least it’s a little less neglected-looking than before!

    Reply

  32. gia says

    I’ve been so inspired by your landscaping posts recently! We have a side path to our backyard that we recently re-did with pavers. There was a bare strip to the side of the walk way that was begging for some green. As it is mostly shaded, we wanted to do a variety of hostas. Luckily, we stopped by my father in laws on the way to Lowes and he had many of these “pests” as he refers to them, to share with us. We were able to cut out our trip to lowes and freecycle about 10 plants, which I then transplanted on my own! I am so proud of my work- let’s hope they survive! Keep sharing the landscaping posts, they are keeping me motivated! :)

    Reply

  33. Rachel says

    That looks awesome!!! Can we trade husbands for a few weeks? I would love to go to town on the exterior of our house, but my husband has no interest. He is really awesome at laundry and he is a professional chef, so you’d get some delicious meals.

    Reply

  34. Gillian says

    Wow!! That is such a difference.. Its like a different house! You have given me a much needed kick up the bum to get started on my outside, it currently looks like my house is abandoned!! Bad me! I have a gardener coming to cut the front & back lawns this week. They were so overgrown my mower couldn’t cope :(
    Keep up the fab work!

    Reply

  35. heather says

    That seriously looks amazing. And it gives me hope haha. Since we’ve been focusing on the barn, and will soon be focusing on our deck & addition, the landscaping has taken a hit. So this weekend while the barn siding and lean on the barn when up, I tilled the garden, planted on our chard & kale, started digging around the fruit trees and laying down a layer of manure and sawdust (versus wood mulch), and then started landscaping the road side of our home – and there is still SO MUCH to be done. I have to make a cut edge for the beds, finish the fruit trees (one down, 7 to go – and then more once we add more trees), finish making beds and planting the garden…and wear spf. I’m rocking a racerback burn today. Fantastic.

    I have so much to post on, but I only got one landscaping (gardening) post up this weekend before I fell asleep. Haha.

    http://www.likeacupoftea.com/my-relationship-with-troy/

    Reply

  37. Kellie says

    I’ve been working on our front yard too. And it never really ends, does it? My husband said the other day that he’s so glad we don’t have any more big house projects for this summer. I just gave him The Look. It’s probably time to break his little heart with a list.

    We got a bunch of rain on Saturday, so I spent Sunday pulling weeds and putting more seed on our front lawn. I also planted some blackberries in the garden bed in front so that the vines will eventually climb up the porch. And then I planted bulbs. WHEW!

    Reply

  38. Kevin J says

    Looking great, folks. I hate to say this, but maybe you want to think (long term) about shifting that sidewalk out further from the house. Looking back to the driveway, if the edge of the sidewalk were actually about the outer edge of where you dug up the bushes, the whole thing would feel so nice an roomy. And hey, they’re pavers, right? ;-)

    Reply

  39. Megan says

    Wow, that makes a huge difference! It’s nice to know that a bit of effort (or three hours of work guaranteed to be felt the next day or two or week) can result in such a big transformation. Great work!

    Reply

  40. taetae says

    Way to go guys! I am seriously floored by how much better things are looking! Are you planning to “chunk out” the beams this year, or is that a down the road project? Ever consider painting the brick? We moved into a house with yellow painted brick, and it holds up great and looks way more cohesive with our yellow siding!

    Also, are you planning to put grass seed down around the magnolia too, or does the tree need all that breathing room of dirt around it?

    Congrats on your new curb appeal!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Grass seed won’t grow around the base of the magnolia but we’d love to plant some groundcover there to green things up so it’s not a big ring of dirt. As for the porch columns, I’d love to get to that this year sometime! We’ll have to see where we end up! We love how low maintenance unpainted brick is (it’s great for resale value) so we are hoping to work with it, although we do want to paint the siding to work with the gray undertones of the brick so it’s more cohesive- and then pop everything with bright white trim (it’s all cream now).

      xo,
      s

    • heather says

      Violets will also grow under a magnolia tree and will leave beautiful green leaves for you underneath and low to the ground – but when they bloom it will be an explosion of color. :)

  43. Rosemary says

    I just bought the “retro wall clock” you have listed in the We’re Digging section. It makes me smile every time I walk past. I’m in NYC now with no yard to speak of. Thanks for the yard posts – I’m living vicariously through you!
    -Rosemary

    Reply

  44. Ana Silva says

    Wow, so much better already. It’s crazy how so many hours of yard work doesn’t always seem like it gets a lot accomplished. I’m in the process of a lot of yard work and boy is it time consuming. I met y’all yesterday btw. SO COOL!

    Reply

  45. Alissa says

    Lovely! If it were me, I would put in some daffodils, crocuses, and tulips – bulb flowers that take up no space but come up again and again every year. :)

    Reply

  46. Marcy L says

    What a fabulous transformation! You guys must be SO sore! My husband and I are adding a front garden which involved digging up sod – ICK! What a workout!

    Reply

  47. Bree says

    Great Job! I actually have a decorating question for you. I painted my livingroom Plumage. I am waiting for my light grey karlstad loveseat and sofa to come in. I am at a loss for a throw rug! I love bold color but I am afraid it will look tacky with the walls. Any rug advice?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I would go with something neutral yet interesting/textured like a jute rug since the walls are so bold and you don’t want everything to compete. Although we have dark teal bedroom walls with a yellow rug in there that looks great – but the bed has a big white comforter on it to diffuse everything. Good luck!

      xo,
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We love an open yard from the road since our house is really set a ways back. Many of our neighbors have a nice open feeling from the curb and it looks great!

      xo,
      s

  49. Nancy says

    You’re doing a nice job refreshing the original landscaping. Hiring and really listening to the garden pro is going to pay off in the long run w/ better plant selection for your yard.

    Instead of planting in the narrow area opened up directly in front of the porch – I’d suggest two or three long, tall planter boxes nestled the length of the space. Ana White has several designs on her site that would be quick and easy to build.

    I’m concerned about the little maple to the right of the porch in thinking that it’s planted too deeply. All trees need to have the flare at the trunk base either slightly above or at soil level. This is the anchor of the trunk and planting too low w/ the flare covered leads to quick tree decline and death. Note that many nursery grown trees and shrubs are not packed by experts – so don’t assume that you should plant it at the same depth as it came in the pot or package. Many trees need the base flare to be excavated from the original pot or bundling.

    Here’s a quick guide that gives lots of good advice: http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-210/430-210.html.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Nancy! We do know about the flare and it’s there, just obscured by a bit of mulch on it in the pics is hiding it (which we know should be brushed back away- will do that asap!).

      xo,
      s

  50. Colleen C. says

    It looks great you guys!…I know you have more to do before being finished but you have already made the yard look so much better!…want to come re-landscape my yard when your done?!…it’s not nearly as big as y’alls yard.

    Reply

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