Let’s talk about planning planting beds, digging them out to crisp up the edges, spreading a truckload of mulch, and other fun curb appeal delights. Yes, with Clara’s birthday party coming up this weekend (more on that another day) we’ve been trying to give our landscaping a little attention. Mother Nature has done her job by cranking the greenery to eleven, so we’ve done some work to further improve the view from our front porch. And from this post title, you can probably guess what I’m talking about.
Let’s hot tub time machine our way back to last summer (after all, there is no classier way to time travel) when most of our plant beds were looking like this. A nice gradient from weeds to dirt.
Our grass came in fairly well (not perfectly though, so we overseeded this spring and will probably aerate/seed again in the fall) but we didn’t get around to mulching. So by this spring, we had slightly better defined planting beds thanks to thicker grass surrounding them, but they were still looking pretty rough themselves.
We looked into free mulch since some of you said that was available in your area, but came up empty. So after getting recommendations from a few neighbors and doing some math, we decided to get mulch delivered this year rather than haul a bunch of bags home from Home Depot. We learned that a 10 cubic yard delivery of basic hardwood mulch would run us $280 through this local company that a few of our neighbors used each year. We did the math and realized that even the cheapest stuff at Home Depot would’ve been $300+ for the same amount… and it would have meant hauling 135 bags home ourselves, so that made the delivery route a pretty easy call.
Not that there wasn’t lots of hauling involved. Instead of bags, I was shoveling wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow full, but at least I had a helper for a little while. Next time I’ll have to convince her to upsize her tiny trowel.
It took 2.5 afternoons, but by the end our landscaping was looking a lot better. We still have a ways to go (like actually planting more and taking care of some bare-ish grass patches) but at least we’re getting closer to that ever elusive “curb appeal.” Although we’re still not 100% set on the shape of these beds (we’re debating extending the one in the foreground along the outside of the path so we can plant things on both sides of the walkway eventually.
In addition to hauling and spreading, I also took a crack at defining the beds. Many of our neighbors have beautiful landscaping with crisp grass-to-mulch lines that we’ve long admired, so I thought I’d attempt the same look. I started by outlining the shape with a hose – intentionally going into the grass so it would be thick at the border.
Then I used this small edging spade to cut along the line, just digging out a small chunk as I went.
Next I went back along and dug up any grass in the area that I wanted to mulch. This not only helped to keep grass from eventually sprouting up in the mulch beds, but also recessed the whole bed below grass-level, so the mulch will hopefully stay more contained.
Here’s the bed all dug up and ready for mulch. I’m not entirely satisfied with my final shape, but I think once we add back some bushes or flowers it might make more sense. For now we’re just kinda working with what’s already there.
And here it is all mulched up and ready to party. Well, except for that sad looking azalea on the end there. He must be very popular with the deer.
I won’t give you a bed-by-bed tour of the yard, but here’s another quick before and after progress look at how much things have evolved in the last nine months or so.
This picture makes me so grateful that winter is over.
Ten cubic yards ended up being more than we needed (we did some rough measurements and used an online mulch calculator to get that figure) so I think next time we’ll just need 7 or 8 and we should be good to go.
I used up the extra by mulching some areas in the backyard, and then spread the rest over the big bed in next to the driveway (in the photo above) to make it extra thick.
With this task done, we feel like we’re finally close to “Landscape Zero” where the property doesn’t look too neglected (tell that to the weeds in the driveway) but we haven’t really moved forward to getting those empty beds planted yet.
We’re actually thinking of hiring the landscaper who did our showhouse for a consultation since we really liked working with him. We’d do all the planting grunt work, but we think that talking to a pro about what should work with the deer and the light that we get would be worth the trouble. We really liked getting a professional opinion on our last house, which seemed to get the ball rolling over there, so we’re hoping it has the same effect here.
Is anyone else getting their hands dirty lately?
PS – Sherry made a Teddy’s Photo Project page (and a new sidebar button to lead you there) this weekend, complete with his three week photo and a few outtakes. We’ll be updating it with each week’s photo as we go, just like we did with Clara’s.
caroline [the diy nurse] says
A teddy bear magnolia?! I would’ve cried!
We have full bloomin green up here in Winchester too but the pollen has been killing us this year and I haven’t touched anything outside.
Cant wait for Clara’s birthday! She’s getting so tall :)
Emily says
Ha!!!! Eleven jokes always make me laugh. John, did you consider using some sort of edging for your grass to mulch border or are you happy without it?
YoungHouseLove says
We had to pull up a lot of that plastic edging stuff in the back from where former beds once we (but weren’t anymore) so I’m not as eager to add that back in until we’re sure this is the final bed shape for the front. We’re still debating a few changes, but maybe down the line we’ll be ready to commit.
-John
Laura @ Rather Square says
That’s a good idea to have mulch delivered instead of grabbing a ton of bags at the store yourself – and if it’s more cost effective, even better! I like the way your yard is looking so far. We’ve got a smaller yard, but the previous owner did a lot of landscaping that we are currently trying to decide what to keep of it. We just cut down eight giant yew bushes (!) and mulch is next on our list, so thanks for sharing this!
MG says
Not crazy, just what normal parents if multiple children do! :) Not to say all do, but I wouldn’t consider yourselves crazy.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks MG! Our friends are all saying “I’d just meet at a park!” so having people over to our house seems like a lot to them, but we like to keep things chill and serve pizza ;)
xo
s
Marissa says
Wow those comparison pictures are so impressive! We just bought a house and the front yard is awful! It’s been neglected for years! We need to get on the ball and at least try planting some grasseed, only problem is here in my part of Texas we don’t get much precipitation. I can’t wait to see what theme Clara has this year!
Connie says
Keeping some mulch on hand to fill in the inevitable holes is a good idea, although three cubic yards might be overkill. I try to keep one trash can full in the garage.
I can’t tell from the pictures, but have you pulled the mulch away from the tree trunks? Here in Colorado, keeping the mulch an inch or two from the trunks is the way to do it, although the rules might be different in Virginia.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tips Connie, thanks!
-John
Carol says
I was going to give the same tip! It’s basically the only thing I remember from my two months working for a landscape architect. It’s a rule across the board- not regional!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Carol!
xo
s
Linda says
In beautiful Glen Ellyn, IL we actually get notes from the village pointing out that volcano mulching is bad bad bad. Also, the pro’s here say the same thing – but I did laugh a little the first time the no volano mulching item came up in a village newsletter.
It’s amazing how mulch will really make a landscape look so much more spiffy. Good work, John! (and Clara with the tiny trowel)
BarbOutsideBoston says
Reiterating this advice!
See the first picture of the tree before the mulch goes down? See the roots starting to spread out? Those should never be covered by mulch.
(And if you want any ideas about what to woody plants work best in your area, check out any of Michael Dirr’s books. He also has an app now!)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Barb!
xo
s
Ally says
I am right there with you. I am still sore from my weekend flowerbed makeover. Lots of progress on your curb appeal. The place looks great.
Alli says
I’m glad to see you didn’t bother with weed fabric! I spent 4 hours total last weekend getting a small portion of our ripped up and new mulch put down. The weed fabric did a great job at containing all the weed roots within it, there were hardly any growing under it. Such a waste of our time and money a few years ago putting it down. We decided to just do mulch right on the dirt with Preen added to keep the amount of new weeds down. It worked on another area in our yard. I still have about 20 more feet of it to rip up, but haven’t found the time yet.
I must say though, the look of fresh mulch is so satisfying, no?! :)
Jennifer says
Rookie landscaping question: Do you weed the beds before you put the mulch on top? It’s our first spring in our first home, and I have so much to learn…
YoungHouseLove says
We shoveled or pulled as much up as we could in a few beds where they were alive, but we had also laid old newspapers and fabric down in some of the beds (like the one around the house out front) so that’s why everything looks yellow in that shot before we mulched (we had killed the grass/weeds there by smothering them with that stuff beforehand).
-John
Kate says
No lie, I was about to google “how to expand flower beds” (because I had a general idea, but wasn’t entirely sure), but thankfully I hopped over here first :) Thank you!! I just removed the rotten wood log border from our front beds (where we have one giant azalea next to one tiny one, and a mini rhododendron… it’s kind of a mess up there, and the teeny bed borders weren’t helping anything!)… I want to extend the border and round it out (it was a rectangle before) to make the one azalea not look like it’s spilling out all over the place, and possibly move the other one over a bit so it can get more sunshine and catch up to it’s big sister.
Anyway, thanks! :)
Isabel says
Mulch is the equivalent of paint when it comes to an easy outdoor fix with transformative power, what a difference! It looks pretty amazing even without the plants! If you like azaleas but the deer eat it, you could try a rhododendron, seems like they tend to leave those alone. We did some mulching this weekend too and ended up helping my sister plant and mulch the formerly bare bed at the front of her house. Needless to say I got my hands dirty this weekend… and probably had everybody that drove by my sister’s house wondering who the crazy lady doing yard work in a dress was!
Maura says
Wow! That is an impressive before and after. I like planting flowers but keep up with a lawn has never been my favorite. I may have to take some tips from here!
Heidi says
We were doing almost the exact same thing this weekend – I have so much dirt under my fingernails! Flower boxes were also on the agenda, so we designed and built these cottage style flower boxes and decided to go out on a limb and stain them instead of painting them white. Your yard is looking fantastic!
http://www.krusesworkshop.blogspot.com/2014/05/how-to-build-flower-boxes.html
YoungHouseLove says
Those look amazing!
xo
s
Jennifer says
Keep an eye on HD’s bagged mulch sale. When they go to $2/bag, use their online code for $10 off $50, order 25 bags at a time….price comes out to $22 per cubic yard. The online code and the sale coincide every year, and it’s always right before Mother’s Day. Downside would be, you pick it up.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip!
xo
s
bridget b. says
This looks good and it’s right on time for me. Last week, I attempted to clear all the dead plants out of our front flower bed so that we can start from scratch again.
I’ve been researching different plants that are hardy in our area and came up with my own design plan, but my bug phobia means that we’ll be hiring out the planting work.
I have a question: When you defined the border, how much dirt did you dig out to make a clean edge between the grass and mulch area.
YoungHouseLove says
I just used the length of the edging spade, which was probably 3-4″ to dig things out. It seemed to be a nice depth so the mulch hopefully stays more contained.
-John
Sayward says
This looks great! I’m giddy with excitement over Clara’s birthday party. I cannot wait for pictures.
Krista says
Wow! Amazing what some hard work and mulch can do. Your yard is looking incredible. Love a good before and after!
Julie says
A couple of your beds appear to have some low profile ground cover. Do you know what it is? We have a large berm bordering our property and constantly adding mulch is costly. We thought adding a low profile ground cover might be nice.
YoungHouseLove says
We have no idea what it is. Anyone recognize it? I don’t think it’s vinca or ivy (the only two I know).
xo
s
Melissa L. says
The ground cover looks like Vinca to me. A vigorous, deer resistant ground cover that has purple flowers in the spring/summer. Unfortunately, it can be invasive so if you live near natural areas you may want to avoid it. Another good deer-resistant ground cover that is less invasive is Pachysandra. Has inconspicuous white/green flowers. The native Pachysandra is more beautiful but not nearly as vigorous.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Melissa! That could be!
xo
s
Melissa L. says
Oops, missed where you said it wasn’t Vinca. Then it is probably Asian Jasmine which is in the same plant family.
Reenie says
Does it get lil blue flowers? (the ground cover)
“Next time I’ll have to convince her to upsize her tiny trowel.” That line cracked me up!!
Looks great. :)
YoungHouseLove says
I think it might get white ones? Will have to take a cutting to the nursery or ask the landscape guy to ID it for us.
xo
s
Jackie says
Looks like packasandra- and that gets white flowers.
Jackie says
Hah and I meant to write “pachysandra”
Shayna says
The yard looks great!! It’s amazing what some mulch can do! & That’s a great idea to hire someone for a consult & to help get things going! I’m so lost when it comes to plants & flowers so , definitely something I’ll be looking in to!
Ash says
What a great transformation! I’ve spent this spring doing the same thing. You’re so lucky to have a wooded property. Your grass/soil will be better for it and you can plant a lot of beautiful woodland natives like Solomon’s seal and trillium.
You should plant Teddy sunflowers to go along with your Teddy Bear magnolia! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Never knew those existed! Thanks for the tip Ash!
xo
s
Michelle | Birds of Berwick says
We tried to do the natural edging last year since it looks so good. It does make for some up-keep though yearly. this year we opted to put in a sort of invisible edge around our beds and I think once the grass finally grows in and we get more perennials planted, it’ll do the job nicely. I’m so anxious for spring this year – we’re just getting our leaves, so you’re so lucky spring starts so early!
http://www.birdsofberwick.com/2014/05/02/sharpening-our-edges/
JenB says
We mulched alllll weekend. Like you, one wheel barrel load at a time. Whew. What a difference, though! Question: It looks like you have a line of gravel against the house, right? I know you shouldn’t put wood mulch next to the house because of termites. I hadn’t thought of gravel, though. It looks good. Someone else mentioned not putting it next to trees. We’ve done that and not had a problem. Maybe we shouldn’t?
YoungHouseLove says
That gravel is there because our house doesn’t have gutters! Well, the back of the sunroom has one tiny one but that’s it. We need to add them, but the previous owners just used rocks to try to get the drainage thing happening – although I’ve heard that mulch up against your house can lead to termites or even spark a fire (something about it getting hot against the house and smoldering) so it’s probably not a bad idea if you have some gravel or stones around.
xo
s
Paige says
That’s interesting because I’ve always heard it is bad to have gravel right up against the foundation because it can dry it out too much and lead to cracks in your foundation. (Which can be a problem in my area due to hot, dry summers). Maybe it’s a regional thing though, since around here we all have basements instead of slabs.
YoungHouseLove says
So interesting! Have never heard about that here!
xo
s
JenB says
I’ve now read several articles that say it’s okay to have mulch against the house. Just keep it 2 inches deep or less and it should be fine.
Ethne @ Wom Mom Blog says
Thank you for such beautiful greenery – we don’t have much for leaves yet in MN, so I enjoyed each picture!! And it’s overcast again today. COME ON! I can’t believe the difference between this year and last year in your front yard. It’s crazy.
Mary @ Redo 101 says
Looks great!!!
Melissa @ Loving Here says
Looks great. I used to work in landscaping so I’m always impressed by what a load of mulch can do. So clean and “finished” looking.
We did a similar project a couple weeks ago to our garden area. If you do end up enlarging any of the beds more into the grass, save your sod and move it to a bare spot in the lawn. It should grow fine with enough water…that’s how we took care of expanding the garden and patching our front yard!
http://lovinghere.com/getting-back-into-the-garden/
Heather says
Looks great guys! The past two weeks we have been working overtime in our garden. We have veggies in 5 beds, herbs in another and a few decorative beds just created this year. My mother-in-law (who shares my love of the garden) visited from Scotland and helped me weed, prep and pick out lots of beautiful shrubs and perennials to fill them. My yard is completely transformed!! It is so wonderful to get your hands dirty and create something beautiful!
Megan says
I built two raised garden beds and planted the necessary plants to make fresh salsa all summer. Trying to figure out what kind of easy-to-install and cheap pathway the husband and I can install. And the trees! So many trees/bushes to plant. Really wishing we had shelled out the extra dough to have our builder install the backyard but it has certainly been a huge learning experience.
Diane says
Mulch was the name of the game at our house this weekend too. It feels so wonderful to be outside again(without the jacket and ear muffs). I always get plants for outside for Mothers Day so it was fun to decide where they’d look best too. It ‘s like having more space to decorate.
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
Love how it turned out! Great tip for making the bed wider. We actually picked up mulch this weekend but we only needed 10 bags. We went to Lowe’s, which had a sale (5 for $10). We actually have to pull out a few bushes that died over the winter this year. Not looking forward to that at all. LOL
KT says
You may be better off not getting the free mulch. In Northern VA, the free mulch has often come with poison ivy mixed in (in Arlington, they collect yard trimmings/leaves and shred them). My mom had really bad allergic reactions and we had to stop getting it.
YoungHouseLove says
Yikes!
xo
s
Starr @ The Kiefer Cottage says
We’ve just converted almost our entire front yard to garden bed. A mix of digging up grass and just covering the turf with cardboard and putting soil on top. It’s a multi-year project since we planted lots of seeds (some of which refuse to come up), but with all of our shade, growing grass was a bit of a losing prospect anyway. I think we’ve frightened the neighbors, most of whom are happy with lawns of weeds, but it’s looking better every day!
Amanda B. says
Amazing what a little mulch can do to really make a yard look polished! Looks awesome, YHL! Also, just had to reach out to say thanks for bringing a little light and positivity to my day! Your outlook is so refreshing and that’s why I keep coming back, day after day!
JP says
Getting a plan from a landscaper for a house of this size is a really good idea. Best money I ever spent.
Here are two plants my landscaper suggested that I love. (I live just an hour or so from you, so our climates are similar)
1. Rozanne geraniums. They bloom from Apr/May to Oct/Nov. My understanding is that they are deer resistant and they are not fussy plants. It was the 2008 plant of the year. I just bought more. They are amazing.
2. Deutzia Nikko. It’s really charming little shrub that is just about to explode with little white flowers all over.
Here is a helpful resource, too … http://njaes.rutgers.edu/deerresistance/
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks JP!
xo
s
Jessica says
The house… the yard… swoon. What a WONDERFUL place to settle down!
Melissa says
Your yard is looking beautiful! My husband and I LOVE doing yard projects. It’s not yard “work” to us, it’s yard “play”, it’s therapy :)
Watch your deer friends around your precious new Teddy Magnolia. I have to spray around ours with the yucky smelling deer repellant. I don’t think they eat it, but they do like to rub on it. Ours is finally taking a nice shape after a rescue about 2 years ago.
Thanks for keeping us updated with your amazing projects!!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! Thanks for the tip, Melissa!
xo
s
Amy E. says
that first picture, THAT is why green is my favorite color. greens just don’t get that lushious (sp?) down here in FL though… sadly.
Lindsay J says
Love it! I love Teddy Bear Magnolia’s. I have two that I got as small twigs and now they are almost full-grown. Scared my neighbros thinking they were going to be as big as the Southern Magnolias. You have very sweet neighbors.
The yard looks awesome! Working with what you’ve got is great! You can slowly add to it, if you desire. Great job! So encouraging to see “seed’ing” work!
Lisa says
I’ve seen people use a shovel to load mulch, but I find it a ton easier on my back, and faster, to use a pitch fork. Your ground cover looks like Vinca Minor (the dwarf kind), but the photos are hard to see.
YoungHouseLove says
Never tried that! Thanks for the suggestion Lisa.
-John
bfish says
I agree with Lisa on both counts — use a pitchfork with bulk mulch and the ground cover is Vinca minor, not pachysandra.
We use our dump trailer to pick up multiple loads of mulch — who knows how many trips it will take to get enough? Oh my, thank goodness that isn’t one of my gardening responsibilities!
Johanna says
I’m on a big “grow food, not lawns” kick and if I had my own space in stead of an apartment, I would have beds filled with edible plants. Any plans to look into berry bushes or other edibles?
YoungHouseLove says
We loved having an edible garden at our first house! With the deer that roam our current house’s yard, it’s a pretty rough time to have edibles here, but we’re hoping to have a few herb pots or small tomato plants up on the deck (assuming the deer aren’t going to be bold enough to come up there and have a snack…).
xo
s
heather says
I know this sounds weird, but if you have a groomer nearby, ask if you can have some of the dog hair and either spread it around the item you’re trying to keep them from eating, or hang it from the tree in a bag (or panty hose, no joke). We have tons of deer around our area but this winter was the first time they came into our property to eat our trees/bushes. We only saw their marks though in fresh snow, which covered the dogs urine and hair scent. After the dogs went out there was no more damage until the next snow. Now that spring is here they don’t come near our yard (as there’s been no more damage to any of the previous items they were eating).
Dog hair most definitely works, but you might need some from a shedder that can give more than your pooch can which a groomer should have access to. Hell, I’ll mail you some of ours. We have PLENTY this time of year!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Heather!
xo
s
Chelsea says
Looks great! I have always thought that mulch is to the outside what paint is to the inside. A relativly inexpensixe and easy fix that makes a HUGE difference!!
Crystal says
Since you asked…I’m at my office job with paint still on my hands…should have probably scrubbed them more before work this morning! But it is just a reminder that I successfully primed a bedroom and got all the baseboards/trim primed and painted over the weekend. Now I just need to put the paint on the walls!
The yard looks awesome! I think I want to mulch our whole front yard. :( We’ve got serious crab grass issues and our attempt to fix last year was a total fail (it actually spread the crab grass and made it worse).
Manda Wolf says
I painted my front deck this weekend. I am sitting in my cubical and I look down at my feet and see that I still have paint on my toes! Lol.
Just thought I’d share so you know you aren’t alone with this today.
Casey Leopardi says
My sister gets free mulch from the henrico landfill- did you guys check that out?
YoungHouseLove says
We’re not in Henrico, so we don’t think we qualify. Such a great deal though!
xo
s
heyruthie says
thanks for showing how you are doing your mulch beds. i’ve been mulching too–had a delivery of mulch a week or so ago (more expensive in Fairfax, though!) and i’ve been spreading it, but i didn’t really know how to make the edges look crisp. i thought about trying what you are doing, but I thought it was “too easy.” now i know my instincts were right. i’ll just keep digging my little trench around my beds!
Kristi says
Our son was born just 4 weeks before our daughter’s 5th birthday and we did a huge party for her at our house, too. I figured we just totally rocked her world, the least I could do was throw her a party. Unfortunately, I came down with a nas-tay case of mastitis about 4 days before the party (who knew the human body could reach 107 degrees??from a boob infection???), but everything worked out in the end. It was nice to shower some attention on her after so much of my time and energy had been poured into her baby brother.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no Kristi! That sounds like a nightmare! I feel like all I’m doing is nursing and burping and rocking this boy 24/7, so I can’t imagine trying to do that along with mastitis! I’m so glad he got his party though. I feel the same way about Clara (don’t want her not to get to have a party here like she wants because of Teddy’s arrival).
xo
s
devra says
great call on the delivered mulch – not only more economical, but more environmentally friendly (less plastic bags) and a higher-quality mulch. i’m in awe of the way you just dove into the edging and de-sodding, but have you considered sheet mulching? might be a little easier on the back, and help you recycle unwanted cardboard, newspapers, and even sheets. also can be a great soil-builder for the long-term health of your beds. YMMV.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Devra! We’ll have to look into that!
xo
s
VickiP says
Looks great! I’m a huge fan of mulch! Makes everything look so much more defined and clean. I’ve found that a pitchfork works really great when you are moving wheelbarrows full. It can really save the impact on your joints as those prongs can stab right through the mulch.
YoungHouseLove says
Someone else mentioned that. I can’t wait to try it.
-John
heyruthie says
p.s. I got bad poisin ivy from the Fairfax County free mulch last year. this year, I paid the $300 for a paid delivery, and it was well worth it. the quality of the mulch is “mulch better.” *grin* (the free stuff is much more like wood chips than mulch.)
YoungHouseLove says
You’re the second one to mention the poison ivy thing from free mulch. That stinks!!
xo
s
Mary says
I can’t comment on Teddy’s photo project page, but I just have to say that I think it’s absolutely magical how much Teddy looks like you, Sherry, in the 3 week photo – just in time for mother’s day! I mean, I think the resemblance is uncanny. Hope you had a wonderful, special day!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks Mary! That little man has my heart.
xo
s
ashley @ sunnysideshlee.com says
looks so much better already!
Corrie says
Struggling to grow grass in our yard:) what seed do you recommend?
YoungHouseLove says
We like Scott’s Tall Fescue Mix (it works really well in our area).
xo
s