Who watches Jersey Shore? Remember when they went camping and Deena stood on that picnic bench and said “the wilderness!”? For some reason it made me laugh. I’m from Jersey though, so it might be a you-had-to-be-there you-have-to-be-from-there thing. Anyway, we mentioned that we had lots of outdoor upgrades on the agenda this spring, so let’s get into it, shall we? Remember how our yard looked like this when we bought the house?
And then we limbed up the magnolia and transplanted/removed a lot of the bushes and painted the front door, to get it looking more like this?
Well, it has definitely come a long way, but it’s still a far (far!) cry from where we’d like it to be (to the point that we apologize to our neighbors way too often for weedy patches of dirt in the middle of the yard and dead flowers by the mailbox, etc). So when a deal came up on Living Social for a one hour consultation with a certified landscape designer named Katherine Brooks for $60 (instead of $125) we went for it.
It might sound weird for two people who are crazy about doing things themselves to pay sixty beans to a landscape expert, but we’re black thumbs. So someone who knows all about what to plant (or transplant) where, and can plant ideas (see what I did there? it’s a landscaping pun) that we’d never come to on our own accord definitely has value to us. For example, about five minutes into our consultation with Katherine (who was very nice by the way), she mentioned that we’ll never get any grass to grow under the giant circle beneath our limbed up magnolia because the roots are so shallow they crowd out grass. We had actually planned to seed that area in the spring and the fall and hope for the best, so she easily saved us sixty bucks worth of grass seed and water and a whole lot of time and frustration while offering up a nice alternative solution (more on that in a sec).
She also tossed out a list of plants that she thought would do best in certain areas of our yard, and a bunch of suggestions about what we could transplant (you know we love working with what we have), general sustainable landscaping tips for our area, how we could reconfigure our garden beds (she even brought one of those sprayer things to mark off the grass), and identified lots of existing greenery for us (knowing what something’s called means we could google how to care for it or transplant it). So we’d say it was money well spent – and you know we’re cheap, haha. When she backed out of the driveway we already had a four page plan scribbled down in a notebook. Here are just some of her suggestions:
- seed the yard asap in many of the bare spots that remain from digging up bushes last fall
- plant a few american holly trees and sweet bay magnolia tress in the back to add privacy
- hosta, coleus, kimberly fern, or small boxwoods would do well in the empty planters on our porch
- get the ivy off all of the large oak trees in the back yard (slowly over time it can hurt them and we don’t want that)
- transplant the periwinkle (a lush green groundcover that we have growing everywhere)…
…. around the base of the magnolia since it’s one of the only things that can grow there and hide that circle of dirt…
- transplant/remove the ailing boxwoods and azaleas crowding the path to the front door and replace them with more appropriately sized perennials that won’t encroach as much
- plant a bunch of things around the house’s foundation (there’s waaaay too much bare dirt and brick on either side of the porch) – she gave us a list of specific plants that would do well in those lighting conditions and that amount of space
- dig up the odd rectangle of brick that was laid right next to the driveway in the planting bed under the window, so the landscaping can look more balanced
- plant ground cover around the mailbox (we did our best with flowers there and it always eventually grew to look unkempt, so groundcover is a more realistic option for not-always-on-it-landscapers like us)
- plant trees on the side of our lot so it looks less like a weird gully full of nothing (she gave us a list of trees that would love that area, like dogwoods, redbuds, river birches, and even a few weeping willows)
- transplant a few bushes on one side of the patio to the other side of the patio so they no longer crowd the path
- plant more hydrangeas in our patio garden (we have three very happy ones there, so adding more to the completely bare side of the garden will bring balance and color)
- cut down two diseased trees and one completely dead rhododendron bush next to the patio
- remove the giant euonymus vines on the oak tree next to our patio (we originally heard from an arborist who said it was ok, but they have gotten even bigger and heavier and after hurricane Irene we realized it could have been trouble, so when she said they should be removed we took note)
- sell all the cobblestones we already removed (and plan to remove around the plantings in the back) – apparently you can get a few bucks a pop and they make it so hard to mow around plant beds
- cut back the ornamental grasses on the side yard and the butterfly bushes in the back yard (March is apparently the time to do that every year)
- plant aucuba on the left side of our house (there are no plants next to the house on that entire side – just a dirt planting bed with nothing but weeds)
- and at least ten other things that are too complicated to mention until we tackle them
So yeah… it’s quite a list. But we knew from our first house‘s slooooow curb appeal makeover (we worked on that baby for 4.5 years) that these things take time. And to keep them from feeling too overwhelmed, it’s best to take it one day (and one project) at a time. So one of the first things on our list was to get some plants for around the house’s foundation. Because garden beds full of nothing but dirt (and the occasional weed) isn’t a good look. We actually purchased a Living Social deal for a local nursery last fall, so we had $80 to spend before it expired in three days (we spent $40 for the deal). So we ran over with a list of plants-that-will-hopefully-live from Katherine, and picked our favorites.
We had a hilarious conversation in the car. Well, it wasn’t funny until the drive home. But on the way there we were saying “I hope we have room for all the plants we’ll get with our $80! We had taken the stroller out of the trunk and everything, just to make room. Then we got there and realized that nearly all the bushes were $25-50 a pop. So yeah… we left with two bushes. And they easily fit in the car. And we snickered because we envisioned the car full of lush plants as far as the eye could see… but plants are expensive. Haha. Here’s what we came home with. It’s hard to tell the scale from this picture, but they’re each around two feet wide, which is nice. They’ll still grow a few feet larger over time, but sometimes when you buy the cheap tiny things it takes years for them to even get two feet wide.
They’re otto luyken laurels, which came highly recommended by Katherine as a few of the bigger foundation shrubs we could add (she gave us info about how to space them and how far away from each other to plant them, etc). Thankfully these guys are guaranteed for a year, so if they give up the ghost we can get a credit towards something else. But we have no intention of letting them die (its been raining like crazy lately, which is hopefully helping them to settle in nicely).
As for where we planted them, we’re just starting on the garden beds to the left and the right of the porch (which clearly have a long way to go). So one got a nice roomy spot on the left…
… and the other scored some prime real estate on the right.
So when those garden beds come along a bit more (they each need at least five more plants) we’ll share all the before and after pics. We have a lot to clear out, including a big rectangle of bricks laid to create some sort of hose platform to the right of the bush above. Sounds like a sledgehammer job for Super $herdog. What are you guys doing outside these days? Any new plants or flowers going on?
Lela says
I’m so glad to know I’m not the only one that feels the need to apologize to neighbors about the state of my yard! We inherited quite the yardful when we bought our home a year ago, and we’ve been slowly and inexpertly chipping away at it!
Karen says
We have periwinkles growing all around our house, filling in small sections where larger shrubs don’t quite fill in. They look great and are like a colorful carpet. I think they’d be perfect under your large magnolia tree in front. An added bonus is that they are hard to mangle or kill-my kids run through them without creating too much damage.
I know you said you both have ‘black thumbs’ but as I’ve read that you like to eat organic I was wondering if you grew veggies in container gardens or something small-scale like greens in a little plot in your yard?
YoungHouseLove says
We had an edible garden in our first house (oh how we miss it) and hope to make one here as well. Last year we just got around to making a container herb garden, but that came in handy too! Here’s that post for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/06/gone-to-pot/
xo,
s
Momcat says
Lucky You!! I met Katherine Brooks at the Bridget Beari Color Launch party this past spring at The Rue on Grove Ave. I think I monopolized her throughout the party but she didn’t seem to mind (or maybe that’s how *I* remember it…) She is fascinating to talk with and I got her card as well, and was hoping to get some advice when we are ready to make yard improvements. How did I NOT see that LS deal??!! I am scurrying off to look for it now! Hope it’s still out there. Thanks for sharing (as always!), you seem to always light the right spark under your readers at just the perfect time!
YoungHouseLove says
No way! What a small world. She’s so nice, right?
xo,
s
Skooks says
No planting at the moment . . . just hoping that our unseasonably warm streak in March (which brought the buds out) and then night of frost didn’t kill our hydrangeas from last season. We got the Endless Summer ones which get such beautiful blue and I will be SUPER BUMMED if they don’t flower because of the weird weather situation.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, I hope they make it!
xo,
s
Laura says
How exciting! Unfortunately, most of our landscaping endeavors will have to wait until we put a new roof on. Most of it is overgrown, and needs to come out. But roofing will make a mess and like you mentioned, landscaping is an investment.
Can’t wait to see the progress!
Laura
cookiecrumbsandsawdust.blogspot.com
Colleen P. says
I love the suggestions your consultant made, she really knows her stuff! You’ve gotten some fantastic advice from your readers as well. For example, the tip about mulch is golden-it’s vastly cheaper to borrow a truck and go pick up a square yard at a time until you know exactly how much that really is and have time to move it around the yard. They will deliver it to you, but it usually costs a fair bit and if you don’t really know how much a square yard is you can get a bit of a shock!
I will second the motion for sedum, but will caution you that you need to be really firm that you want it, because it does take over. And for heavens sake, don’t plant mint in the ground anywhere! Put it in a container. Inside another container. In an enclosed space with a concrete floor if possible. Someone planted mint before we moved into this house and four years later I’m still yanking it out by the armload.
Still-we now have an 80×4 foot planting bed, a 20×2 foot tomato bed, Rose of Sharon shrubs almost around the perimeter of the yard (ugly fence that we cannot afford to paint or replace-free plants from MIL’s overgrown back yard), two castle wall brick beds on the front of the house and the front of the side yard, 20×4 and 15×4 respectively, a raised bed around the perimeter of the back patio and a gravel timbered in surround for the gas meter that kept getting over grown with weeds because you can’t get the mower or weed eater back there. We started with absolutely no landscaping at all, so we’re getting there slowly but surely, and it looks nicer every year. Not to mention that we actually grow a huge amount of our own food in those planting beds, so it’s been worth it. Backbreaking, but yeah, worth it! LOL!
YoungHouseLove says
Great tips Colleen! We thankfully learned that mint one in our first house, so we buried it in a pot in our edible garden and all was good! Whew.
xo,
s
FirstCorinthiansThirteen says
Hi Guys… Just thought I’d let you know that if you have a Costco nearby, they usually carry a small line of plants and bushes this time of year and they are C H E A P. They’re usually on the larger side as far as size too which is nice. Costco requires a minimal membership fee ($50 annually I believe) to actually buy things but you can peruse the aisles on a Guest Pass if you wanted to check it out before hand. You can pick up a Guest Pass at the customer service desk. Just thought it might be a nice option for you right now as spring has sprung and planting season is in full bloom. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip!!
xo,
s
Ariana says
I love when you guys post about your long term goals, and are realistic about the time they will take to accomplish. My family has black widow thumbs. When designing our home in Florida, my dad (a landscape as well as regular architect) used only native Florida plants. Not only did it force us to be creative, it has it made me love my state more and has gone leaps and bounds to help keep everything alive (despite our best efforts).
Going with long term goals, have you any plans to add dimension to your roof?
http://www.houzz.com/photos/214176/Modern-Bungalow-traditional-exterior-birmingham
I saw this and it looked like it an option that could work for your porch without adding a second story. Just picking your brain, I know by the time you are done your house will have the curbiest appeal on your street!!
YoungHouseLove says
Absolutely! Adding a peak or two to the front of our house will make it match the back (which has a pretty peak over the big window in the living room). It’s definitely on our down-the-line plan, and we even mentioned it on our last Listy McListerson post! So funny you thought the same thing!
xo,
s
caitlin says
The bushes may look teeny now, so I’d say put a nice layer of pretty brown mulch around them and throughout the bed they are in. It will make it look much nicer, keep water in the soil, and add to the nutrient value there while the mulch breaks down.
NOTE: DONT USE CYPRESS MULCH Cypress mulch is the cheapest at the stores, but is made from mature cypress trees that are important for protecting the gulf coast from storms. Use triple shredded hardwood if you can instead.
I just ripped out a bunch of yew bushes and planted laurels too. They are small too, but I know they will be awesome in a few years!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for all the tip! We definitely plan to mulch once we fill in those areas with more plants (don’t want to dig up all the mulch we spread, ya know?).
xo,
s
Ann says
YHL…..can you please share some of the other suggested ground covers she said you could use besides the periwinkle? I have several areas that I need ground cover. Already used the periwinkle and want to consider other options!
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone else have tips? We had periwinkle to transplant so that’s what we jotted down during our hour-long consult, but there must be other ground cover out there! Isn’t there vinka? And ivy? And myrtle? Might want to make sure nothing will spread uncontrollably though! Good luck!
xo,
s
Lindsey says
Vinca and myrtle are just other names for periwinkle :). I believe you can buy vinca that comes in pink, but I’m not sure that it spreads the same way. I used to work at a nursery so I got to learn all these things!
What ground cover you choose totally depends on the amount of sun your area will get and the soil type/drainage. If you go to a mom-and-pop type nursery, their staff will probably be able to suggest something for your specific area! Creeping phlox, Bishop’s Weed, Lamium, creeping Jenny, lily of the valley, or pachysandra might be good options… But most of the plants I know are Northern Michigan plants, so if you live somewhere further south these might not work so well. Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that’s funny about periwinkle just having many names!
xo,
s
Maggie says
Another great place to look for plants sales is local gardening clubs (both general clubs and plant specific-The Hosta Club etc. Here in Pittsburgh they all have sales on Mothers Day weekend –they might be earlier in Richmond.
I love to transplant/move plants(sometimes the same ones I moved last year) My hubby thinks I should put wheels on them.;-)
I have found that I have MUCH better luck when planting or transplanting plants (shrubs/trees especialy) if I use a “starter/transplanting” fertilizer. I think the name of the one I use is “Upstart” but there are other brands. You can get it at HD or Lowes. I use it at 1/2 strength and make sure all the roots are wet. I have kept alive plants with just a tiny root with this stuff. I think it helps them with the shock of moving. Another good idea is don’t transplant on sunny days or else cover the plant to keep the sun off it for a few days–the sun is very hard on plants that have been transplanted.
Good luck turning your thumb green
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tips Maggie!
xo,
s
Jenna at Homeslice says
I’ve been itching to work on our yard too, but sometimes its hard for me to invest the time/money outside when there’s still plenty of projects inside! Ever feel like that? Anyway, glad to see you guys are making progress!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I think we feel the struggle too. Like we owe it to our neighbors to do some things outside yet inside we have so much going on. I think we tackled a few big things that made a big difference as soon as we could after moving in (limbing up the magnolia, transplanting a lot of bushes that blocked the house, and painting the door a happy color) so maybe starting with a few inexpensive (they were all under $20 projects) could help?
xo,
s
Dawn says
I, too, have a black thumb but the otto luyken laurels are so hardy that they have actually grown without any attention from me. They are fast growers, so you’ll have a full-looking hedge in no time. I’ve also discovered azaleas are hard to kill. We moved into our fixer upper and removed a bunch of overgrown azaleas from the middle of our front lawn. We cut them down to nubs, and wrapped a chain around the base and yanked them out with the SUV. They sat on our curb for about a week before we decided we could try to re-plant them in the back yard…they are thriving! They also do well in shade.
Can’t wait to see a picture of your perennials!
YoungHouseLove says
Amazing! So good to know!
xo
s
Jessie says
We have so much to do landscaping wise. We built a house last year and the landscape is one of our last projects to tackle. We need to spring for a consultation, but my hubby is cheeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaap. It will be DIY like everything else we do–next up it’s deck building time!
Melissa @ Loving this {crazy} life! says
Yard work is so much scarier to me than renovating/decorating inside my home. I hope the home that we move into this summer doesn’t have a lot of work to do, because if it does, I know it will be left on the back burner for awhile… Looking forward to seeing how it all turns out!
Jill says
We spent about $8,000 last fall to have our front yard professionally landscaped. It looks amazing and we never would have achieved the look on our own. My cheapo husband wanted to do the whole thing ourselves but he’s very slow and not nearly as handy as he thinks he is :( In my opinion it was money well spent but I know how quickly plant costs can add up! Just a suggestion: wood chips are an easy way to spruce up the color right around your house, instead of so much dirt (until all of the plants grow in and fill up the area.)
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that sounds amazing Jill! I bet it looks like a million bucks!
xo,
s
Devon @ Green House, Good Life says
Wow, that’s lucky, Jill — the quote we got to take our landscape from post-construction pit of despair to finished was about $30k. Needless to say, we’re doing it ourselves (although we’ve still spent at least $8-10k on a (professionally installed) sprinkler system, 48 cubic yards of good soil/compost, two big trees, and about a hundred smaller plants).
Lisa in Seattle says
Since you are just now starting out with the yard ideas, this is the perfect time to think about incorporating native plants! I cannot overstate how important it is for property owners to do what we can to help restore native habitat to support insects* and birds. We can all do a little bit to halt and reverse the encroachment of alien plants in our area, and these little bits can add up to a big difference. My native gardening consultant is coming to visit tomorrow and I am so excited. Lots of hard work ahead but the rewards are great.
Granted, it can require quite an up-front time investment to learn about native plants in your area, but there should be plenty of educational resources available. I am on the opposite side of the country from you, so my books and online resources will not help you, alas.
*Listen, nobody thinks bugs are ickier than I do. So if I am willing to share my yard with bugs so the birds have food, anybody can do it! Berries are not enough to sustain bird populations year-round – they must have the fats and proteins that insects provide during nesting season, and the nestlings only eat bugs. Native plants support bigger and more varied insect populations, which support more diverse bird populations. And who doesn’t like songbirds?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we agree! We love sustainable and native plants! Thankfully Virginia has tons of native beauties to choose from!
xo,
s
Devon @ Green House, Good Life says
I want to “like” Lisa’s post!
Mary Ann says
Ah yes, landscaping. Now you’re talking my language. All that inside re-doing is interesting, but frustrating to me as I am clueless when it comes to building stuff. But I love to garden. I’ve been doing, and re-doing, my Virginia yard for 30 years and I still have plans for more, more, more. I’m warning you, it never ends.
Ben says
Thank you for referring to yourself as Super $herdog. It’s been a long morning at work and that made me chortle. Sometimes it’s the little things in life…
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you’re welcome Ben. Anytime.
xo,
s
jennT says
good grief–what a list!
Actually, I JUST bought a new hibiscus (only 10$) to pot outside. It’s the area around our house that gets the most sunshine so last week, I moved an ailing hibiscus from our shady porch to there. AND IT LOOKED AWESOME!! our house is white plaster with large black carraige doors downstairs so the lush dark foliage of the hibiscus with the terra cotta of the pot is beautiful. But unbalanced… until this afternoon! whoop!!
YoungHouseLove says
Whoop! I love hibiscus!
xo,
s
alex says
Hey guys, I didn’t read through the comments so if this has already been suggested, forgive me…but, we live in Georgia which, climate-wise isnt too far off from Virginia and my boyfriend is on his way to getting his degree in horticulture and currently works for a sustainable landscaping company…because you guys are eco-friendly and black thumbed, you should look into using native only plants and that way, you know they will grow in your soil, its generally less maintenance because your gardens will always replenish themselves and they are generally cheaper. You guys seem on board with reusing a lot of your current plants and transplanting them to area better suited for their growth. I have started to love landscaping since he started career so i have to say this new endevor is super exciting for me. Ha. Good luck, I know it’ll look gorgeous.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we love native plantings and VA has so many gorgeous ones to choose from! They definitely are easier to care for too!
xo,
s
Jessica says
Share me! Once, my husband and I had each just taken a piece of gum out of a pack. I had just started chewing mine when he dropped his unchewed piece on the ground. I promptly scooped up his dropped piece while giving him my lightly used one since I’m a firm believer in the 5-second rule. Kinda gross, but funny!
chelsea says
Spring always makes me want to get out there and dig in the yard! Sherry, this is off topic, but I saw this Etsy shop and knew you would like it! (http://www.etsy.com/listing/96259209/the-baron-white-w-yellow-antlers-resin?ref=fp_treasury_2)
YoungHouseLove says
So much fun!
xo,
s
Crystal @ 29 Rue House says
I’ve got big plans going on and using your site for help! I think I just signed away my life to convince hubby to start installing our privacy fence this weekend (fingers crossed it happens) after I had him read this post of yours (again) (https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/05/our-little-pre-party-post-patio-project/). I think it makes him feel a lot better that there is someone else out there married to someone like me (seriously it sounds just like us :). I also want to paint the front door, house trim, shutters, concrete porch, rusted railing, plant plants, build a garden box for the veggie starters I already bought, replace our half view screen door with a full view one etc…. My Mom’s coming to visit our kids so I’ll have next week off from work and her to help!
I just wish it was as warm here in CT as it is in VA!
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck with everything Crystal!
xo,
s
Nikki Kelly @ the ambitious procrastinator says
We (and by we I mean my bf) finally spread out some grass seed down in our back yard. Last year we cleared our tiny back yard of rock and mulch. It took so long that by the time we were ready to seed we just didn’t have it in us. Hopefully it will be lush and green by the end of this summer!
Nikki @ the ambitious procrastinator
http://theambitiousprocrastinator.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-to-remove-rock-bed-slightly-less.html
YoungHouseLove says
Fingers crossed for ya!
xo,
s
Carter says
I hope I’m not re-asking a question someone else already asked…I may have missed it when I went through all the comments! I’m a fellow Richmonder and wondering when you got that LivingSocial? Wish it was still available!
YoungHouseLove says
We just signed up and read the emails everyday. It came a few months back, but when you purchase them they’re good for a number of months (maybe we bought it in late Feb?).
xo,
s
Athena says
I think it’s great that you guys hired an expert for this project! For most DIY, there’s good ol’ Google, but trying to ask Google for help in landscaping can be a real challenge. I’m sure you two will learn a lot in these projects.
And don’t forget about your pal Craigslist, either! You two aren’t the only ones who occasionally have bushes/plants you no longer want in your yard. And someone else’s No Thank You plant may be one of the types you’re looking for in your yard. That’s how my husband and I found two of our plants.
YoungHouseLove says
So smart!
xo,
s
AngelaL says
What a timely post! On my to-do list this week is to call a landscape architect! It’s actually been on my to-do list for about a month, but just yesterday I decided that I *have* to get it done.
Maggie says
I used to live in No. Va. so I think the consultant gave you good ideas of what to plant. You can thin out the periwinkle (aka Vinca) and replant some of that where you need groundcover.
Also, because plants are expensive, if you have to spread out the cost of perennials over time, sometimes you can find good perennials at Home Depot or Lowes or even the supermarket. They are smaller and may need babying, but that are usually decent quality.
When I lived in VA, I found sometimes people would have to thin out overabundant plants, and I could get them for free if I dug them up (I got some spectacular irises this way.) And you can always put annuals, for one growing season only, in places where it looks bare and will have perennials later.
Finally, I recommend getting a soil test kit — you may be able to get a low cost one from the local Soil Conservation Service, to find out if your soil is acid or base, needs organic matter and so forth. For example, azaleas need acid soil, and they will do better if the soil has been amended to what they like. The SCS can also recommend types of fertilizer to improve your soil, whether organic or otherwise.
And compost, which turns into soil over time, gives you organic matter to improve your soil. For example, if you have clay soil, the organic matter in compost makes it much better for most every plant.
Finally, a wish that you don’t have poison ivy or poison oak!
YoungHouseLove says
So many great tips Maggie! Thanks! I get poison ivy almost every darn year, so here’s hoping I somehow dodge it at the new house!
xo,
s
alyse says
My husband and I have been working hard on our landscape as well. We realized last year that plants were so expensive, so this year we bought seeds and started all of our plants from scratch. We have enough seedlings for all of our 5 planned beds and only spent $50 on seeds! Sure, seeds are more work in the beginning, but it gives you something to do before it is time for spring planting! And it really gives you a sense of accomplishment when your garden looks awesome and it was all done by you!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that’s amazing!
xo,
s
Krys72599 says
Our first mow yesterday, here in Northern NJ… We have already started our veggies inside: we have seedling tomatoes, basil, eggplant, broccoli, peppers, and we bought an oregano plant. For some reason, we have TONS’O’EVERYTHING-BUT-OREGANO, which dies every single year… We’ve tried every kind… Anyway, as it warms up a bit more, we’ll be transplanting to the outside… and eating from our very own CSA again this summer!
YoungHouseLove says
We found our oregano dried out really quickly, so we try to give it more water and pluck leaves off a lot (use them often and it’ll grow more and hopefully fill in and thrive). Good luck!
xo,
s
Kathy says
I like that you try to remind people that like Inside, the Outside is NOT an all-or-nothing journey. It’s one step at a time.
It can be scary to look at the yard and see the overgrown, the weeds, the dead and dying and just try to avoid eye contact with it. But just an hour once or twice a week in the evening this spring will make such a huge difference. Thanks for the inspiration!
Linda says
That sounds like a great $60 investment! If you decide on the willows, I’d check again with her about species, location, etc. My condo association just had to take down about 12 weeping willows (spread over two separate water retention areas). At least up in the Chicago area, they’re not the best trees to use – even though I think they’re absolutely beautiful.
These were all about 30 years old and at the end of their life span (which was way shorter than I thought). Also, please be sure you don’t plant a willow anywhere near a sewer or water line – they’ll tend to grown toward the water and could break the lines.
Good luck to you – your landscape will be absolutely beautiful in a few years.
YoungHouseLove says
Yikes, thanks for the tip Linda! We want something that lasts longer than 30 years for sure!
xo,
s
Christina says
I love your blog, but my jaw dropped when I read that the Landscape Designer recommended you transplant the periwinkle to under your magnolia tree! Personally, I loved periwinkle, by my nature-loving-Urban-Forestry-Arborist-husband says they’re invasive and should be removed. For years I’d shrugged off what he said until he recently pointed out that it was growing aggressively on top of out neighbors English Ivy. Now I notice it growing all over in places it shouldn’t be!
We’re in Georgia, so maybe periwinkle doesn’t get as out of control in Virginia as it does here? But I would hate for periwinkle to become the next Kudzu or English Ivy. I wasn’t going to say anything until I read another commenter mention planting it under their magnolia in the south. Sorry to nag! But keep up the awesome blog!
YoungHouseLove says
We have heard from other folks who have it under magnolias and love it! Apparently the key is to mow over any of it that tries to spread onto the grass to keep it contained to only in the ring around the tree! We’ll have to keep you posted, but it sounds like it works for other folks, so our fingers are crossed!
xo,
s
Nicole says
The landscape is our biggest project… Not sure if I am dreading it or excited. :P
Thanks you sharing your experience with us.
Rosemary says
Be careful of where you plant a weeping willow, if you choose that tree. The roots will get into your sewer pipes and any landscaping draininge pipes you have that are anywhere near a weeping willow when they go lookng for water. If you have a low, poor draining area, they would love it there, if it’s not near your house. Rosemary
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip! It’s a low-lying area a far distance from the house with lots of moisture, but we could use other trees like river birches that were also recommended since a few others said weeping willows can cause trouble.
xo,
s
Heidi P. says
Oh yeah, I’d steer clear of the willow. They’re weak-wooded, which means their limbs break off fairly easily in wind and storms. And their leaves get everywhere, which is a pain to rake.
YoungHouseLove says
Good to know!
xo,
s
gotta garden says
Don’t know if anyone mentioned this already, but the Lewis Ginter plant sale is always a fun one. I think I saw that it’s in May this year. There are a few favorite vendors there that I go for year after year…like Pine Knot Farms for their amazing hellebores.
Maymont’s Herbs Galore is another fun time. And, who doesn’t need a few herbs?
Perhaps you guys already knew about these. I’m sure there are more, those are just off the top of my head.
Good luck with your landscaping projects. I think you have the right idea to take some time and think about things.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tips! Never been to either but they sound great!
xo,
s
stef says
I’m excited to see what you guys do with the place!! Good luck moving the Azaleas especially. Ours died a few years ago and I miss them.
We have creeping charlie that absolutely destroys our entire back yard every summer. I think our neighbors just gave up fighting it and let it take over their entire yard.. so then it creeps into our yard and totally suffocates all the grass.
I just rescued a TON of newspapers from work that were destined for the trash bin in hopes of using them for weed control. I’ve been *told* if you lay down a few layers of wet newspaper under mulch, it works in place of that black fabric everyone usually uses.
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck!
xo,
s
Katherine Victoria says
I really love the bushes you got. They’re bright and beautiful!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Katherine!
xo,
s
Kit says
Landscape design help is always worth the money. We did it for each new yard we redid – it gave a blueprint to loosely follow and kept us on track. It allows you to tackle areas at a time without getting sidetracked.
Key items is to always plant same bush/plant in threes as a minimum. A bank of same plant will have more impact than one of this and one of that. I have made that mistake too many times and have learned my lesson (mostly).
I would suggest a row of laurels in the front, not just one on each side. Once they grow in and make a hedge you will be pleased.
Good luck, so enjoy your blog. It is a stop each and every day.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we plan to add more laurels as we can afford them! Great tips Kip!
xo,
s
Jyl says
This is a constructive criticism comment:
This is the kind of post I’m dying to read. My “landscaping” is downright depressing, but I groaned when I looked at the length of this puppy.
Suggestion: 1. Photo of plant problem 2. brief description of Katherine’s tips 3. Your proposed solution. And then update us down the line.
Thank you :) I love you, P family. So much I even had Pastina for lunch today.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, sorry Jyl! I wish J and I were more short-winded but we’re just chatty buggers. Haha. We wanted to write out a big post full of Katherine’s tips along with lots of photos for reference. It’s mostly for ourselves so we can keep track of things (we selfishly write posts so we find info quickly by doing a search on our own blog since this is sort of like an online diary for us- haha). And posting before pics of areas in our yard means we have them for B&A posts later. So if a post that we write ends up on the long side we figure anyone who wants to skim it or skip it can, but for those who want to get all the nitty gritty details, they’re there (and they’re there for us whenever we need to reference them as we go!).
xo,
s
Lori says
Darn. I was really hoping you guys wouldn’t do any outdoor posts, as every.single.one. of your posts inspire me so. I have neglected my patio and entire front area of my townhome for as long as we have lived here (um, five years next week. So glad you can’t see me blushing!). Last year my mother in law planted a few things out front that I promptly killed. :p. Perhaps this could be MY Dude Get On That Already project. Except I would call it my Dude Get Those Plants In The Ground So You Can Kill’em Already project. Ha!!!
Can’t wait to see what the finished product will look like! What a great deal on the consult! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahaha. We’ve been getting muddy and digging around outside and there’s so much instant gratification. You dig, put something in the ground, and there it is. Looks so much better! We’re with you on trying not to kill stuff though. Thankfully all the rain lately has been helping us out! Good luck with your landscaping adventures!
xo,
s
Adrienne J says
What a perfect post! I was debating on buying that living social deal myself! Now I’m glad I didn’t. :) Thanks for all the great info! I have a lot of similar plants and trees at my house.
Pat says
I speak from experience.
Don’t plant American hollies unless you want to be pulling prickly leaves out of Clara’s tender toes. Young kids and hollies don’t mix. Even though they are evergreen, they will shed their leaves. And they can give you a vicious jab if you step on one!
And no matter how religious you are about keeping those tiny feet shod, Clara will — at some point — go barefoot in the backyard.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip! They’ll be in the way back of our property (the woods part) so it won’t be where she’ll play. We have almost an acre, so there are grassy areas for playing and woodsy areas we just want to beef up for privacy (but no one will go back there).
xo,
s
Trisha says
All our local plant shops(kansas) say it’s pretty useless to seed in the spring, it doesn’t last like when seed is spread in the fall. Hopefully that won’t be true for you.
We spent the weekend tearing out numerous weeds, laying landscape fabric and re-mulching some beds in our backyard. I learned that I stink at guessing how much mulch is needed. I was sure six bags would do it, more like 15!
Like you guys, our list is numerous.
[email protected] says
WOW! Talk about an ambitious to-do list- yard work is tres daunting to me! Baby steps is the name of the game! :)
JC says
Just a bit of advice we learned the hard way! It may be worthwhile to have your soil tested before planting a yard full to understand what you are working with (if you have too much sand or clay, poor nutrient density, to acidic/alkaline, etc). We had our entire yard professionally landscaped, only to have many plants never really take hold or die because of poor soil conditions. Since then, we’ve been adding a high quality topsoil/compost mix to the beds when we plant something and it’s really helped! Could have save hundreds if we’d done that first.
We are in VA too and you can send a soil sample to Va. Tech for testing. You tell them what you want to plant and they will make specific recommendations as to what you need to add to the soil to create optimal conditions. More info. here: http://www.soiltest.vt.edu/
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that’s a great idea! They do it at the extension office here in our county!
xo,
s
Elizabeth@ wake&gather says
Someone else may have mentioned this already, but if you donate something like $25 to the Arbor day foundation they will send you 10 trees for free! We did this last fall, and you also get a discount at their online tree and bush store. The trees are guaranteed healthy on delivery and you get the added bonus of donating to a good cause. They have a ton to choose from, too. Along with suggestions of what will grow in what kind of conditions.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s an amazing cause! I think I pinned it on Pinterest and then forgot about it! Haha.
xo,
s
Fiona says
Wow, it’s going to look great. We’ve been going crazy with the gardening too. Must be that time of year.
Keep up with the gardening, eventually your black thumbs will turn green.
val says
It sounds like you got more than your $60 worth of good advice–especially on that ivy (hate that tree-killing stuff). Here are two money saving tips for anyone looking to do some landscaping: Check to see if there are any neighborhood tree giveaways in your community (in fact, you may even be able to find some tree seedlings in your side yard to move around). Also, see if your county offers free mulch. Even when there is a charge it is a great deal versus buying the bagged stuff. Mulching around plants saves water and keeps it looking neat while plants fill in (or until you can buy more). Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tips Val!
xo,
s