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Front Flowerbed Makeover

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This month marks 2 years since we moved into our house and started making it into the place we call home.

We had a lot of projects we wanted done on the list. We still do, but we’ve been able to make some progress in those two years. The outside of the house, the yard and flowerbeds, was in the roughest shape when we moved in and it’s been slow going getting them looking decent but I think we are finally ready to reveal the front flowerbed. 

This is what it looked like the day we moved in.

Front Flowerbed Finally Finished | www.chatfieldcourt.com

As you can see, it’s not really a flowerbed. Just a bunch of 60-year-old junipers and some trash that always accumulated underneath.

We spent 2 summers removing those bushes. It was back-breaking work but we’re so glad that they’re gone.

Front Flowerbed Finally Finished | www.chatfieldcourt.com
Front Flowerbed Finally Finished | www.chatfieldcourt.com

The first summer here was spent on the front flowerbed and last summer we worked on the side.

Once the front was cleared of bushes and debris, I slowly started adding plants.

Front Flowerbed Finally Finished | www.chatfieldcourt.com

During the summer this bed doesn’t get much sun, the front faces North, and we have a huge tree that shades the area, so trying to find plants that do well in shade and need little maintenance (a hubs requirement) was a challenge.

Front Flowerbed Finally Finished | www.chatfieldcourt.com

This is a huge bed so I planted it in sections when time allowed and funds were available. The plants I went with here were boxwood, daylillies, hosta, hydrangea and some reedgrass.

There were a lot of hosta and daylilies bunched together in the side yard so I brought them out front and replanted them. Last Fall I planted some Allium bulbs here and (to my surprise) they actually came up.

I love their purple heads when they bloom and, come next Fall, I’ll be planting some more.

Front Flowerbed Finally Finished | www.chatfieldcourt.com
Front Flowerbed Finally Finished | www.chatfieldcourt.com

A few weeks ago I finally planted the final section and we added mulch, 4 truck loads of it, for the front and side flowerbed.

I also, slowly but surely, edged both flowerbeds. It took me a couple of weeks but just doing that made a huge difference.

Front Flowerbed Finally Finished | www.chatfieldcourt.com

Before…

Front Flowerbed Finally Finished | www.chatfieldcourt.com

After…

I’m still trying to decide what to do with the evergreen that needs a major cut. I like that it provides some privacy and height to the street side of the house but the back is in rough shape and the Mr. does not trim bushes…so he tells me.

The rest though is done and the plants I put in last year are already filling out.

Once the side flowerbed is done I’ll share the results.

Have you done any gardening projects lately?

Before and After Flowerbed Makeover | www.chatfieldcourt.com

26 Comments

  1. Woah, that looks like a lot of work, you really have been busy! Totally worth it though, so much lighter and prettier than before.

    1. Thanks Julie. It was a ton of work but it looks so much better. Now I’m anxious for the plants to get bigger. 😉 Thanks so much for stopping in.

  2. I have been working on the exact same thing this week! It’s a lot of work, isn’t it?! Your planter looks beautiful and inspires me to finish mine!

    1. It is a lot of work Jenny! Keep it up…it will be so worth it in the end.:)

  3. Well done! We’re in the same boat, because our house and tonnes of landscaping when we bought it, but it had been neglected. It is back-breaking but satisfying. Found you at Thursday Favourite Things.

    1. Welcome…so glad you stopped in! Landscaping a neglected yard is definitely back-breaking but satisfying. Best of luck with your yard.

  4. Your garden looks great… and it will just get better and better as the plants grow some more. 🙂

    1. Thanks…I’m looking forward to watching them grow and spread out.

  5. Your house reminds me of my house, Kristi! When we bought the house it was buried in hemlocks. You couldn’t even see out the windows. Awful. I think my husband went through two chainsaws getting them all out! Your place looks lovely and so inviting. Your hard work was certainly worth it!

    1. Thanks Kim. We still have a lot to do but this is a big one to check off the list.

    1. Thanks so much Deb. Slowly but surely we are getting somewhere. 😉

  6. By looking at the before and after pictures, you can really appreciate all the hard work you and Mr. C did. And now you can see the stone detail under the LR window. Finding plants that will thrive in northern light can be challenging but it looks like you found some great choices. Love the Allium and how you curved the bed.
    We also inherited an overgrown mess of a yard when we bought our house. This is our 2nd summer here and although I’ve made some progress, it’s going to take years to get it cleaned up. My goal this year is to get the foundation painted, then I finish planting the front beds and lay mulch.

    1. We didn’t even know that the stone detail was under the window until we started taking the bushes out. It needs a good power washing but at least we can see it now. I guess it’s good that it took us two years to do because I had no clue what I was going to plant when we first started. After living with it for a while, watching how the sun hit it and exploring other gardens in our neighborhood, I felt better about filling this big, shady space. Hopefully I can keep it alive.

      It sounds like you’re yard is as bad as ours. It seems like the work is never ending don’t you agree?

      Great to hear from you Shirlee. Thanks for stopping in…take care.

  7. Phyllis Cookr says:

    I love the allium. Beautiful

  8. Hi Kristi 🙂

    Taking juniper bushes out really IS hard work. I know, because I did it four houses ago. I wanted a lawn in my front yard and by golly, I was going to have one if it killed me LOL

    Your yard looks beautiful and I love the flowers you chose. It made a big difference 🙂

    I loved going to Disney World vis your pictures and commentary. It sounds like such a great place and so different from Disneyland, which I love.

    Thanks for the dog toy box tutorial! I need something like that for my house.

    Have a great week!

    xo,
    rue

    1. Hi Rue. Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting some of my recent posts. I’m sure you feel our pain if you’ve removed junipers too but it’s so worth it in the end. I never want to do it again though. 😉

      I appreciate your visit and your kind words. Hope you have a great week.

      K.

    1. Thank you Shirley. We are so happy with the way it turned out. Hope you’re having a great weekend!

  9. Kristi, I am like you, I do not like all those bushes hiding the house. This winter I had the 30 year old bushes removed on one side of the front of the house. Then I and my neighbor dug up all but two of the stumps and roots a few weeks ago. I sprayed the weeds and unfortunately a little grass. Then two weeks later I cleaned all the dead stuff and old pine bark out. I finally bought a hibiscus to go next to the entry and crotons to fill up the rest. The front of my house faces East and gets full morning sun which crotons like. Best of all they are low maintenance and no trimming but give color. The association yard man is like your Mr. no pruning of bushes unless forced to do it by my nagging. LOL.

    1. It sounds like you’ve been busy Debbie. I love hibiscus and crotons, they both do so well in Florida. I’m sure they look great. You really do need low maintenance in Florida too because it gets too hot in the summer to work in the garden…unless you nag the yard man to do it. LOL I appreciate you stopping in today Debbie and sharing your doings with me. Hope you have a great Sunday!

  10. I love your change, so fresh and light. I did the same thing last summer. Taking a log chain on the back of the mule and truck pulling bushes. I’m loving my cleaned up updated look around my home. I can’t wait to see your side yard. fondly ~lynne~

    1. Wow Lynne…that’s awesome.We were going to try that with our truck but the bushes were just too well established. I’m loving our new look and I’m sure you’re loving yours. Thanks so much for stopping in today!

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