Thinking of Gardening

I am really irritated with how Blogger has changed things. I want to revert back to the Classic Templates and when I do they do not allow you to make changes, or add anything to the site. Either I'm doing something wrong or

they're being irritating. I really don't like how my blog looks and I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong

and I don't have time to sit here for a few hours trying to figure it out. UGH!!!

Anyway

So we did a lot of backyard clean up, removing English ivy that was taking over,

pulled up dead bushes

power washed the decks

and raked lots and lots of leaves and there are still lots more to rake up.

We have this old shed that came with the property

It has mold on the outside so it needs to be scrubbed down.

Some trim has become rotten so they need to be replaced,

the windows are in good shape, not broken.

The door needs to be fixed as well.

Because the property sits on a slope, when it rains it just runs down and so the soil gets caught in front of the shed so we have to do something to keep that from happening.

I want to paint the shed,

trying to figure out what colors, I found some inspiration online through Google

OK this is adorable!!!! I love the colors. Our little gingerbread shed is the exact style as this one, but certainly needs a lot of work to look this way, but isn't it the sweetest thing you've seen?

I even love the chimney, I'm sure it's just decorative but what a nice idea.

This ones a bit more rustic but cute.

So many ideas on the Internet.

But we first have to deal with the water run off before we do anything to our shed, otherwise it'll just continue to rot with the water going into it.

So I'll have the winter to come up with paint colors, landscaping and what shrubs and flowers I want to plant.
That's where Pinterest comes in for all kinds of fun ideas.

 



Landscaping Before & After's

I thought when I put this blog together I'd be posting quite regularly but no, that hasn't happened since we put our last home on the market.

Life has become insane since all that happened.

Projects are never ending, you finish one and there is another waiting for you.

Plus, work & a life take over as well.

But I am now finally posting our Landscaping project.

When we bought this place it certainly wasn't for it's curb appeal

or

how beautiful it looked on the inside,

no way!

It was price, location and the possibilities.

Our front yard was awful,

whoever lived here look like they tried to do something

but because it being an end unit and on a slope

the yard was washing away.

You couldn't plant anything.

They had holly bushes in front but the roots were exposed since the soil was going down the hill,

So it required building a retaining wall and adding soil.

After the OK from the HOA committee,

the project began and Hubby was the one doing all the work since it would of cost us about $4,000 when it was said and done.

Yeah, sure we'll pull out $4,000 from........

 

Building the wall was stressing him out especially since he NEVER built a retaining wall before.

The internet is a great source of information!!!

After building this we didn't need to buy soil, thank goodness, we had enough after the wall went up and walkway went in, so $$$ saved here.

(Below- before adding mulch)

 

 

After:

We weeded and added mulch and planted a spreading plant, ordered it and came in a root bound ball so still waiting to see if it'll do anything, and we planted impatients as well.

So after moving the soil around, replanting the holly bushes which was a bit stressful because the rules on replanting those were specific and if you did one thing wrong they'd die. Happy to say they are healthy and happy.

Here he's now putting in a walkway to the gate. 

He even added steps, again the internet was a great help, this was a bit of a tough one but he figured it out and it turned out great. 

Here is the after, below, after putting in pea gravel

 

 

 

 

(before adding mulch) 

 

(after adding mulch) 

 

(Holly Bushes doing well)

 

This part is always been hard for me, PATIENCE, waiting on the plants to fill in, controlling myself by not buying so many plants since it does get expensive, but I do go to the nurseries and watch out for sales on perennials.

 

 

We were having issues with some neighbors walking through our front yard to cut across to the main entrance, after putting in the wall and landscaping it finally stopped, even after we landscaped one neighbor insisted on still walking through but I haven't seen him do it, maybe because heard me scolding a young boy who thought he was superman and tried to jump from our wall over our flowers and instead he landed on my flowers as he was running down the slope, I must of looked like a crazy person running out my front door, I'm sure others heard me but I didn't care.

Well, the boy never did that again, in fact I haven't seen him and his friend playing out there since then.

Oh well, we're happy with the results and can't wait to see the flowers fill in and can't wait to add more.