I don't remember the last time I posted and to be honest it really doesn't matter. The winter seemed long and some projects were completed nothing major though. That's not true, the mud room flooring was completed, bathroom painting, organizing and small things and the kitchen island counter top was completed (the whole project is about 90% finished).
I think saying we're slowing down is an understatement. Work, dogs and life are just getting in the way and then there is the whole, I'm kind of tired of working every weekend on the house and I want to just relax.
Now that summer have finally arrived it's time to focus our attention outside. We're not as lucky as some people in the blogging world where it's nice at the end of April and you see people in shorts out tending to their gardens. We still have frozen ground and then theirs the dreaded mosquito. I hate them with a passion. When someone says they're a pest, they are not kidding. Do you want to see some photos of what we've done to the outside of the house.
I'll just update you a bit on what's been done and then show you some before and after shots. They are AMAZING!!
Last summer we worked on the grass, boy was it in bad shape.
It's not now but there is room for improvement. It is no longer a field of dandelions, hard dirt, or tuffs of weeds. We actually have green grass. It took many seeds (6 in total), lots of watering (thank you June for being a rainy month last year) and lots of Par 3. Yahoo!!! The flower beds at the front of the house really needed to be tended to last year. It's what I saw everyday when I drove into the driveway. I know I've shown you pictures before but you can see the post here if you want.
We needed to tackle the north flower bed. Overgrown doesn't even begin to describe the amount of gout weed we had to deal with. DON'T EVER PLANT GOUT WEED AND NOT CONTROL IT for 10 years. You'll be digging it out for weeks like we had to do. Yes, for three weekends we dug and dug. We haven't gotten all of it because when we planted the Hostas yesterday we found more of it. I don't ever want to deal with that... you know the word and can fill it in. It isn't an area we see a lot of but I didn't just want a patch of grass to look at when I walked around the corner. The shape of the bed was nice and I wanted to keep something there that was pleasing to the eye.
We grew Hostas and Japanese Yews in our old house on the north side and I loved this area. I know these plants will grow well in a shaded area and look nice as well.
Here's what they looked like:
BEFORE
We tried home grown weed killers...nothing happened. Round up...worked a little bit but it just kept growing. After lots of research and talking with people. The only way to remove this stuff was to dig it up. So away we went. The photo below is after we've dug for a day.
The tree is coming out because it is too close to the house and we're worried the roots will grow into our weeping tile. Sad to see it go because it is one of our favourites but sometimes you've got to sacrifice to get a good result.
I think saying we're slowing down is an understatement. Work, dogs and life are just getting in the way and then there is the whole, I'm kind of tired of working every weekend on the house and I want to just relax.
Now that summer have finally arrived it's time to focus our attention outside. We're not as lucky as some people in the blogging world where it's nice at the end of April and you see people in shorts out tending to their gardens. We still have frozen ground and then theirs the dreaded mosquito. I hate them with a passion. When someone says they're a pest, they are not kidding. Do you want to see some photos of what we've done to the outside of the house.
I'll just update you a bit on what's been done and then show you some before and after shots. They are AMAZING!!
Last summer we worked on the grass, boy was it in bad shape.
It's not now but there is room for improvement. It is no longer a field of dandelions, hard dirt, or tuffs of weeds. We actually have green grass. It took many seeds (6 in total), lots of watering (thank you June for being a rainy month last year) and lots of Par 3. Yahoo!!! The flower beds at the front of the house really needed to be tended to last year. It's what I saw everyday when I drove into the driveway. I know I've shown you pictures before but you can see the post here if you want.
We needed to tackle the north flower bed. Overgrown doesn't even begin to describe the amount of gout weed we had to deal with. DON'T EVER PLANT GOUT WEED AND NOT CONTROL IT for 10 years. You'll be digging it out for weeks like we had to do. Yes, for three weekends we dug and dug. We haven't gotten all of it because when we planted the Hostas yesterday we found more of it. I don't ever want to deal with that... you know the word and can fill it in. It isn't an area we see a lot of but I didn't just want a patch of grass to look at when I walked around the corner. The shape of the bed was nice and I wanted to keep something there that was pleasing to the eye.
We grew Hostas and Japanese Yews in our old house on the north side and I loved this area. I know these plants will grow well in a shaded area and look nice as well.
Here's what they looked like:
BEFORE
 |
| When I turned the corner at this point, all I could say was OMG!!!! Over and over again. |
 |
| Look at how overgrown it was. |
 |
| We're done with the gout weed. Don't ever plant it. |
Here's where we finished yesterday. We've still got 3 layers of landscape fabric to put down. Yes you read that correctly...3 layers. Our experience shows one is not enough. You'll have weeds and grass growing again in a year. We've also got mulch to put down to help with weed control and seeding of the dirt areas.
It looks cleaner, cared for and well maintained. I can't wait until the job is finished, it's been a big one.
AMAZING what some TLC can do!
I need to inspect the place so I can give it my certification of awesomeness! :)
ReplyDeleteGlad to see it transform into an even more beautiful place!