First Impressions
My parents have an amazing yard. They have spent the last six or seven years working day and night during the warm weather months. There are stone paths that lead around flowering bushes and trees, flower beds on levels all throughout the yard, beautiful hanging plants all around — it is the most peaceful, relaxing oasis on this planet. I love their yard. Here are some small examples of what their yard looks like. I wish I could take you on a video tour. These pictures don’t even begin to do the yard justice.
I would love to have a yard like that, but I don’t know where to start. I come home from their house so inspired, then I wander around the garden center of Lowes and don’t do anything. We moved into our home on July 2nd three years ago, and I’ve never done anything but mow the yard or build a vegetable garden.
When my parents were here for Jeb’s birthday a couple of weeks ago, my dad came in from outside and told me he would come back this past week to help me. Let me show you what he saw:
The first day we started working, it rained really hard right in the middle of the morning. My house faces west, so once the rain left, the sun was beating about 100 degrees down onto our work area. So, we didn’t get as much accomplished the first day as my dad wanted.
The next day, and daddy’s last day here, he started before 7AM and I joined him as soon as I had boys fed and occupied. We worked straight through the morning and got all of the clearing done, then headed to Lowes to get the plants. On his advice, we started small so that I could see what I liked, what worked in the areas, and what didn’t work. I added a few annuals just to fill in the gaps until we can see what we want in other areas.
My dad says that he didn’t get as much done as he wanted to get done, but the difference is amazing.
My dad is amazing!
Hallee
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Hallie You start with walkways and paths and make them as interesting as possible. I always work from the side of the paths and walkways after I have designed them and work towards the middle. Most people say to put the smaller plants towards the edge of your walkway but I mix them up because that is my taste. When I get them planted, I spread pine needles thinly over the area. That makes it look finished. lWish I was there to help you but I am in NC. Look on my site at my new home photos and the gardens I have created in one year. Much love, God Bless+ Maggie
ps sometimes you cannot redesign your walk ways because they are already cememted in but you can give them a wavy side by planting plants in a way to creat that and also rocks stacked along the sides and curved can give you a look other than just straight sidewalks.
New follower and great work so far! We are moving into a “new to us” house this weekend and the yard is in shambles. My dad said he’d help us with it, I’m stoked. Don’t you just love dad’s!!
What a great transformation!! We tore out several of our planters a couple of years ago because were weren’t keeping up with them and they were massively overgrown. I regret that now, because our backyard is basically grass and a veggie garden.
Your dad did great work!!
It looks great. It’s always nice to have help
Great job! Our biggest eyesore in the front yard is the driveway. It’s still gravel – we haven’t scraped together enough money to pour the cement. Consequently we get a few weeds growing here and there, there’s no defined edge to the lawn, and I find the messiness is trickling over into my flower bed.