So, I’m really getting into this landscaping stuff!
For the last 4 or 5 months, our flower beds have just been plain dirt. Really, plain red clay. Back in October, we pulled up the pitiful little shrubs that were already there. I don’t know how long they’d been there, but they definitely weren’t very big or healthy looking. So, we decided to just start over and plant what we wanted.
“Before” picture…..empty flower beds!
Well, we’ve finally got some stuff planted!
Friday was our “planning” day. First, we measured the beds, and Travis drew them on graph paper with labeled dimensions. We also took some pictures of our house and printed them out on paper. Then, with a few shrubs in mind that we liked, we headed to Reseda Nursery. A guy there showed us around, took a look at our pictures and drawing, and gave us some suggestions for what to plant where. It was pretty overwhelming at first…just because we didn’t know what we were doing! We spent a couple of hours there, and then we headed to the other side of town to check out Bennett’s Nursery. We did basically the same thing; someone showed us around and gave us their ideas for what we should plant. Overall, we spent about 4 hours looking at everything! After a quick supper at Sun Cafe, we looked over all of the different shrubs online one more time and made some final decisions about what we wanted to plant.
Travis’s artwork!
Some of the house pictures we took to the nurseries
We were hoping to be able to get everything from either Reseda or Bennett’s (to save us some driving), but, of course, we ended up picking stuff that either one or the other place didn’t have. So, first thing Saturday morning, we headed back to both nurseries to pick out and buy our shrubs! It ended up taking all morning to do that…just because we wanted to look at everything one more time and get some last-minute opinions on a few things from the people there. We ended up buying 12 things between the two places! We got home a little after 12 PM, ate lunch, and headed outside to get started planting.
I don’t think either of us had any idea how long it would take to dig those holes! The instructions say to dig your hole 1.5 times as deep and 2 times as wide as the container, which turned out to be pretty big holes for some of the stuff. Travis did practically all of the digging, and I was the assistant “measurer”. Because it took so long to dig the holes, we only got 7 of the 12 shrubs planted. The others are sitting in their containers on the back patio ready to be planted this weekend (hopefully!).
Without further ado, here’s what we ended up picking out. These are pictures I found online to give you an idea of what they’ll look like in a few years after they grow…
Green tower boxwood
These boxwoods are on the very left and the very right side of our flower beds. They grow to be 8-9 feet tall and not too wide, so we’re hoping they’ll be a nice “frame” for the house.
Indian hawthorne
We planted two of these in the left flower bed (as you’re looking at the house). They don’t get very tall, so they’re perfect for underneath the windows. They also bloom white flowers in the spring.
Mountain Fire Japanese Pieris
I’m really excited about this one. We planted this in between the windows in the left flower bed. It grows 5-6 feet tall, and it’s just really unique looking. We were trying to stay away from reds and pinks because we thought they might not stand out against our red brick house, but I couldn’t resist this!
Green velvet boxwood
We bought two of these, and planted one on the very inside of each flower bed. They don’t grow to be too wide or tall, and you can shape them however you want to. They will frame the entrance to the house. You can’t tell from this picture very well, but the leaves have a golden/yellow tint to them on the edges.
Autumn chiffon azalea
We are going to plant one of these azaleas under each window in the right flower bed. They only get 2.5 to 3 feet tall, so they won’t block the windows much. The flowers are white with pink centers…very pretty!
Mikawa yatsubusa Japanese maple
This was our big purchase and Travis’s favorite too! This type of Japanese maple only gets 6 feet tall, so it won’t be too big. We planted it in between the windows in the right flower bed. We thought the bright green leaves would really pop against the red brick. Right now, ours only has 5 or 6 leaves, but one day it will really be pretty! Bennett’s only had one of this type of Japanese maple, so I bet we’ll be the only one around with one!
Endless summer hydrangea
We’ve also got a small semi-circle-shaped flower bed on the side of the house by the driveway. I’ve always thought hydrangeas were pretty, so we’re going to plant two of these in the small bed. I love the blue color!
I think that’s everything! Here are some pictures of what we’ve done so far. You’ll have to check back in a few years to see them when they’ve grown some :)
5 more to plant!
The left side is done!
Our little Japanese maple :)
Yay!
I’d also like to plant some flowers to fill in the gaps between the shrubs. I found a few pictures of flowers that I like, so I’m looking forward to picking some out and planting those too. Hopefully I can even dig those holes myself! :)
Astra white balloon flower
Bavaria Blue Dwarf Bellflower
Color Wheel Stokes Aster
Yellow Daylilies
Mums
Origami Mix Columbine (LOVE THESE!!!)
Rebecca Viola
Tulip
Variegated Jacob’s Ladder
Decisions, decisions. I know I can’t plant all of those, so I’ll have to narrow it down. Who knew I’d get so excited about flowers!!??
BIG non-planting related news: MOM FINISHES RADIATION TOMORROW!!! Hurrah!! She’s been looking forward to this for several weeks now. So glad her skin will be able to start getting back to normal soon! Mom, you have really been an inspiration to me and a great example of strength and courage. So glad you are my mom!
We are supposed to run 11 miles this weekend…eek. We had an easy run of 4 miles last weekend. I never thought I’d be able to run 8.5, and I did that, so I guess I can do 11 too. We’ll see…! The half marathon is only 45 days away!!
I posted this picture on Facebook the other day, but for those who didn’t see it, apparently Gabby doesn’t appreciate my couponing hobby…
:(
I wish she’d chewed up a coupon that I wasn’t planning to use! Oh well. I should have know better than to leave them where she could get to them. The only place to keep anything safe from her is the kitchen counter these days…
I guess that’s about all that’s going on with us right now. We’re just enjoying the warmer weather and being outside on the weekends. Travis is dreaming about getting a grill sometime in the next few months, so we’re both looking forward to that. “By the time college football season starts” is his goal for buying one. Of course things have to be measured around football in this house…hah!
