Our New Front Yard

When we moved into our house the front looked like this . . .

Why in the world they put a big rock in the middle of the lawn is something I will never understand. It made mowing harder and just sat there - ug! I knew I wanted to change it, but had no idea where to even start. My friend, Cynthia, has the most amazing yard and is has started a landscaping business called Lush Landscaping. She came over and designed a new front yard for us, and knowing that we were on a budget instead of just choosing any plants, she helped us "recycle" the ones that we liked, divided up a few of hers that she knew I enjoyed and the even the one that I hated, she changed the placement and now I love it. She's brilliant!!!

So, as soon as the ground thawed (which was extremely early this year seeing that the kids were in the sprinkler at the beginning of April) we started on it. I marked out the new flowerbeds in flour (because I could just rub it away if I made a mistake and redo it with great ease - and it wasn't the annoying spray paint that I see so many times - ug!). I was upstairs lesson planning when I realized that Braden had taken it upon himself to start cutting out the flowerbed and that was the most amazing surprise I could have had! He cut it all out, ripped up the extra sod, dug up the plants that we were transplanting, built up the flowerbed, replanting the larger plants - which I was extremely specific in "just a few more inches to the right, nope - back a little . . ." - yep - he loved me! He even moved the rock - digging a hole for it because it was just too big - with a shovel, a couple 2x4's and a neighbor!!!

After the beds were transplanted with the princess spirea and weigela we had to wait just a bit until my MYC recitals were finished before I could take time to plant the rest of the bed. Long weekend came and I planted and planted and ta-da . . . I loved the way that it turned out!!!

It wasn't complete yet though - we still didn't have seating to sit and watch the kids play in the driveway and street (yep - they play in the street!) Braden had come across chairs at a store a few weeks previously and decided that he wanted to take me to see them because they weren't the traditional ones that everyone else has - so we went to the east end store (not there), center store (not there) and then finally to the west end store - they had them!!! I loved them right away - and instead of traditional "cushions" that are on the chairs, I found gorgeous outdoor pillows!

The front yard was looking great, but there was just one little thing that I really wanted . . . I came across the most amazing porch trellis on a blog that I frequent, Restyled Home. I really wanted Braden to build it out of real 1x1's, not the fake, ready-made trellis - and he did it!!! I wanted it in cedar and he couldn't find the right side boards so he bought larger boards and ripped them into 1x1's. Isn't my husband amazing!!! So this past weekend Braden built a trellis and I was able to get one coat of a solid stain on it before it rained. Now we just need to put another coat of stain on it and then we want to plant fruit-bearing kiwi vines to go up it - the ones with the heart-shaped pink/white tipped leaves.

So now, in our third summer here, we have a front yard that I'm proud of - and I love that neighbors are coming over commenting on it, even ones that we haven't met yet - which is kinda neat. Now to just sit like the old married couple that we are and sip our tea on the front porch, watching the cars go by!