Time for a trim

We all love some before-and-after shots, right? Especially when it documents proof of your progress after a project takes longer than you expected (read 2 hours) and gives you an extremely sore back. Well, I hope the results are worth it. 

Here is our backyard. I just recently did some work on the edge of the grass that was creeping into the "alley" or whatever that gap is....ahhh, inheritance of landscaping from previous homeowners. And I also trimmed up the climbing Carolina jessamine at the back left.

But the project of the day was tackling that horribly shredded and yellowed mass of foliage at the base of the tree near the center. I affectionately call it "the tree tutu."

Last summer's drought really ravaged the poor plant (can anyone identify what it is, anyway?), but I was determined to try and rescue it.

So, here you are folks. All those deep green leaves were hiding beneath. 

It was a real chore to individually trim out all the dead leaves. But, I keep staring out the window at the vast improvement it's made.

Now for some color in the backyard other than brown and green. More on those adventures later!

Seasonal Color on a Budget

Planting perennials as the core of your landscaping and filling in with annuals based on the season can be a cost-effective way to ensure interest and color all year long. In my front bed (shown above), the perennials are already well-established and consist mostly of shrubs and groundcover.

Since I was on a tighter budget this year but still craving that burst of color for spring/summer, I got resourceful and divided two large mounds of perennial white Mexican petunias into 12 smaller clusters and spread them throughout the front of the bed in a checkerboard pattern. Then I purchased 24 dark purple salvia plants and four 1-gallon snapdragon mixes to fill in the gaps (shown below).


Like icing on a cake, you don't want to skip the mulch! It not only provides vital nutrients to the soil and captures moisture for the plants, but you can't deny it's aesthetic value. When I put down a fresh layer of mulch, it makes everything look new even though only a few of the plants have changed.

All in all, I spent $21 on flowers and $6 on mulch for the front bed that should last me until the fall. Not a bad price for instant curb appeal!