Progress

I so wish I had started the front landscape project back in the spring.  Even with all of the oak pollen, it looked better than it does now.  So did the grass. But those shrubs were so misshapen and were looking super scraggly.

Unfortunately, the sprinkler system being out and the heat being what it was did a number on it.  Then I started feeling overwhelmed with it.  Then the rains started up. 

At least the crepe myrtle is happy about it.

 Had I not been otherwise happily occupied on weekends with Hubby, I would have spent a few hours each Saturday working on it.  It is what it is...

On Saturday we managed to finally remove the rest of all of the lariope which was choking up the sprinkler heads, and the stumps which were in the way of progress with planting anew.  We took them to the backyard, with help from the neighbor's wheelbarrow, spaced them, dug holes, filled them in...and then the skies opened up!

Here you can see them living in a plastic pool as I removed them, root balls and all.  Turns out, lariope self propagates and spreads, plus it is very hardy.

The backyard isn't in much better shape...but the addition of the lariope to the spot along the back of the house will help pretty it up, not to mention, help with soil retention back here.  And it was great not to have to just chunk them into the yard scraps recycling bin.  All that's left to do to it is mulch around them.  And now here is what we have out front:

Stumps gone, but big holes remain, so I will clean and prep out the area so I can decide what to plant.  And it will mostly be drought tolerant stuff.

I also want to remove the landscape rocks I hate, reconfigure the existing plants and add mulch in.  Maybe some landscape lighting, too.

Same over here, really.  And I will go for a simpler look that doesn't require me to climb around in there, trying to clean it up and re-mulch it each spring.  Then the grass will have to be addressed.  So on Friday, I plan to devote more time to it as I have taken the day off and I will report back with my progress.  Wish me luck in the form of sunny skies!