It looked sweet when we finished it last year, especially if you ignored the fact that we had lots of landscaping stuff to attend to behind it. But these days it’s looking more like this:
That’s a whole lotta ugly going on.
The patio itself still looks great (and is weed free thanks to this step, while our un-polymeric-sanded cobblestone driveway is covered with them), but the “garden” area behind the patio has never looked worse.
We even learned from the Katherine (the certified landscape designer who recently came over) that some of the trees were diseased and dying (which we actually heard from the previous owners as well but didn’t want to believe) along with a big rhododendron bush that was completely dead. Bummers.
So she told us what to prune back, what to keep, and what dead or diseased things we should remove to give the living things a better shot at survival – and make the whole area look a lot less… well, ugly.
So first we removed the two diseased trees that were on their last leg (sniffle) and the completely dead rhododendron. Then we raked up all the leaves so we could actually see the ground again.
It was definitely a huge immediate upgrade. In person the open-ness is really nice. Things were sort of encroaching on the patio a lot when it was all overgrown back there, so now when you walk onto the patio you feel less crowded and worried you’ll get a stick in the eye.
But we still had some liriope to remove and a whole lot of bare spots that needed some planting (I’ve been meaning to paint our rain barrel to blend him in a bit more, but who knows how long it’ll take me to get on that…).
The next step was digging out all the random clumps of liriope to make way for some more intentional looking plantings.
So here’s the area behind the tree that we cleared to make way for some free bushes.
How does one get free bushes? Well, by transplanting them of course. Yup, it was another suggestion from Katherine The Landscape Gal. She pointed out these were much too big and on top of each other over here…
… so we dug them up…
… and planted the three nandina bushes in a group with the one that was already there next to our giant hydrangeas in the corner. Since one happy little nandina bush was already on this side of the garden, we knew they’d do well over here. And a clump of the same type of plant always looks nicer than just one of ten different things hanging out all willy nilly together. Ideally we would have transplanted four of them to end up with a grouping of five since odd numbers seem to work well in gardening, but we were working with what we have. Thankfully they look nice in their little pack and will continue to fill in a bit more.
Then we grabbed three new hydrangea bushes from a local nursery (after some price checking, a place called Great Big Greenhouse had the best deal and also offered a year warranty on them). They’re the exact same variety as the ones we already have in the corner – which are doing gangbusters, so we hope these guys will grow nice and big and bloom just as well.
Of course only time will tell, but we’ll keep you posted. Here’s everything all dug in before we mulched the whole bed (which looks awesome by the way- just forgot to snap photos so we’ll have to share those in our next landscaping update).
Between all the rain we’re getting (and the rain barrel that’s nice and full from previous storms which comes in handy for stretches of dryness), we’re making sure these guys don’t give up on us. Oh and in Clara news, she especially loves talking about worms since digging our new plants in prompted us to discover a few (she even said she had a dream about worms the next night).
Sure we still have the corner by the rain barrel to attend to, but we have plans for that. So we’ll get there, someday! It’s definitely a nice discernible difference from the mess we were working with a week ago. There’s something really rewarding about landscaping work, although it’s bound to get you dirty and sweaty, just due to the fact that it’s such an obvious before and after. Something pretty and green can be found where there were only leaves and weeds the day before.
And the whole area is looking especially cheerful with the trees in bloom too.
Here are things from the other side (yup, Clara really did make it her job to be in every pic). This shows a few places we still have to work on (the bed near the house could use some smaller-scale greenery and of course we have the whole corner with the rain barrel to tackle)…
… but it’s definitely a lot easier on the eyes than this debacle.
It’s so crazy to me that the shot above was only taken about a week before the after pic on top of it (see all the buds on the trees that were about to bloom?).
Now they’re doing their thing. So pretty.
Here’s another before…
… and after.
And another. I can’t help it.
Ahh, much better.
I really wish I had snapped mulch pictures because it’s even better looking. Oh well, at least the mulch is holding it down and keeping weeds out and moisture in. Yay mulch. Update: Couldn’t resist sharing a Mulched & Fabulous pic, so I ran out and got this for ya:
It’s definitely a far cry from the view before:
This next picture is my favorite of the entire lot because I said “Clara, you’re in mommy’s picture!” and she squatted and closed her eyes and said “Where’s Clara” as if she were invisible.
Which must run in the family, because it’s exactly what her daddy did here.
What can I say? The girl has good hiding genes.
What are you guys planting? Do you have any favorites? I never thought I’d be buying hydrangeas since they always seemed to be out of my skill level (how can something that pretty not be super high maintenance?) but after 15 months of not killing the existing hydrangeas (which get bigger and more gorgeous each spring) we decided to go for it. And nandina is always a really easy one for us (we had that at our last house and it always did well), so here’s hoping I didn’t just jinx myself. Anyway, I’d love to hear what action is going on outside in the garden or on the porch or wherever else you get your plant on.
Christine says
I know you see all the work the patio needs, but I think it looks great now! And little Clara makes any spot look cute… and I swear she looks taller in the “after” pictures! Did she have a micro-growth-spurt?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it’s certainly possible! She has been sleeping a ton and eating like crazy (as in bowls of peanut butter and three yogurts at a time, it’s crazy!).
xo,
s
John says
Love the picture of before with Clara in the chair and then you saying what we got rid of and the next picture Clara is missing along with the trees. Some hosta would look great along the patio edge.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thankfully we didn’t get rid of Clara! Love the idea of adding hosta!
xo,
s
Liz says
Oh wow, what a huge difference! It looks gorgeous!!! It’s really amazing what just a little bit of yardwork can do to spruce things up :) PS: mulch does look fabulous!
Stephanie Klopp says
I’m a gardening fanatic. But I’m cheap. Here’s what I have learned to plant in shady areas (in Charlotte, NC – zone 7b) that are super cheap and easy to grow: ferns, bleeding heart, flowering quince, and lenten rose. Maybe they grow in your zone as well? My advice: (1) keep a bottle of root hormone and pour it over transplants and new plantings, (2) use Holly tone for plants that like acidic soil, (3) stock up on roots, bulbs, and corms because they are cheap-o and most plants that grow from these will compound over time, (4) plant, divide, and transplant in the fall(I find I get better results than planting in the spring as the roots have time to acclimate over winter.), and (5) divide your perennials once you notice they are overcrowded. Hope this helps!
YoungHouseLove says
Great tips Stephanie! Thanks!
xo,
s
Lynn @ SafeBeauty says
That did come out looking much more open and airy. Those buds in bloom are so true. With our house one day literally we were being told by all our “expert” friends that our trees were dead and to put them down and by the next day it was like “POW HOW YA LIKE ME NOW!!!!” and there were tons of leaves and flowers growing out of every which way. I’m so glad we didn’t listen to everyone. Oh and in the picture did you use the super dark mulch? I’m sure you already answered this but I’m too tied up to scan the comments just now.
My best, Lynn
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we got the darkest we could find at Home Depot!
xo,
s
Rhapsody says
Aww, I wish you had left the leaves on the dirt — they are a great natural soil enhancer and they’re FREE!
YoungHouseLove says
There are plenty of leaves all over untouched beds in the back, side, and front! Haha. We just love clearing things out when we plant (planting in piles of leaves is hard) and mulch gives it such a finished look while keeping moisture in and weeds at bay!
xo,
s
Amanda says
Nandina is very invasive, and it’s especially a problem in wooded areas. Birds distribute the seed after eating the berries. Cut off the flowers as soon as they have bloomed, that way they cannot set seed and further spread into naturalized areas.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Amanda! In our little garden the one that we had on that side hasn’t spread, but if we see any small ones springing up we’ll just pull them like weeds before they grow into big giant bushes! And if they give us too much trouble we can always transplant them in the back woods or something.
xo,
s
Tiffany @ The Mister and Missus says
The hubby and I just started our first herb garden adventure (with jalapenos and sweet peppers thrown in for fun). It has only been a couple weeks but some of those buddies are getting after it and almost ready to be transplanted out of the seed starter kit! We are moving soon, so I look forward to having them on our new back patio (we are apartment renters). I also DREAM of getting a dwarf lemon tree. Thats about as far as my green thumb can go right now. I’m definitely digging your succulents though that you talked about yesterday! Contemplating getting some to hang out in the kitchen… Looking forward to seeing your hydrangeas bloom!
YoungHouseLove says
I dream about a lemon tree too! Sadly it’s not quite warm enough here. So sad!
xo,
s
Kyley says
Just curious if you considered using a weed blocker fabric before mulching? I’m contemplating adding one to my flower beds around the house because I can’t stand weeding – and I figured anything that could possibly cut down the need for weeding would be money worth spent.
YoungHouseLove says
We have found when we mulch garden beds that we weed first (we dug up all the weeds first) and then mulch it usually keeps the weeds away (mulched beds for us are a lot less weedy than the ones we leave unmulched). Then if we see something poking up we just try to pull it before it’s too big!
xo,
s
Jae says
I think someone mentioned this in the comments above, but you can definitely just use cuttings from existing hydrangeas to start a new plant. No need to buy them. My family has had great success over the years with it, even using cuttings from another state (as a sentimental thing).
Those things just grow and grow – Love them! I’m someone with a decidedly black thumb and they even grow for me. One of my favorite plants.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s amazing! I’ll have to try that next spring! Would love to plant more in other areas!
xo,
s
Britta @ The Handmade House says
Thanks for having such a cool blog, guys. It’s so much fun to read!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Britta! You guys are so sweet. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and encouragement and all that good stuff.
xo,
s
Lindsay @ Me, Ed and Pea says
Looks so good! I recommend azaleas for us Virginians. Lots of color choices and you can’t kill them – one sat on my balcony in a pot for years untouched and never died. I finally replanted it outside and it’s still going strong!
Andy says
the tiny planting area under the window ac looks like it’s the perfect size for your edible garden
Renee says
awesome! i’m inspired… i’ve been so scared to do our yard work. planting scares me. what if i kill it? but our neighbor offered us her vegetable garden space that she doesn’t keep up with and we have a huge backyard. our landlords put down some special black plastic between the dirt and mulch. not sure what it is but it made the plants go crazy! they loved it! they got so huge :)
Tasha Ruck says
love the clean look, must look up how to transplant plants (lol) now. QQ; where did y’all get the craft wood for your tile backsplash border? Thanks a million.
YoungHouseLove says
That was from Michaels or Ben Franklin I think!
xo,
s
ElsieZyel says
I highly recommend putting in some lilacs. Once they get going they grow really well and their scent is heavenly. They are so wonderful by patios and porches and they do fairly well in the shade. (Ours is next to our deck.)The best thing ever is to put some clipped flowers in a vase on the counter and smell them every time you walk by.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for all the suggestions guys! So much fun!
xo,
s
Chelsea says
I am so jealous of your hydrangeas! I live in South Texas and it is entirely too hot and humid here for them :( My personal favorite yard plant is the plumbago. They survive the South Texas heat and have the most beautiful little clusters of periwinkle flowers that stay around for weeks and weeks. Your yard looks great!!!!
Kelly says
I have the blackest thumb. I can’t seem to keep any plant alive for very long, either due to over-watering or under-watering. I’m hoping to get back into a bit of gardening by purchasing some herbs and lovely plants for my 3 balconies. Future project.
Several years back, I was dating a writer, who rented a lovely little house with a side yard that looked like a scene from Sanford and Sons. He said, “If the yard looked nice, I would spend some time out there and write.” Light bulb.
I spent an entire summer(wrong time to do most of the work) learning how to garden, plant grass, etc and did all of work with my trusty 99 cents store tools. And when I say did all the work by hand, I couldn’t afford to rent a machine to churn up the dirt to plant the grass seeds, so I did it all…by hand. Little by little. It was amazing…until we got a puppy and he tore the place up once I was finally finished. Womp womp. (Not my choice to let the puppy do that…) But at least I learned a lot about gardening and the fact that I can do it if I just educate myself and have patience.
Here are just a few of the before and after photos of his yard. I eventually bought lovely lawn furniture too, but didn’t snap any photos at the time:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8237960@N06/sets/72157629740554685/
YoungHouseLove says
Looking good!
xo,
s
Heidi Rew says
Did the Nadina’s come up really easily? I transplanted some last summer but those suckers were soo hard! The roots were bigger than William Levy’s arms & not near as pretty looking. If you have any tips, I’d love to hear them! I developed quite the bitterness towards the Nadina & kinda want to just get rid of em all! :p Thanks S & J!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! They came right out! I think because we have had so much rain the ground was wet so they were easy enough to dig out! Maybe the tip is to wait for rain or water the soil the day before digging?
xo,
s
Xubst says
Patio is looking good. You can always add additional color in the summr with plants such as coleus or impatiens. If Katherine didn’t recommend it, I would suggest you make sure you purchase a male and a female acuba. If you don’t have both you won’t get the bright red berries that bring color and birds to your yard. And, as a bonus, you can always root new growth in water in the spring and have additiional acuba plants.
YoungHouseLove says
Love the tips!
xo
s
Rebecca @ the lil house that could says
Love hydrangeas! I don’t know jack about plants but we planted 2 when we first moved in that look like they’re going to be huuuge this year. So we planted one more last year because the first two did so well (and are so pretty!) We just mulched yesterday too :)
Heidi P. says
Phew! I must have missed it in yesterday’s post, so I was really glad to read that she’s certified :).
The garden/patio is coming along nicely! Next garden post title: Can You Dig It? We Can Dig It! (Tag Team/Coolio referrence… Yeah? No?)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we used that already last year I think!
xo,
s
Shawna says
Your patio looks lovely! What type of mulch did you use? Any preferred brands?
YoungHouseLove says
We just grabbed the darkest stuff they had at Home Depot!
xo
s
Alicia says
When I first read your post, I thought you might have a “garden ghost” looking out from the window. In the 12th picture (the one before the words “…so we dug them up…) it looks like there’s an elderly “black and white” woman standing in the second window from the right. Do you see it?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I think that’s my reflection as I take the pic. Hahaha.
xo,
s
Rachael says
Not sure if you guys have seen this tutorial that’s been floating around Pinterest for a few months, but it (moss on a wall aka natural graffiti) seems perfect for the wall dividing your backyard and carport. It would be cool to see if it works.
http://craftingagreenworld.com/2010/09/22/all-natural-graffiti-made-from-moss/
YoungHouseLove says
Holy cow that’s amaaaaazing!!
xo,
s
Sherry says
Hi Sherry & John-
I would love for you to check out my daughter Lindsey’s website. She is 12 years old and has been singing for years. She has entered a contest to win $25,000. You can hear her songs and vote on her website at
http://www.wix.com/lindseymendez/official
Thanks!
Sherry
P.S. I live in Salem, Oregon and wanted to go see you guys when you were in Portland- but alas- I couldn’t fit it into my schedule! Hopefully you will come back again!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that’s so cool! Good luck to Lindsey!!
xo,
s
Melody says
We just planted a few Nandinas in our back flower bed. My favorite plant is Purple Queen (wandering jew), so we planted a few of those, too. We just moved to a completely shaded house from an all sun house, so we are having to change our mind-set and figure things out. I love yard work, though.
Vanessa says
Seu blog é lindo, tem ótimas dicas.
Estou sempre visitando.
Beijinhos!
Faith @ Gracefulfitness says
White vinegar in a spray bottle is a great and green way to keeps weeds at bay on a path or patio, you might try it on the other section.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that!
xo
s
Samantha says
The yard is looking great guys! Also, I had the craziest dream about you guys last night. I was out with my family and we knocked on a random door for some reason, and Sherry answered it! My family didn’t know who you were, but I was all shocked and accusatory “This isn’t the house from the internet!” They didn’t understand why I was angry, but I was all “We’re leaving this house of LIES!” Please don’t think I’m a stalker, lol.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahahahahahaha. That. Is. Hilarious.
xo,
s
Erin says
Wow, what a difference! I love, love, love your pink dogwood and I bet those hydrangeas will be gorgeous.
Still too cold to do much gardening up here, but my asparagus is starting to come up! This is the third spring we’ve had it and I’m still in awe that asparagus actually appears IN THE YARD!!! in the spring.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, so funny!
xo,
s
Jennifer Alexander @ 1196 sq. ft. says
Hi guys! The patio and plantings are lovely! I live in Mechanicsville and I think all the rain last year really pushed unhealthy plants into an early grave! I lost a beloved red twig dogwood to root rot. The Great Big Greenhouse is a great place. I am a Hanover Master Gardener and other members recommended it because everyone there knows their stuff! Thrilled to see you have a rain barrel! Awesome!
Lisa P. says
Your patio’s before pictures would be a dream come true for my backyard right now! It’s a disaster!
Beth says
I looked through the post and comments, but I didn’t see what variety the hydrangeas were. What did you end up getting?
YoungHouseLove says
I think they’re called Endless Summer? Just the regular round blue ones. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Ikl says
Questions…does clara trip in those crocs? Our son is 28 mths old, contemplating them…
Also, what is the deal with the unsafe gigantic pile of extra pavers on that old brick stoop? Your girl is totally going to explore and I foresee a problem. Just watching out, my son lifted an extra paver last summer in our yard, he was 21 mths at the time. S c a r y
YoungHouseLove says
She doesnt seem to trip in the crocs thankfully. As for the stacked cobblestones, she’s always supervised outside and knows not to touch those. Sometimes she points and shakes her head and says “no no.” Haha. They’re just waiting to be craigslisted. Can’t wait to get them gone. So glad your son was ok with that paver!
xo,
s
Stacy says
Bravo! Well done! We have a hydrangea that I made a fieldstone planter for. It was a total pain in the back to build, but the stone didn’t cost me anything as the previous homeower left it.
I clip our hydrangea back every spring. However, I don’t do what a relative mine did and had to learn the hard way from. In the spring she would cut all the dead flowers off, but in the process, she would also cut off all the new buds so she’d end up with a flowerless hydrangea.
What I do is wait to cut the dead flowers off until the new flower buds are visible. Once I know for sure where the new buds are, I then spend a hour or so clipping the dead stuff and removing any dead branches.
Last month I was debating whether to completely replace the hydrangea this year or not as it’s really woody due to age. After talking to my mother about it, she convinced me to “wait and see” how it looks this year, then decide whether to keep it or pitch it. It blooms every where and I’ve never had problems with the foliage getting weird things like fungus or anything, so there is a good chance that the woodiness is nothing more than me getting tired of looking at “sticks” in a planter over the winter.
Carolyn says
Have you by chance checked out the DIY Solar Lantern projects? Just ran across some of them and it looks like a very fun, inexpensive patio project! Plus it involves something I had not heard of and am now very intrigued with….spray ‘frosting’ paint? Hmmm…there are different versions, via Google…We’re going to give it a try for our backyard!
YoungHouseLove says
Never even heard of them! Will have to check them out!
xo,
s
Misty says
Found your blog from pinterest I believe and now check it daily! LOVE what you guys do! LOOOOVE the last pic of your little girl squatting and closing her eyes….so adorable!!! :)
My bf and I are currently shopping for a home and can’t wait to reference your blog in the near future! Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Misty! So glad you found us!
xo,
s
Misty says
oh and just looking back on the pics, have ya thought about painting that red gate a bright fun colour?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes! That’s on the list! Haha.
xo,
s
Teri says
I did my yard spring cleaning this weekend too. The winter was so warm here in S.Carolina this year that the weeds tried to take over everything! I’ve been in my house 2 years now and I plant a new area each spring and fall. This spring I put in Big Daddy hydrangeas in a corner that gets afternoon shade. So glad to see hydrangeas becoming popular again. I also want to plant a Spirea plant because it reminds me of my grandmother’s garden. It was full of hydrangeas and spireas, so beautiful and so many wonderful memories!
jessica@fourgenerationsoneroof says
Isn’t it the best feeling when your yard is all nice and tidy! :) It looks great and hydrangeas are my most favorite plant in the world. It was my great grams fav and I guess that is where I inherited that from :) Thanks for sharing, you inspired me to get my deck and yard cleaned up !
Meg says
Clara squatting down, closing her eyes, and saying “Where’s Clara?” absolutely made my day. So sweet.
Gina says
Hey you two…
A huge fan of your blog!
FYI: In case you didn’t know….Emily from
Secrets of a Stylist…gave you some KUDOS on her
site.
Way to go!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Gina! That was so nice of her!
xo,
s
Jules says
Looks great.
Hey guys, just one other thing that we did in our garden and it made a huge difference to our garden’s feeling – paint the fence!
We did it a dark green/grey like our guttering and it made the fence ‘disappear’ and the plants really stand out.
Hubby did it with an airless spray gun which he hired and with a big ol’ tub of paint sprayed it on thick so one coat was enough – 30 meters of fence done in 2 hours!!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that sounds amazing! We love the older fences on our property since they’re weathered and gray, so as soon as we installed this we hoped it would weather and gray. Still looks pretty orange though!
xo,
s
Lindsay says
Favorite part of this post? “The girl has good hiding genes”. Hilarious.
mp says
My tomato seeds didn’t sprout, so I’m off tomorrow to find some more. I WILL have vegetables this summer!
Rebecca says
Did you guys put up that fence? It looks pretty nice, and it makes your patio area so private.
We’re still working on our kitchen upgrade, but your posts and the nice weather have me itching to tackle our landscaping!
YoungHouseLove says
We did! Well, John did most of it while I got Clara’s big one year birthday party ready! Here’s that post: https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/05/our-little-pre-party-post-patio-project/
xo,
s
Lacy D says
Your new plants look great!
What are the dimensions of your patio? I saw it was 300 sq feet. We are possibly adding a patio to our house and I am having a hard time figuring out a good size. I’d like to compare your size to what we are thinking. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s about 30 x 10 feet (although there are some curves and a small path at the end leading to the gate). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
rhiannon says
do you think you might have planted those hydrangeas too close together?
YoungHouseLove says
They look close in the pics, but we followed the recommendations on the tag! They’re the same distance apart as the huge ones on the other side, so we hope they’re cool!
xo,
s
KarenH. says
I don’t have much to plant in the immediate future, but I have a lot of pruning and plant bed “reclamation” to do. My house had been on the market for nearly a year when I bought it and the owner had moved out a full year before that (she wasn’t sure she wanted to commit to selling–she and her late husband were the original owners and moved in as newlyweds, raised their children, etc–it was very sweet, actually), so aside from regular lawn mowing, the yard didn’t get much attention in those two years.
The grass has grown into most of the planting beds around the house, so I need to cut it back, redefine the beds, and mulch. And weed–OMG, the weeding that needs done. I had some more immediate projects last year so I just weedwhacked the beds down to earth all summer last summer and now I have to pay :)
I have three burning bush near the entrance that need pruning desparately–my house is so small and the bushes so big they’re starting to block the front windows and they crowd the front porch. I have a poor little neglected rose on the south side that I pruned back a lot last year and then fed and treated aggresively for black spot. It’s really looking very happy this year, but it’s in one of the “beds” that is now indistinguishable from the lawn, so i need to give it it’s autonomy once more. And I’m planning to put 2 or 3 more roses on that side to keep it company. And I need the hardcore garden gloves when working around the rose that’s there now–it’s an old fashioned kind with wicked mean thorns! But it’s so pretty in bloom and this year it’s already got more foliage and healthy growth than last year.