Green thumb

Update: I was randomly look back at this post and thought it was pretty sad. I decided to update it just to prove that there ARE pretty flowers finally!! And almost everything is done!

I didn't get a picture at the right time of year but there are lots of beautiful roses now!

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I've always hated the idea of gardening (seems like so much work that never ends) but we inherited this beautiful garden at our house and I hated to see it all go for naught. We decided to spend the weekend getting everything up to speed. I took on the garden and Ben took the dirt area he recently cleared of brush in order to make it a space for the girls toys and slide.

After some advice from my expert consultants (sister and mom), we went out and bought some mulch and got to it. Ben had a tip from a friend that he could get a truckload of bark delivered for peanuts. In two days we gave our yard a makeover; I did the garden and Ben did the "bark-ing". Our yard was looking pretty sad before. Now it looks so much better and I don't have to wonder if the HOA is going to come after us.

We are obviously novices but humor me in my pride and excitement.

First we raked the leaves and put down bark around our tree. Looks a million times better. Poor tree got mutilated in the ice storm but will hopefully be the comeback kid.

I started by mulching and pruning the roses in front of our gate/fence. I dug up all the bricks and then added the mulch and cut down the branches. The look so pretty when they bloom.



The girls had fun 'helping' and of course, making dirt cupcakes.

Raked all the junk out of these flowerbeds, dug up and repositioned all the bricks, and mulched this whole area.
I know it doesn't look like much right now, but lots of pretty stuff pops up in the spring: roses, basil, and irises.

Ben's job hauling the bark onto the newly cleared area. This is the work 30% done. Took the full two days. This entire area was thorns and wild cane until they cut it down. We have a water table (in the back) and slide that will go here.

More of my garden. Currently dead hydrangea to the left, rosemary, and irises.