Curb Appeal..

While I'm finalizing my backyard plans, quotes and design, I thought I'd do some work on my front yard.

This was the front of my cute little cottage 'before'.It was a great starting point of established boxwood and lilac hedges (see below), giant hostas and bleeding hearts.



To begin to add to the curb appeal, I started off with planters with some annuals and went from there....

I wanted to stick with a consistent colour palate and consistent plants for the planters. I used Coleus (in 2 colours), Grasses, Potatoe Vines,  and Creeping Jenny.

I also stuck with the same style of planter. Squared, clean lines and metal.

Here is a picture of the planter, just after planting about a month ago...





















This is a picture of the planter today....





As you can see, it's really filling in and I love the look! The hostas are really coming along too (see to the right of the picture)....they are one of my favorite perennials....they come in so many wonderful shades of greens and different leaf shapes & sizes.

These are the smaller planters up my front steps...a cute addition to just add a bit more foliage and colour.




It was then onto the perennial bed that boarders the sidewalk.

This actually started last summer when I began  'phase one'. I dug and planted 3 smaller beds, with the plan to make it into one larger bed this summer. With my trusty four legged, furry gardening partner, we set to work!



 

These are tulips I planted in one of the 3 gardens in the front of the house last summer. When I transformed the 3 beds into one larger bed this spring, I dug up the bulbs (after letting the flowers brown) and have replanted them, ...so fingers crossed they come up again next year !

I had my plan, knew the species I wanted, the colour scheme I was working toward and I then made many trips to various garden centres around Guelph and Burlington. One of my favorites is Northland Nursery just north of Waterdown (they have great prices, an amazing selection and to top it all off...they have Labs and horses..I was in heaven!) The plants below on my side stairs are all from Northland.



Notice the walkway to the left in the picture above? The garden that runs along it was also a project last summer and I ended up planting it almost entirely with hostas...the picture below is one of my favorites!


So...after lots of digging, removing sod, adding soil, peat, 'fertilizer', planting, watering and mulching....here it is..my new front yard perennial garden!!








I used 3 different Hydrangeas, a Burning Bush, SandCherries, a Barberry, Grasses, Dogwoods and a variety of other perennials, with the goal of sticking with a green, white, pink and deep burgundy/red wine colour scheme.

I am really, really happy with the final result and can't wait for it to begin filling in!

Down the road (hopefully by the end of the summer) I will also put in a flagstone patio between this new bed and the existing hosta bed, from the driveway to the walkway into the house. It is the never ending fun of home ownership!

Once things have filled in just a bit more (and I've cut the grass), I'll post a full 'after picture' of the front of the house/cottage...so "stay tuned"!

RR


Spring Forward

The sunshine and unbelievably fantastic temperatures today made it very, very difficult to be in the office today. As soon as I could tear myself away, I headed home, took Charlie for a longggg walk (and a swim or 2 in his case) and then.....it was time.......time to finally put away the outdoor winter decor. So long showshoes, sleds, greenery....and time to keep my fingers crossed that the bulbs I planted last fall have not been all whisked away by our ever so prevalent squirrel population!

I already have a few tulips popping through and there are buds on most of my perennials....I now just have to stay patient and wait for Spring to "pop"!  In the meantime and in anticipation of the explosion of colours to come....here are some images to tide us all over.












I have been filling my home with tulips, lilacs, daffodils and daisies the past few weeks and I'm really looking forward to finally seeing the outdoors come back to life, in full colour.

Have you started your garden planning yet? I am hoping to put up a privacy fence and raised beds along the back of my yard as well as continue to add to my hosta beds.

Were you able to get your bulbs in last fall to enjoy over the next few months? I went with a white theme and bought a wide variety of tulips. I can't wait to see them in full bloom!

I hope you all have a chance to get outside and enjoy the amazing weather we are supposed to have over the next week or so...and like I said the beginning of the week.."get off your butt and do what you love"!!

RR

*images from Pinterest