so what HAVE i been doing if i am hiring folks to do stuff for me

15 years ago

You must all be wondering what ( if anythgin) i have been doing in m y garden iff I have housekeeprs and i'm hiring the landscapers to clean my veggie garden! haha

well here are some progress shots of ONE of the big improvements. it seems huge to me- i hope you can notice.

here's a pic of the front yard/gardens as they were

{{gwi:683996}}

now- see that little raised flower box in th emiddle of the lawn- there are three of them. one by the mailbox, one in the middle of the lawn and one up by the house steps..

Now- here's a pics after my dad & I tore it out and made new curvy and flowy beds! to match the other beds I had made ( the raised boxes came with this place)

{{gwi:683999}}

you can see the grass isnt fully recovered yet. it's bermuda grass and it's still half yellow because of our crazy temps in NJ. but thankfully bermuda grass is great to use as sod. it's hard to kill it. so we tore out those raises boxes and made a new bigger bed in the front( as seen i nthe pic above.. and then we made a nice big one by the mailbox and with all that sod- filled in the bare dirt that was left when we took out that middle box completely!

here's the pic by the mailbox.. things are still coming up and i may have to re-arrange.. i had to decide where everythign woudl live rather quickly... so it may be subject to change..

{{gwi:684000}}

my dad wants me to take away the rocks- i want to lien it entirely with rocks- what do you all think? haha

Nowe just to show that i can save money and be resourceful.. i saved those boxes - 3 of them, each one in one peice and put them in a crappy weed infested side patch of my driveway. Put down cardboard that i had to recycle anyway.. ordered top sil, added compost and bought 6 baby flamingo roses to make a little hedge between me and my neighbor and to try to make a nicer area out of a weed patch. wuill take pics of that when it does something.. right now i'm just trygin to keep the chipmunks from eating those rose babies. haha

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Comments (9)

libbyshome
15 years ago
Well, that explains it. ;)

It looks great now. Bring on the hired help.

Libby
friend
Original Author
15 years ago
I dont miss those limiting boxes one bit! or having to mow or weedwack aroudn them. ( ok i dont do that-hubby does..but i wont miss him complaining about it)
:)

bring on the hired help is right!!
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msscarlet
15 years ago
Your new beds are lovely especially the one by the house. Might I make a suggestion, if I were you I would remove the fir tree that is blocking the view of your new bed and open it up. I think it will really add to the curb appeal of your very pretty home :)
gldno1
15 years ago
Great improvement. Looks much prettier.

How on earth do you keep Bermuda Grass out of the beds? Somehow that blasted plant has sprung up in my yard and nearby fields. What a thug....spraying herbicide just seems to encourage it!
gottagarden
15 years ago
I think that looks much nicer. And you will find that since you no longer have wooden beams limiting the size of your flower beds that they will grow and grow, every year you will have less lawn to mow! (snicker) You've done a great job.

I also use rocks to edge my beds. I try to keep to larger rocks because it's not as easy for the weeds to take hold.
contrary_grow
15 years ago
You've been doing a lot of work. It's looks lovely. What's that huge shrub up by the house - I think I see lots of buds on it but I can't tell what it is.

Mary
friend
Original Author
15 years ago
You all are so kind

Mary- that huge shrub is a rhody.. starting to bloom right now- let's pray all this rain doesnt dash it all to bits this year! I hate that.

Gotta Garden.. yes- I am goign to try the larger rocks when i get a chance :)

You all can notice the difference? I look at these pics and think- gosh for all that work- it doenst show much of a change! :(

Msscarlet- thank you for thinking my home is pretty. It's a little hosue- but i think it's kinda cute.. and i hope i get the cottagey feel across. I hear what you're saying about that blue spruce that blocks the view. it will only get bigger too... but here's the thing.. getting rid of that ONE might not make a difference- as you cna see in the pic- there is a HUGE one next to it and and even bigger one next to that one!!! haha. at first i hated them but I am rather attached to them now.. and this small one is the only one i can attempt to decorate for christmas. haha
PLUS- there is actually a VAST amount of space betwee that spruce and the first corner bed by the house..
the angle the photo was taken at it straight one.. but coming from the other direction yu can actually see th ewhoel house.. i'll try to take different shtos for you guys and you can tell me what you think.

Now Gladno1.. yours is the silliest question..hahahakeep bermuda grass out of my beds? You make me laugh!are you kidding me? what do you think i do all spring- march to may!! I dig out all the bermuda grass and re-edge my gardens.. it's horrendous. if anyone knows any trick- please tell me.. but i'm with you gladno.. this stuff is eveil. the only good thing is that it requires no water and stays short in summer and crowds out the weeds. however- it is EATING my driveway too.. can you believe it??!!!

now you know why i need hired help right? all my energy goes into keepig bermuda grass out of my beds. haha
a2zmom_Z6_NJ
15 years ago
The new beds look lovely. I really like them. Adds color and style, and makes the house seem so much larger.

Where in NJ are you? I'm in Morris County. And of course you use rocks for edging. Dig two inches down and you find another boulder! So, rocks are edging my beds also.
friend
Original Author
15 years ago
a2zmom!! I have tried to respond to you last time you asked me..I responded in those threads Your email isnt posted though.. I'm in Morris county too. You said you're in Randolph.. I'm in Roxbury- we're neighbors my friend.. lets do tea... or margaritas.. whatever!!

so what HAVE i been doing if i am hiring folks to do stuff for me

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libbyshome

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so what HAVE i been doing if i am hiring folks to do stuff for me

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libbyshome

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