Tuesday, April 10 2012

With the warm weather around here, my mind has been suddenly more focused to updating the outside area of the house.

I ripped this picture out off a magazine almost 2 years ago:

Compare:  Our house, below, (obviously not the one in the magazine with the Pella windows truck), has a similar entrance.  I was immediately drawn to the magazine photo because of the possibilities and inspiration for covering up our  excessive amount of concrete.

When we moved in, the front of our house was landscaped, as shown, and still is; alternating lavender (AKA bee bushes) and thorny, disorganized rose bushes.  My husband does not understand why I dislike rose bushes so much.  Am I the only girl that can’t stand how chaotic and uncomfortable they look?  And, by the way, who deals with the occasional thorn-in-the-foot when child #2 or #3 decides to try and jump over them, all together missing?  Case in point.

My inspiration photo has gotten me this far in drawing up plans:

Notice all my little notes of plants that I found for our growing zone?  I am aiming for grasses and perennials that need little attention from me once established, and less of an overall ‘bushy’ feel.  We will see how this pans out.  How about you?  Is it warm enough yet to get that landscaping bug?

For us, it seems, there is always a large time gap  from this, the planning stage, to the final product.  Cross your fingers and maybe we’ll be done this summer!

Enjoy your day.

~Laura

Images:  1) unknown, 2-3) Laura for Monkeysonmyback