I caught the gardening bug.
I have been obsessing about the garden for quite a while now.
It all started when we decided to hire a "professional" last year.
Not really something I would normally do, as I'm a do-it-yourself-kinda-gal, but big daddy convinced me that it would be so much easier to get someone to plan and execute the landscaping.
Besides neither one of us is really experienced when it comes to gardening- our last two places before this house didn't have a garden.
Gotta love loft and condo living...ah the good old days....
And this time last year we really didn't have the time to deal with it.
So we went ahead and let someone else plan and plant everything last year.
Long story short, I hated it and it totally wasn't what we had in mind.
several thousand dollars later.....
I pulled out a bunch of stuff and my parents (who are amazing gardeners) helped me re-jig things a bit.
I picked up some end of season plants and shrubs and hoped for the best over the fall and winter.
It was a really tough winter and a ton of things didn't make it, and unfortunately our "gardener" skipped town so I don't have any receipts for any of the plants that died.
News to me that most nurseries guarantee plants for at least one year, sometimes two.
No big deal when its just a few, but I'm talking 8 emerald cedars ($100 each!) and bunch of other stuff.
So big daddy and I spent the weekend planting, pruning, fertilizing and making numerous trips back and forth to Home Depot and our local nursery.
Lulu pitched in too.
and by pitching in I mean totally got in the way....but she was adorable none-the-less.
So after a full year of being frustrated and feeling ripped off, I am happy.
Happy about what we planted.
As a family.
So what if we were exhausted and filthy all weekend.
Now we can look at our yard and know that we planted every single thing and we get to watch them grow.
or not.....I'm keeping the receipts this time!
Sometimes it is in fact easier to just do things your self.
Well that is except maybe painting the trim and exterior of the house.
Now that's definitely something best left for a professional.
5 comments:
Isn't it fun to do it yourselves? E & I love projects like that we can work on together. We changed out all of our landscaping in the front of our house when we moved in (then hired someone to do the back... the trees were way to big for us to do) and every spring I'm so proud when it's all green and flowery. It makes me a little sad to leave... not really :) But isn't that how it goes - just when you get it just how you like it, it's time to move.
I'm sorry about your elms. but how much are you loving the messy pink magnolia trees right now?
p.s. you might be eligible for a free tree from the city for your front yard. we got our little maple over the winter, and it's tiny green buds are making me crazy happy.
We made a little garden patch in our backyard this spring, but I must admit, we are leaving our pathetic front lawn mostly alone for now, knowing that there will be bins parked on it a few times in the future! It just doesn't seem woth it. Instead, I am hoping to get a couple of planters in front of the porch that we can move at will, but it may wait until later. Too many other projects right now!
Yes, it is the season to get excited about the yard! Yipee for your hard work and being happy with it! Mine gets put back together this weekend and I am soooo excited, I can barely stand it. I really feel like your garden reflects your home just like the inside does!
I absolutely love that tree! It is a nice feeling knowing you planted something with your own two hands and watching it grow!!
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