Let's start with the most recent project...

In an effort to catch up my blog, I will just start with the most recent project and work backward. Let me shorten up the story some by saying that we had a flower bed that went around the front porch. We had done some work to it last year by planting flowers and adding mulch. Long story, but we later installed some landscape lights along both sides of the front walk and as a quick fix we tossed some mulch over the cords. This spring, grass grew up through the mulch and looked awful. We spent 2 days basically cutting sod (which we used to fill in some bare spot in the yard) so that the grass would be gone. We gave the new flower bed a new shape and put down plastic to discourage future weed growth. I also installed some edging to keep the grass out and the mulch in. The sad thing is that we did all that and then realized that we didn't have money in the budget to get  mulch or  flowers. Semi fail, as people driving by had to view our empty plastic covered flower bed. My friend and I were talking about flowers and I said I wanted to put in some monkey grass and she asked why because she had some that she hated and wanted to get rid of... see where this is going?  So yesterday, I went to her house and dug up some of her huge monkey grass, although I'm pretty sure it's actually mondo grass but no matter because it serves the purpose.

This gives you the basic idea of what we had created to begin with.









So then I added the grass that I got from my friend and a transplanted coreopsis and got this.

So this morning I went and got some flowers to fill in, and some mulch to finish it off. I lucked out and found the mulch 5 bags for $10! Shazaam! I got 10 bags for good measure. ;)

So this is what I ended up with. I should also add that these pictures do not do it justice as it looks way better than they reflect. I also mowed the grass.



So there you have it, my landscaping adventures for today. I'm hoping that the blanket flowers that I moved perk back up as I think they are in shock. :(  I also mulched around the mailbox and translplanted a monkey grass to replace the one that croaked. Now if I can just remember to water the plants until they are established, I'll be doin all right.