PRETTY POTS AND EMPTY BEDS

As I write this post, we're watching news coverage of the bombings in Boston.  I know we're all aching for the victims and their families, and my thoughts and prayers are with them today.

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This isn't a big project reveal today, just consider it an update...a progress report if you will on the status of our landscaping.  As long as my list is of projects to get done inside the house, the time is now to get some things outside in order.

First up on the list, my urns were pretty sad.  I bought these 6 years ago right when we moved into this house, painted them black then, and then have done some spot touch-ups with spray paint every year since then.  This year, they needed some major work.  Major like I broke out the paintbrush and some exterior paint. 

After a good clean off with a stiff bristle brush, they got a new coat and were ready to go again!  But, I couldn't stop there.  I decided to bring a little of my favorite gold that's inside my house to the outside...

 

I wasn't even very precise and did one quick free-handed coat with a small brush and gold acrylic paint.  After it dried I sprayed two coats of Polyurethane to protect the gold trim from the elements.

And yes, if you noticed, the ferns are still in their plastic pots just stuck in there.  We're expecting another freeze later this week, so I wanted to be able to just pull them in overnight until this crazy Oklahoma up and down weather is over!

The porch still needs a little more attention, but there's a sneak peek for now!

In the rest of the yard, we've decided to overhaul all of the front flowerbeds.  Our house is closing in on 20 years old, and some of the foundational plants were original.  Our hope was that with some fresh landscaping our house would look years newer.  Our goal last weekend was just to clean out.  This week I'm shopping for new bushes and finalizing plans of what we want where.  These before and afters may seem backwards, but they actually show progress!

Garage wall- overgrown boxwoods and rosebushes with brutal thorns that need trimming regularly to keep from attacking guests walking to the front door-  

Office wall-uneven boxwoods and another scraggly rosebush-

I left the crepe myrtles in place for now, but we're most likely moving those to another spot. I'm planning to do a fresh boxwood hedge in each of the beds above, with something tall and evergreen on each end.  I want something that will stay narrow and will frame the beds but not get too tall.  Any suggestions?  I love arborvitaes but I see them returned...dead...left and right at Home Depot.  They seem to be tricky to keep alive here.

Center bed-for now we just moved the nandinas.  That tall Golden Deodar Cedar will move...it's never done well in that spot and we'll try it elsewhere.  You can't quite see them but there are 2 big hydrangeas right in front of the window.  That's a great spot for them but I hate how scraggly they look through the winter right there at the front door.  We're going to re-work the center of that bed when we decide what to put in place of the tree. 

This little bed along the side of the house is still clearly visible from the street.  It was full of wayward honeysuckle from behind the fence and random hosta plants.   We moved the 4 nandinas here with one of the big rosebushes in front, and I replanted a bunch of hosta that was already growing in that spot.  It's a little hard to see now but when the rosebush is blooming there should be some pretty color there. 

 

So, no fantastic beauty shots YET, but we're off to a start! 

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I'm so happy to be over at Kristin's today for her "Great Reads" series.  Kristin is DIYing one project at a time to make her rancher home -which is the same home that she grew up in!- reflect her amazing style.  I was in love with these storage ottomans she just recovered-

Aren't those right up my alley?

Click on over and visit Bliss at Home to see one of my favorite DIYs that I've done, and Kristin's pick of her favorite project of mine.  You'll want to stay a while!