I’m finally back to show you what we changed in our landscaping and tell you how we did if for under $100. Now remember we own our own machine for moving the rocks, have access to all the rocks for free, and have our own soil pile. So the only thing I had to purchase was new plants and mulch and the only way to do it on a budget is to wait until things go 75% off. Plant selection is more limited but if you ask the store what day they will be marking things down you can be there as soon as they open and have first pick of the selection.
Here is a before shot of the house….Everything was torn out where the big yellow X is. It had perennials in it and the deer just wouldn’t leave them alone so they had to go. I’m not one for keeping something that has to be babysat and perennials are too much work in my opinion. All the dividing, deadheading, and cutting back was more work than I wanted to do year after year, so they were removed. The small X is my herb garden and it too had to be removed we actually have two logs that need replaced right under the window that overlooks the herb garden so I cut everything back and dug it up so we can get in there to work. I took all the herbs to the chickens and they loved them so I feel like they didn’t go to waste.
The whiskey barrel replaced the area where the herbs were. I plan on using all 3 barrels I put in the landscape as my spot for color. I will probably add annuals to them in the spring and summer, and add mums and pumpkins for fall, and pine branches and pinecones for winter. The two large rocks stacked on top one another is the spot I’m going to turn into a fountain bird bath. I still have plans for that but not until spring. I need to add something more where the birdhouse is, maybe some sort of tall grasses but I haven’t quite decided yet so I’m leaving the space open. Since we already had the raised bed in place I just edged around it with rocks to disguise the boards. I have to have the spot open on the back side because it’s where my hose is.
Here’s what I purchased and I got everything 75% off. (5) Dwarf English Boxwood ($24.95), (2) Variegated Red Twig Dogwood ($22.50), (1) Dwarf Burning Bush ($4.24), and (1) Golden Vicary Privet. ($4.24). TOTAL $55.93. I decided to do shrubs that give me color all year rounds, only have to be trimmed once a year, and all have components for making wreaths from. And I can also tie a bar of soap to each shrub to keep the deer away, I use Irish Spring and it does the trick. The Weeping Cherry was photoshopped into the pic for now, it was the wrong season to find one to purchase so I will do that in the spring also, but that’s where it will be placed.
It only took hubby 6 hours to move all the rocks into their new location (we already had them all on site), add the dirt (we also have a stockpile of that from digging our pond), and get the plants in the round. Once that was done he headed to town with his truck to get 2 yards of black mulch (that was 50% off because it’s the end of the season) $35. When he got there the person that was working didn’t know how to run the Bobcat to load the mulch so hubby did it himself then came home and added it to the plant beds.
This is a project I’ve wanted done for quite some time but hubby never seems to be home long enough to do it. He’s had about a month off work and my to-do-list is getting shorter that’s for sure. I also learned how to run our Bobcat while he was off. I used to run our old one but this one is different and I decided if I knew how to operate it I would have to do the work with it so I avoided it like crazy. But I’m happy to say I caught right on and moved all the brush and tree trimming from our rental house with the Bobcat all by myself. Sometimes I wonder why I create more work for myself, if I don’t learn the new equipment I won’t be responsible for doing the tasks it can do.
It’s nice to sit on the porch and admire all hubby’s hard work. Next on our list is to pour the concrete and fire pit by the walkout basement and add a ceiling to the porches. I ordered the ceiling material this week so I’m hoping that project get’s done before snow flies. Thanks for stopping in today and have a great rest of your Sunday.
Our Grand Total for the Project Was: $90.93
It’s important to have plants that the deer don’t like. I’ve done away with just about all annuals and also perennials that need constant deadheading (coreopsis), hate the high maintenance. Your gardens looks lovely now. We had a heavy frost last night, and I’ve been out photographing the frost on the leaves. Have a lovely Sunday.
Linda what is your favorite thing to plant since you’ve done away with perennials too? We too have had the hard frost. The only thing in the garden still is brussel sprouts.
My coriopsis has never needed deadheading. It must depend on the variety or type.
Diane I haven’t noticed as I don’t have it planted. I did have it at my last house but it didn’t do well.
Dawn, it looks lovely! I really like the rock edging! I wait for clearance prices, too – we have a large property (and lots of dreams!) so if I paid full price it wouldn’t get done in my lifetime! Thanks for sharing!
Christi, clearance is the way to go and if something doesn’t survive I don’t feel so bad about the cost.
Your landscaping is beautiful. I love the big natural rocks. The weeping cherry will look beautiful too. I agree whole heartily with the perennials. I’ve tried and tried and spent so much money and have lost so many over the harsh winters I don’t think they are always worth it.
Becky luckily we have all the free rocks we want from local farmers. They all have a rock pile. Hubby takes our dump truck and bobcat to a field and loads up. I think Im going to plant a white weeping cherry, I think it will fit better with the cabin. Im glad to hear you’re not a fan of the perennials either, I thought I was the only one.
Everything looks really nice after all your planning and hard work! I was waiting to see a photo of you in your hardhat, so you’ll have to do that sometime! lol Glad it worked out for you!
Susan I’ll have to get myself a hard hat. Hubby as a hardhat that looks like a cowboy hat.
It looks great! Love the sales on plants at the end of the season!
Jeanie end of the season is the best time to purchase. Now I hope I got them planted in time for survival.
Good for you Dawn, learning to use the bobcat! For the most part my husband and I did the manual labor ourselves. Looking very nice and buying low maintenance plants is the way to go. Hopefully you can finish up a few more jobs before the snow flurries. Kathleen in Az
Kathleen I am hoping the low maintenance plants is the way to go. Im just not into being a slave to a perennial garden anymore. It must be an age thing.
This might be a dumb question, but our climates are so different. I can plant things year round and don’t have to worry. What do you do when winter comes?
Carol things go dormant or if they are an annual plant they die. We just let them get buried in snow and come spring they come back to life.
Your landscaping turned out so nice. It sure is handy to have a handy man around. That is great that you learned to drive the bobcat…good for you ! Here’s hoping the snow don’t fly any time soon.
Cheryl yes it is nice to have a hubby that can do anything, and also put up with all my crazy ideas, lol.