Summer Changes - 2020
This is how our house has looked since we moved in 13 years ago. The rhododendrons are beautiful but the evergreens can no longer be trimmed to a manageable size without bare wood showing. Its hard to get behind the shrubs to trim or paint and the trees are blocking natural light. A very hard decision but its time for everything to come out.
The shrubs came out and you can see the front of the house - the first time since we moved in!
A section of the sidewalk needed replacing and Clem showed up with the back hoe before we could do any work on the front of the house.
When the sidewalk was done, the front of the house and shutters were painted and window wells were added.
6 cubic ft. of dirt was delivered in a huge dump truck.
We moved all the dirt by hand raising the back side of the landscape 10 inches. Of course it was 90 plus weather with high humidity the day we did this.
Plants were purchased with guidance from Ria at Steuben Landscaping & Floral Center in Wayland.
Plants were positioned and moved several times-
until hubby and I finally agreed on a layout.
The digging and planting began - again on a 90 degree, hot, humid day.
It took 2 pickup trucks full of dirt to mulch it all in.
We ended up making a couple more trips to other garden centers for more shrubs to get the desired effect.
Ruby Slippers Hydrangea - 3-5' H 5' spread
Rhododendron - PJM 3'5 Height and Spread
Twist N Shout Hydrangea - 3-5 ' Height and Spread
Green Mountain Boxwood - 2-4 ' Height and Spread
Cones and pyramids
Japanese Holly - Drops of Gold
Height 2-3' Spread 3-4'
Emerald Green Arborvitae
Height 8 - 10 ft at maturity (sure hope that's right and this won't end up 20 ft high)
Repeat on both sides of front door
One lawn ornament allowed in the hydrangea section.
The end result was so worth all the sweat and toil.
The back yard gardens continued to flourish while we worked on the front landscape.
Phlox and day lilies are thriving.
The trumpet vine is in bloom.
Morning glories are in blossom on the gazebo.
The fairy garden has survived the neighborhood cats and rabbits.
This is how we will remember the summer of the covid pandemic.
