yard work: a before and after

When my parents came to visit, I knew I needed a project for my dad. He's not one to sit and twiddle his thumbs.

I thought this would be the perfect time for him to help me pick out some flowers for the front beds, especially since my "gardening" has never extending beyond our front porch in Charleston. I had no idea what to plant, when to plant it or how to take care of it.

What I had in mind: a few trays of flowers.
What he had in mind: a complete landscaping overhaul.

I love my dad.

When we got out and started walking around, we realized that there were a lot of random trees, flowers and shrubs that were planted very haphazardly. Boxwoods were choking out azaleas, peonies and rhododendron. There was a butterfly bush that was almost as tall as the house and was so unruly that you couldn't notice anything behind or around it. There were clumps and clumps of hosta in the most bizarre places. It didn't take long to realize that things just needed to be cleaned up.

After making a game plan, we headed to Lowes. Three hours later, my car was packed down with flowers, mulch, yard pavers, the appropriate tools and grass seed, not to mention a blackberry bush, some bird feeders, a baby, a stroller and my mama.

All set.

The first thing we my dad did was dig up all the boxwoods. Those things are invasive. We decided to plant them outside the fenced-in area and along the tree line instead. I was shocked at how much things opened up just by doing that.

Then he took that massive butterfly bush and turned it into four separate butterfly bushes and planted them in various places. He transplanted azaleas from a spot that was a little crowded to the front bed. He transplanted a hydrangea that we found hiding along the side of the house. He also found all kinds of existing bulbs - hosta, tulips, daffodils - that he was able to dig up and move around. He planted and mulched. He took that ugly AC unit out of the window so it wasn't hanging out. He worked and worked and worked.

But the finished product? AMAZING. Neighbors were stopping to talk about how much better it looked. For days afterward, I'd notice people walking by and pause to look around. Because it's so beautiful, of course.

It makes me happy. A big difference from before, right?

And when the grass comes up in some of the bare spots, it's going to look even better. For now, I spend quite a lot of time looking out the window at how lovely it is. Some of the azaleas are blooming and they're gorgeous. And I usually linger in the front yard when I get home from being out, just to enjoy the view.

So thanks for that, Dad.