Spring/summer home and garden projects

[artichokie]

What are you doing to improve your curb appeal or home aesthetic inside or outside of your house?

Have up planted any flowers or trees?  Any projects you want to share w/ pics? 

[SusanBAnthony]

I have been super pleased with my yard/gardens for the first time since we bought our house 7 years ago.

1. Finally added a patio last fall
2. Garden beds are all nicely filled in to the point that I can take chunks of plants and put them in new areas
3. Our 7 fruit trees all are doing well and 6/7 are producing fruit
4. My veg garden is doing amazing (we've already harvested asparagus, lettuce, baby kale, dill, and cilantro)
5. I've seeded some patchy area in the grass and they are doing well
6. The "puppy" is 3.5 now and finally calming down and not digging or otherwise destroying the yard much
7. We planted a row of arborvitae that are doing ok to good (bunnies decimated them the first winter)

Now don't get me wrong I haven't even finished a first pass of weeding all the perennial beds,and I already need to start again on the first ones I did, bit I'm feeling good!

[mrsukyankee]

I have fully planted my raised bed veggy garden. Things are looking decent, except for some of my chili/pepper plants which are getting munched on by something. We've already had a few thing to eat from there - lettuce, radishes and swiss chard.

[momin2013]

For outside, the thing I find adds the most impact quickly is a fresh layer of mulch in the landscaping. We keep things trimmed and thin out as needed to keep things from getting overgrown as well.

[macmars45]

I planted one lavender plant out by the electrical boxes last spring. I'll plant more this year so the bees can be happy and hopefully the plants eventually hide some of the boxes from my house.

[simpsongal]

Having a very good year - loved all the rain we got, really saved me time - all of my potted plants are thriving.

My bed with a little gem magnolia ringed w/boxwoods and white hydrangeas has filled in beautifully after years of growth. I've got 2 clematis on a nearby arbor that looks beautiful too (polish spirit is blooming abundantly in purple and the sweet autumn will take over w/white blooms later in the summer).

I almost wanted to give up vegetable gardening after a few rough years but the raised beds are so easy compared to in ground. I wish I tried it sooner! I replaced all our strawberries and we're starting to get some in for picking.

My dahlias are about to bloom (I started them inside and saved them from last years'). Our pineapple broom is doing well and put on a show in the spring.  Our smoke bush is huge, it's such a showstopped.

I planted some new japanese maples, my fringe tree bloomed for the first time.

The oak we planted 12 yrs ago has acorned and is looking quite substantial - eager for the two trees we planted last year (ginko and persian ironwood) to take off too.

I've already got a fall punch list.  I need to move a few things and I think my jasmine died after all the construction, but the nearby coral honeysuckle vine is doing well. I'm debating which climber I should choose to replace the jasmine...

[artichokie]

Jun 2, 2024 19:03:44 GMT -5 macmars45 said:

I planted one lavender plant out by the electrical boxes last spring. I'll plant more this year so the bees can be happy and hopefully the plats eventually hide some of the boxes from my house.

Last year was the first time I planted lavender and I LOVE it!! It’s coming in so nicely so far this year!

[artichokie]

Jun 3, 2024 11:21:19 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

Having a very good year - loved all the rain we got, really saved me time - all of my potted plants are thriving.

My bed with a little gem magnolia ringed w/boxwoods and white hydrangeas has filled in beautifully after years of growth. I've got 2 clematis on a nearby arbor that looks beautiful too (polish spirit is blooming abundantly in purple and the sweet autumn will take over w/white blooms later in the summer).

I almost wanted to give up vegetable gardening after a few rough years but the raised beds are so easy compared to in ground. I wish I tried it sooner! I replaced all our strawberries and we're starting to get some in for picking.

My dahlias are about to bloom (I started them inside and saved them from last years'). Our pineapple broom is doing well and put on a show in the spring.  Our smoke bush is huge, it's such a showstopped.

I planted some new japanese maples, my fringe tree bloomed for the first time.

The oak we planted 12 yrs ago has acorned and is looking quite substantial - eager for the two trees we planted last year (ginko and persian ironwood) to take off too.

I've already got a fall punch list.  I need to move a few things and I think my jasmine died after all the construction, but the nearby coral honeysuckle vine is doing well. I'm debating which climber I should choose to replace the jasmine...

Are raised beds better bc of less weeds? Or other?

[simpsongal]

artichokie - definitely fewer weeds, the soil has just been easier to work and enrich too. The soil heats up faster for earlier planting. I was tilling and working compost and organic matter into my in ground garden but the amount I can grow in raised beds is plenty and it’s tidy, easier real estate. My paver path in my in ground garden was a nightmare to maintain. I have grass between my beds and it’s so neat and trim. My raised beds are built from brick so I can make pretty curved shapes and change/move them if need be.

[artichokie]

Jun 3, 2024 19:38:04 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

artichokie - definitely fewer weeds, the soil has just been easier to work and enrich too. The soil heats up faster for earlier planting. I was tilling and working compost and organic matter into my in ground garden but the amount I can grow in raised beds is plenty and it’s tidy, easier real estate. My paver path in my in ground garden was a nightmare to maintain. I have grass between my beds and it’s so neat and trim. My raised beds are built from brick so I can make pretty curved shapes and change/move them if need be.

Do you have a pic of the beds?

[simpsongal]

artichokie, I can try - ever since tinypic went down I've had trouble photo sharing, but I'll give it a try....

[simpsongal]

Here's the veg bed - the cages are made from concrete reinforcing mesh (the holes are generous size so you can reach in to weed or harvest tomatoes).  Lots of heirloom varieties, the giant herb is sage and there's thyme next to it, some basil, cucumbers and volunteer squash too.  I put some sweet asylum in too, hoping it seeds itself on the edges.

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[simpsongal]

Here's another nearby bed - I replanted our strawberries this year, there are also peppers, chives, another dahlia (hopefully coming?).  The baskets have a lot into them, various sweet potato vines, mint, lavender, annuals....the coleus on the bottom of the baskets is fun.  By the end of the season they'll be pretty filled out.  I need to raise this bed a little higher, I'll add a couple layers of brick and compost at the end of the season.

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[simpsongal]

And one more - unlined bed nearby, you can see our pink landscape roses and smoke bush in the background too.  Bed in the foreground is dusty miller, butterfly bush, thyme, rosemary, bearded irises, dahlia (coming up), crocosmia, and a weeping pink japanese snowbell (it's a few years old and will eventually dominate this bed).

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[heygrey]

I spent a lot of money last year putting perennials in our large front flower bed, but it paid off! I had to replace a few that didn't survive, but I can see which ones thrived so I added more of those.

Our expensive project this year will be replacing the final section of our backyard fence. We were putting it off because it should be a shared expense with the landlords next door, and I just got their contact info after 2+ years. I'm not optimistic that they will come through with their half, but the fence is rotting and falling down. Aside from aesthetics, it isn't secure for our 1 year old dog. I just want it done and then all the remaining outdoor projects will be DIY.

A stretch goal is painting the exterior of our house. I know exactly what I want, it's just buying the supplies and putting in the time.

[Susie]

This is a good reminder to me to take some pictures!  I've been working super hard, and have made a lot of changes, but it's still very "WIP."  

This spring I've been continuing my epic quest to remove the stones and landscape fabric from the beds so I can re-plant them, and I've done some of the mulching and re-planting that follows.  I've put in:

In the mailbox bed:
- 3 lavender
- 3 wild lupine (host plant for Karner blue butterfly)
- 6 creeping thyme for the start of ground cover
- 4 dianthus
- added a few yellow day lilies from ones in the backyard that I divided

In the shadier side bed:
- transplanted 3 hydrangeas from the sunny side (so far so good)
- 12 astilbes (taking off spectacularly)
- 3 christmas ferns (jury is out)
- 6 trilliums although (seem to be doing poorly and may not make it)

 In the sunnier side bed:
- 3 swamp milkweed (host plant for monarchs and other pollinators)
- 3 raspberry canes (Heritage variety) (brand new)

Front beds:
- 2 pop star dwarf hydrangeas
- 50 or so periwinkle plants to get some ground cover started

We also cut down a weeping cherry that was not in great health, and was too large for its spot.  It was weeping into the walkway, and covering the lamp post.  TBD what we will put there.  

We signed a contract for a major backyard project.  It includes a new shed, fence for our dogs, hardscape path from the driveway into the backyard through the fence gate, and to the deck, new stairs from the deck down into the circle where we have garden beds and fire pit, and more.  It was pricey, but I'm so looking forward to it.

[lessel]

In our front beds, we dug out some boxwood bushes that were well past their prime. I've planted some different textured/height grasses, a couple hydrangeas, some knockout roses, and hostas to replace them. So far I'm not killing anything. I'm notoriously not good with plants though, so very tenuous time until they're established.

[hbomdiggity]

We really need to redo the landscape and I finally hired someone for a plan. Now I can’t find a contractor :-(

[artichokie]

Jun 4, 2024 8:04:59 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

artichokie , I can try - ever since tinypic went down I've had trouble photo sharing, but I'll give it a try....

Wow! Everything looks so great!

[mrsukyankee]

Finally put in drip line so that when we're away for two weeks, my MIL can easily water plants (she's struggling with her balance). She can just turn it on when she gets back from her walk in the morning and turn it off in 30 min. It'll be helpful for me too, so I can water less often but deeper.

[dr.girlfriend]

I put in some plants last year that survived the fall/winter, remarkably. My "Cherry Cheesecake" rhododendron bloomed, although they are both still very small. 

I also got a little bloom on my Katherine Havermeyer lilac, although the main stem seems to have gotten hit with the weedwhacker by the landscapers. Hoping it fills in over the summer a bit.

My greatest success of all time, however, is my climbing hydrangea.  I planted it maybe seven years ago and it has gotten MASSIVE.  I actually need to cut it back so it doesn't collapse the arbor.

[moreace01]

Dumb question - is it too late to move shrubs? I'm in zone 6 and it hasn't gotten hot here yet...but this week it's finally in the 80's. Should I wait till fall?


I'm attempting to replace my grass with plants and have some shrubs I want to move that are ill placed at the moment.

A lot of my gardening this year has been thwarted by the cicada invasion (mostly I'm a wuss and don't want them on me/don't want to pick skeletons off of everywhere. blech)

[Susie]

Jun 12, 2024 15:37:18 GMT -5 moreace01 said:

Dumb question - is it too late to move shrubs? I'm in zone 6 and it hasn't gotten hot here yet...but this week it's finally in the 80's. Should I wait till fall?


I'm attempting to replace my grass with plants and have some shrubs I want to move that are ill placed at the moment.

A lot of my gardening this year has been thwarted by the cicada invasion (mostly I'm a wuss and don't want them on me/don't want to pick skeletons off of everywhere. blech)

I don't think I'd do it now unless it's in a location that's easy to water and/or is shaded.  I know myself, and if it's in a spot that's a pain to water, I will struggle to do it as often as a late transplant needs.  Full or mostly sun locations will also be more difficult.

We did our last transplants of this season maybe 2 weeks ago (zone 5) and they are struggling.  They might have struggled anyway, but it made me reconsider anything more until we pass the peak of summer heat.

[moreace01]

Thanks Susie! That's what I expected. I'll wait till fall. Note to self to start planning earlier.

[macmars45]

I finally bought and planted all my flowers for my outdoor pots yesterday. Geraniums, lavender and replacement zinnias. I always start my zinnias from seeds and they usually do great. This year only one tiny sprout came up.

ETA: the lavender went in the ground, not a pot.

[sju]

It is hotter than the sun here already but I hope we can plant a few bushes at some point. We are finally getting rain so the grass is looking better.

[heygrey]

I started staining our fence today and I love it. I'm doing a solid stain black because we have multiple fence styles and ages and I want it all to blend together. It looks so good.

[4speedy]

Jun 3, 2024 11:21:19 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

Having a very good year - loved all the rain we got, really saved me time - all of my potted plants are thriving.

My bed with a little gem magnolia ringed w/boxwoods and white hydrangeas has filled in beautifully after years of growth. I've got 2 clematis on a nearby arbor that looks beautiful too (polish spirit is blooming abundantly in purple and the sweet autumn will take over w/white blooms later in the summer).

I almost wanted to give up vegetable gardening after a few rough years but the raised beds are so easy compared to in ground. I wish I tried it sooner! I replaced all our strawberries and we're starting to get some in for picking.

My dahlias are about to bloom (I started them inside and saved them from last years'). Our pineapple broom is doing well and put on a show in the spring.  Our smoke bush is huge, it's such a showstopped.

I planted some new japanese maples, my fringe tree bloomed for the first time.

The oak we planted 12 yrs ago has acorned and is looking quite substantial - eager for the two trees we planted last year (ginko and persian ironwood) to take off too.

I've already got a fall punch list.  I need to move a few things and I think my jasmine died after all the construction, but the nearby coral honeysuckle vine is doing well. I'm debating which climber I should choose to replace the jasmine...

Do you know if your Ginko tree is male or female?  Do they even sell female trees?

[simpsongal]

4speedy should be male. We bought at a good garden center. If it started fruiting we’d insist on a replacement!
We had female ones by my old office in DC, my goodness they stank.

[4speedy]

Jul 4, 2024 11:09:20 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

4speedy should be male. We bought at a good garden center. If it started fruiting we’d insist on a replacement!
We had female ones by my old office in DC, my goodness they stank.

When we lived in Korea, we called them vomit berry trees because that’s what they smelled like.  The city used to send out tree shakers overnight to shake the trees so all the berries would fall out and then they would get vacuumed up before people started to crush them open on the morning walk to the subway. If you accidentally stepped on one, the smell was horrible.  Seoul outlawed planting female ginko trees in the last few years.