So, I'm working on it and not liking it very much. In fact, I'm a little sassy in my heart that I claimed such a big project as my first monthly goal and even more frustrated with yours truly for sharing it with the readers of my blog. However, I do appreciate that you will ask me about it and that sort of motivates me to keep going. That and that I really do want to enjoy the little bit of nature outside of our windows this spring, summer and fall.
So? Onward.
I paid $40 for a designing consultation session about sprucing up the yard (the front and the back). Bless the designer's heart, because I showed up a few minutes late into the hour and did not have measurements. No wait, stop and consider the ridiculousness of this. No measurements. For the yard. I guess I thought she would just know. As patiently as she could with little judgment and no ridicule, she drew up my designs with pictures from my first post about this goal and some input from a friend who helped me clean up the yard a few weekends ago; he joined us on FaceTime.
Now, don't get me wrong, I really enjoy hearing a person talk about their passion, especially women, but she was really over my head in a lot of what she was saying. Things like "you can arregate the soil and it will change the color of the plant" and "is it a you tree (actually a "ey ewe" tree). Twelve minutes into it, all I was thinking about was how much money it would cost for me to have someone come and do all of the rest of this for me and well, how much that would seem like cheating.
Though I showed up without measurements (I mean, come on Regina!) I did know what I liked and had it clearly sectioned off on Pinterest) and that redeemed the remainder of the hour with the designer. That is something about myself that I beamed inside about. I do know what I like. Having spent time on that, she was able to get an idea of what was workable and what she should stay away from. She said no to succulents, but I do still think I'd like to try one or two - they are so beautiful.
Here is what she came up with. The one on the left is the backyard and the one on the right is the front and part of the backyard.
There will be hydrangeas, lilacs, feather reed grasses, white baby's breath, angelina sedum (yep, whatever that is), minuet weigela, roses, lavender bushes and even one royal star magnolia tree. There will be black eyed susans and boxwoods too. I want color and depth and a yard that is fairly easy to maintain. There will be some watering required, but I already have cute watering cans for that and some trimming back of the roses, but have been told that this should be fairly easy and can probably watch a video on line to prepare. My kind of yard!
So? Onward.
I paid $40 for a designing consultation session about sprucing up the yard (the front and the back). Bless the designer's heart, because I showed up a few minutes late into the hour and did not have measurements. No wait, stop and consider the ridiculousness of this. No measurements. For the yard. I guess I thought she would just know. As patiently as she could with little judgment and no ridicule, she drew up my designs with pictures from my first post about this goal and some input from a friend who helped me clean up the yard a few weekends ago; he joined us on FaceTime.
Now, don't get me wrong, I really enjoy hearing a person talk about their passion, especially women, but she was really over my head in a lot of what she was saying. Things like "you can arregate the soil and it will change the color of the plant" and "is it a you tree (actually a "ey ewe" tree). Twelve minutes into it, all I was thinking about was how much money it would cost for me to have someone come and do all of the rest of this for me and well, how much that would seem like cheating.
Though I showed up without measurements (I mean, come on Regina!) I did know what I liked and had it clearly sectioned off on Pinterest) and that redeemed the remainder of the hour with the designer. That is something about myself that I beamed inside about. I do know what I like. Having spent time on that, she was able to get an idea of what was workable and what she should stay away from. She said no to succulents, but I do still think I'd like to try one or two - they are so beautiful.
Here is what she came up with. The one on the left is the backyard and the one on the right is the front and part of the backyard.
There will be hydrangeas, lilacs, feather reed grasses, white baby's breath, angelina sedum (yep, whatever that is), minuet weigela, roses, lavender bushes and even one royal star magnolia tree. There will be black eyed susans and boxwoods too. I want color and depth and a yard that is fairly easy to maintain. There will be some watering required, but I already have cute watering cans for that and some trimming back of the roses, but have been told that this should be fairly easy and can probably watch a video on line to prepare. My kind of yard!
Wanting to know what is in the yard is a large part of what is moving me to consider planting things myself, (roll of eyes, head thrown back dramatically, mini-temper tantrum on the horizon) though I am wondering if there is a way to do both? Have someone else do the installation and still know exactly what is in my yard and how to care for it. There.Must.Be.A.Way. (said like the superheroes when they are striving to save the planet)
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Not willing to be thwarted from the ultimate goal of landscaping the yard, I have still determined that this project can and will be done and prayerfully a large part of it by me. So, I took the measurements; better late than never, right?
Don't they look good? I mean, they are not perfect, but I actually went out to the toolbox and grabbed the measuring tape and measured the spaces so that I can give a more accurate portrait of the yard and purchase enough yard goodies to fill it in and make it look great. I am so very excited about moving one step closer to completion, that I am willing to go back to the store with the measurements tomorrow (on Mother's Day) to order the items and be sure that I have plenty of what I want and "need".
I believe the next step is to pay for said items, ensure that I have plenty and then to have it delivered. Then, I must decide whether I should be the one to plant it all myself, to have helpers or to pay the company to do it myself. I am open to suggestions and tips for pulling this off. While not specifically locked into how it gets done, I am all about hitting the deadline of having a pretty, easy to maintain yard by Friday, May 31st.
Thank you for cheering me on, I want it to be a long lasting success so that we can enjoy it when you come over.
Don't they look good? I mean, they are not perfect, but I actually went out to the toolbox and grabbed the measuring tape and measured the spaces so that I can give a more accurate portrait of the yard and purchase enough yard goodies to fill it in and make it look great. I am so very excited about moving one step closer to completion, that I am willing to go back to the store with the measurements tomorrow (on Mother's Day) to order the items and be sure that I have plenty of what I want and "need".
I believe the next step is to pay for said items, ensure that I have plenty and then to have it delivered. Then, I must decide whether I should be the one to plant it all myself, to have helpers or to pay the company to do it myself. I am open to suggestions and tips for pulling this off. While not specifically locked into how it gets done, I am all about hitting the deadline of having a pretty, easy to maintain yard by Friday, May 31st.
Thank you for cheering me on, I want it to be a long lasting success so that we can enjoy it when you come over.
