Spring Green

I just adore this time of the year in the South. Everything has greened up, the days are getting longer and the weather makes it very pleasant to be outside. We spent the time between Honey’s big 40th trip and his party getting the yard in ship shape order. You know, fun chores like spreading pine straw, pulling weeds and painting the garden fence (compliments of the littles). In the end, it was so worth it!

I shared the newest addition to my ever-growing Bronwyn Hanahan door hanger collection earlier in the week. It’s a perfectly punchy pop on the front door for Spring!

I also picked one up for our garage door. We use this door a hundred times for every one time we use the front door! Since I’ve pretty much covered all seasons and holidays on the front, I’ve been picking up cute additions for this door as I find them. This colorful bike had me at hello. It is also by Bronwyn Hanahan.

 

Even with the back porch addition, we still use this little driveway seating area on a daily basis while waiting for the bus, taking a break from basketball or what have you.

 

I have really, really been trying to add to our landscaping over the last three years. It seems like an uphill battle at times. My hostas are exploding this year and can probably be divided (I sound savvy but I’m not). On the flip side, I lost my jasmine around the arbor AGAIN this year and have started over with a hardier variety. I have also planted at least five different things around the fountain on the far right to have had all of them die except for a few stray hostas. Yard work is no joke :-)
In addition to the success with hostas, the annabelle hydrangeas are still going strong back here. I have a ton of them in the yard, but these are the only two really thriving. Funny thing is that they are planted in old metal in-ground trash cans. Maybe I’m on to something… my neighbors will really think I’ve lost it when I start burying metal trash cans all over creation.
I always add potato vine to my pots. It lasts all the way through fall and into early winter, even when everything else is leggy or dead.

 

 

There are still some spots in the grass that need to green up, but the littles play HARD back here every day so Honey said this might be the best we get. I’m okay with that… what’s the fun of having a big flat back yard if you can’t play in it?!?

Here you can see our dilapidated play set. I’ve been reluctant to take it down because the baby is still really just a baby. But haws and squirrels have done a number on it and I’m afraid it might be unsafe. I’m thinking of replacing it with a pergola and a small seating area OR a grilling area but really can’t decide. I’d love your ideas!! We already have the fireplace on the porch so I don’t want to add a fire pit. That’s the only thing I know I don’t want. You can also just barely make out the zip line back behind the play set in the wooded area.

We added this path and light landscaping out to the golf course last spring. It was really hard to trek back there before. We added the path lights this spring when we did the other exterior lighting. I see someone has left a yellow dump truck behind one of the hydrangeas…

Our garden is back in full swing after taking a cool-season break. This year we scaled back to just two beds of veggies and used the third for a flower cutting garden!! Hello, 40×41 list!! The littles painted the fence for me on Mother’s Day.

Well, that about sums it up! I’m trying REAL hard people!!!!!!!!!! I dream of a lushly planted property with blooms at all times, but that is not an easy feat… especially for a girl that only tolerates the outdoors and doesn’t enjoy sweating.
xoxo

PS. If you want to see our before and after pics for kicks, look here!

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24 thoughts on “Spring Green

  1. You know, it IS a lot of work! I have the same dream… but I'm only just now coming into the realization that im not going to have a live-on-property gardener any time soon. So, I do the best I can! I think you've done a fantastic job!

    You were the inspiration behind our driveway seating area… I realized how perfect that would be last year & had everything to make it happen & it is used multiple times per day.

    Hope y'all have a great first week of June! xo

  2. Your home and yard look great! You're really making me want some of those door hangers ;-)
    If you're looking for something for the kids to play with to replace the swing set, you might consider a trampoline. I know they are somewhat tacky, but our trampoline has been the most used thing we've ever bought for our back yard. You could get an "in ground" one that would hardly be visible.

  3. I agree…Yard work is HARD! And who knew how grass is such a complicated thing. I thought they just grew anywhere and everywhere :) Your backyard looks divine. We decided against a playset because mind is getting so big. As a compromise, we got them a trampoline. They love it and it's easy to remove and haul out once they are over it!

  4. Everything looks just beautiful! Love the Annabel hydrangeas. Oak leaf hydrangea would do great in your yard in the shaded areas.

    Have you considered a climbing rose on the arbor or a clematis vine? You could do a vine on each side and it'll meet together. It'll come back year after year. The climbing rose gets pretty heavy, but really l early blooms.

    I bet if you take some pics to pike nursery they'll give you lots of suggestions!

    Betsy Gordon
    West of the Square Designs

  5. You home looks gorgeous!! I love the front and side door hangers and the drive way sitting area is a great idea! I would love to do that at my house since that is where we spend so much time during the evenings, my little girl loves to play on her swing sit with the neighbors and I would love a place to sit down & watch her. Love seeing all your pics!

  6. Your whole yard is beautiful! You have done a great job with all of your landscaping and everything looks so neat. We need to do an overhaul on some of our plants. Some have gotten overgrown and out of control. I had my "landscaper' plant a few things and he arrived with different plants than I told him. (He is basically a lawn mowing guy who does landscaping things that we tell him. We used to have a real landscaper until we decided to save money.) Anyway, he tells me if I am not happy when it's done, he will take the plants back. So I say to him and his guys, " Well, I will trust you since I'm no expert." And he responds with "Neither are we!" Yes, just what you want to hear from someone you are paying to take care of your yard. Ugh! My husband tries to save money but we end up paying in the long run….
    Enjoy your day and that beautiful yard. We are getting a ton of rain up here today and tomorrow.
    Shelley

  7. I hear ya. I love our large yard, but it is a LOT of work. My girlfriend created a patio area that is just darling. We are going to use her idea for our backyard. She took large galvanized buckets, that they cemented 4X4 posts in (she covered the concrete that was showing around the top with oyster shells), then they strung outdoor lights from them in an X pattern. She has adirondack chairs and a firepit, but it would be cute with just some type of seating. They mixed pavers with pretty grass for the area as well. I will see if I can get a picture tonight when I am there for a prayer meeting.

  8. Amanda, I think it looks great! I don't have a green thumb either and we have major deer problems. We have hosts right at the front door and they come right up to eat those. I hope after we have more trees cut down and new siding put on this fall, we can have a landscape designer come and help us figure something out!!! I love your garden space and hope to implement that next spring. I love the little fence which will be fantastic for keeping the dogs out! I love the idea of the gazebo in the space where the play area is bit I will continue to think of something special.

    The other day I saw a wooden screen door that matches your porch. It was an in-stock item.

  9. It looks beautiful.

    For your fountain area, try either knockout roses or lantana. Both are very tolerant of our Southern heat and lantana can go forever without being watered.

    1. Agree! Our knockout roses love the sun. I just cut them back last week and they are already blooming again. Also, limelight hydrangeas love the sun.

  10. Keep the playset a while longer, unless it's unsafe. My kids are 9, 11, 15 and 17 and they all still use ours in some way or another (The oldest 3 jump off it onto the trampoline!) I agree with the others about a trampoline. Ours gets a ton of use from all the kids! Another idea…we also have a slack line which gets used quite a bit. Your home and yard are beautiful and I look forward to reading your blog every day!

  11. Love your beautiful home and enjoy reading your daily posts! I wanted to tell you that we just got back from an amazing Disney Cruise, and we had the best time! I read your Cruise tips and tricks and it helped us so much, so thank you for all your detailed Disney posts! We are Disney fanatics like you guys, but it is always nice to see someone else's ideas and tips. Happy Summer!

  12. I think a shed – converted to a clubhouse – would be SUPER fun for the boys, now that they are getting a bit older. The nice thing is that when they outgrow it, you can use it for storage (gardening tools, etc). Trampolines are fun, but I have personally witnessed a few gruesome accidents with friends' kids, so I have difficulty recommending them because of the safety factor.
    Best,
    Michelle from simplysantabarbara.blogspot.com

  13. Landscaping and yard/garden upkeep is never ending because we are dealing with living plants. I do have a suggestion for the areas you have trouble with plants dying. Dig up the root ball and see if the roots have been eaten, common case of plant die off. If the roots look healthy; firm, plentiful, plump then test the soil and make sure that area is not over or under watered. Because you are not the first owners there is no way to be certain something was not dumped/spilled in those areas. You have success in other areas in the yard so I think there is something different about the soil and or root eating critters. Good Luck.

  14. Yard work is hard work!! Your yard looks great, those hostas look healthy even in the pictures! If the kids don't care about the little lawn spots, then just let them run around outside! Agree, no point in a big lawn if you can't use it!!

  15. Your landscaping in front had really filled in this past year!!! I hear you on loving a lush lawn but not all the manual labor associated with it!

  16. Your yard looks great! Everything you do looks great so don't beat yourself up at all. Like everyone else said, yard work requires grit and time. As time goes by you'll figure out what works where and it will get so much easier.

  17. Beautiful! What type of Jasmine have you tried so far? Madison Star is supposed to be very hardy and grow well in Atl. What type of fencing did you use for your garden? Mine needs an overhaul! I think a seating area in the play set area would be a nice addition, we have a fire pit (I know you don't need another one!) in a wooded area in our yard and it feels so "far away and rustic" from the rest of our yard, a little retreat.

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