A Post about The Post

Since we bought our house, we've spent most of our time, energy, and cash working on the inside...which has been great! But, that's meant that the yard hasn't gotten the attention that it deserves, and so desperately needs in order to get it where we want it to be.

Bobby does an excellent job keeping the lawn (which is getting more and more brown by the day, through no fault of Bobby's and despite his valiant efforts to keep it alive...which has grown more and more difficult thanks to Royal's treatment of the sprinkler...but I digress) mowed on a regular basis. This act in itself is more attention than the yard had been getting before we moved in, but the flower beds are overgrown with weeds (there's only so much we can do, Grandma!), and there are shrubs that have turned into trees. 

I'm really hoping that next year (or even this fall, perhaps?) we'll be able to focus a bit more on outside projects. That seems likely. 

But, we have been able to make some progress lately in the landscaping department....

The lamp post in the front yard (I think of Narnia every time I say that..."lamp post"....) had a clematis plant attempting to climb it...key word, "attempting". It was really just more of a mess, and the look was quite dated. So, it had to go. (We still have a clematis in the back yard that is thriving, so I didn't feel quite so terrible ripping this one out in the front.)

Much better. Except that then we were left with the issue of the rotting wood at the base...which isn't quite the look we're going for. So, it had to go, too. 

After the wood was gone, the initial thought was to create a rock border around the base instead. So, we carried (okay, Bobby carried; I was on doggy-duty) lots of rocks from the backyard that had previously been used near the fountain. 

The fountain, I should mention, is no more. My sister said months ago that we "aren't fountain people", and though I can't say that I agree with her entirely, it was seeming to be more of a hassle than it was worth. Yes, the sound of trickling water was pleasant, but Royal was growing interested in the area, we didn't want to mess with chlorine tablets, we weren't particularly excited about paying for the electricity to run the thing...and, well, we know what it was doing to the bird population. So, when the pump stopped working and the standing water attracted bunches of Japanese beetles, we decided that enough was enough. Out came the fountain.

Anyway, Bobby carried lots of rocks to the front of the house, and I arranged them around the flower bed. And, wouldn't you know, I didn't like the finished look of it at all. It did coordinate well with the other rock landscaping around the yard, but it just wasn't working for me there. So, the rocks were removed...again (thanks, dear!)...and now we've decided to flatten out the dirt, lose the flower bed, and just let the grass grow around the lamp post. (Sweet Mr. Tumnus....)

I'll keep you posted. Pun most-definitely intended.