The Garden

Not only are we working on the entire inside of our home, but the outside as well.  We live on a .75 acre lot with a few trees behind and on one side.  When we moved in both sides of the yard were completely lined with dead pine trees.  They were so unsightly so taking them down was a priority.  Now we have a lot of open space and the challenge of making an open yard feel cozy.  

My husband has a degree in Landscape Contracting and currently is in charge of the grounds at a local college.  Landscaping and gardening is a passion we both share. Together we put a lot of time and energy into our gardens.  The house we left behind had a small cozy backyard...perfect for creating different areas of interest all around the yard.  This house is different and requires a different approach.

We have already added many small trees such as Crab Apple, Kwanzan Cherry, and Japanese Maple trees along with Hydrangeas and Vibernums.  The bed you see in the middle of the front yard is new as well.  Being on a budget we shop the sales and especially raid the end of season selections which allows us to buy a lot for a small price.  

We also are passionate about eating healthy and growing nutritious food for our family.  We eat a lot of produce so having our own vegetable garden is important for the budget. This past weekend my mom took the kids so my husband and I decided to start fencing in a 24x32' space off the back deck.  There are deer, rabbits, and dogs, etc. in the neighborhood so we decided to provide the protection right from the beginning.  Here is a look at the progress so far.

My husband does side work and was recently blessed with a job that brought home these beautiful boxwood shrubs.  We decided to section off and cozy up the fire pit area which also directs the eye to the vegetable garden.  We will be adding more shrubs in the near future for privacy and to soften the space a bit.  I really like how it's turning out.  The door to the vegetable garden is a screen door that I picked up at the Restore for $10.00.  Not too bad.  I will be staining or painting it one of these days.  I didn't plan on using it outside but it gives a nice cottage touch, don't you think?

We still have a lot of work to do in the vegetable garden.  I will keep you posted as we get the rest of the fence built and the beds put in.  One more project partially finished!!  Never a dull moment around here!