Pretty up that front!

The front of the house is sad.  It is sad in that it is so cute, with so much potential but has been neglected for a while.  Dirt and weeds over grown and parched.  It needed help, poor little thing!

I have plans for you!

I decided that I would make most of what I can with found and recycled items.  Craigslist scores and what have you.  I wanted to see how much I could get with out getting new items, I was on a mission to do this as "green" as possible.  Can I just say for the record that I hate that word.  It has lost all it's meaning and has become like a pop word or buzz word and too much is associated with it.  And yet I have used it, so there you go!  Here is a crappy picture of the front taken with a phone, isn't she cute!  I just love this little place.

Needs work!

This place really had potential and I was inspired by the space.  There were so many options that I kept changing my mind and sketching designs only to scrap them with the proclamation that I could do better then that!  Ah, procrastination rears it's ugly head yet again.  Weren't these all just excuses?  Forget about it and dive in and let go!!

The front planter was a great place to start.  Upon further inspection, it was noted that the wall needed some repair work.  Nothing that little replacement brick and some mortar couldn't fix.  There were already water lines with spigots run in the bed and the dirt wasn't in too bad of shape.  I had some Gladiola bulbs and some wild flower seeds that were suppose to attract humming birds and butterflies, so I would start with that.  The Glad's needs were easy to tend to.  Lots of water and full sun.  Oh, you like full sun?  Well you got it sister! 
I just love the tall stalks with those bursts of bright flower buds all around. The height of the flowers are perfect for the recessed property.  You would have no problems viewing the beautiful flowers from the street and it will give the place nice curb appeal.  Well if there was a curb, it would have appeal!

The newly revived pomegranates and juniper

So, it is final, the gladiola bulbs would go in the front planter with the pomegranate bushes and juniper flanking each end. We started repairs on the wall as we ripped out the weeds and newspaper (provided by the previous tenants, cheap mulching I am guessing?) and mixed in some compost dirt and manure.  Tilling up the dirt and shooing all the spiders that had taken up residence there in the long absence of humans was tough work. 

Dear husband Noah got the drip irrigation started and laid down the tubes making ready for my bulbs. 

Disaster struck!

Heat wave :( 

That and coupled with a sudden cold sidelined our plans.  Slow going but we trudged on being that summer is right up on us.  This is early June already and this 104 degree heat is draining.


I do my best work at dusk anyways!