Thoughts for Thursday: Landscaping Overhaul

Thursday, March 31, 2016

I would die if our yard (and house) looked like this

When we moved into our house, it was flipped and the landscaping had been redone before we moved in. It looked so clean and crisp and we didn't mind the plants that were picked but we soon learned that it wasn't done 100% right. Apparently our previous owners were European and loved to garden - looking at google maps, you could see plants all on the side of the house and front yard and our back yard was an absolute disaster. Everything was cleaned up and kept nice when we bought it but a few months after moving in, we realized that none of the old plants were properly dug up.

Our yard looked so crisp when we moved in! (We still need to pressure wash the driveway and sidewalks)

Certain types of plants keep.coming.back; no matter how many times we pull out the roots, they always come back. Last year, we decided that we wanted to redo most of the landscaping but wanted to do some of it ourselves. After pulling out the plants on one side and the back of the house, we quickly realized this was more than we could handle so we agreed to hire a professional to give our yard a total overhaul.

Here are some of the highlights we'd like for the yard:

  1. Remove/redo all the plants in the front yard but keep the green/yellow plants and shape them up into short hedges
  2. Get rid of all the mulch and replace with dark rock
  3. Redo all of the concrete "trim"
  4. Get all of the tree beds cleaned up
  5. Get the back yard cleaned up where we removed previous bushes and plant new ones
  6. Keep things clean-lined and simple for minimal upkeep
  7. Remove 2 pine trees in the back yard (Stephen is desperate to get this done)
I love the clean(er) lines and staggered plants in the two pictures below and I'd love to add some color like in the 3rd picture.




So instead of it being a quick project, it's turned into basically a total overhaul. We got a quote last fall for some smaller adjustments but the company never got back in touch with me which makes me glad because we actually need more done than we thought. I'm sure our neighbors will be thrilled once we get everything cleaned up - one lady gave Stephen a passive aggressive suggestion on how to clean up the weeds lol

We're hoping to visit a few nursery's this weekend to get an idea of what type of plants would be best for Florida (I would die for some beautiful hydrangea bushes but I don't think they'll stand a change in the FL heat) and prices before going out to get quotes from landscaping companies. If y'all have any tips please let me know!!

Linking up with Annie and Jessica.

9 comments:

  1. Loving the inspiration pics! Our house was a complete disaster in terms of landscaping when we moved in and we decided to let a professional come in and clean it all up, and let me tell you: it was WORTH the money! Can't wait to see what y'all do! :)

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  2. Why does my yard not look like that picture!?? I don't even have a yard because we live in an apartment in the city, but I will keep dreaming. Landscaping makes SUCH a difference in homes.

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  3. when I first got to your post, I thought that first house was yours and i was like freaking out and was going to ask all your big money secrets! haha
    why is yard work so expensive and whyyy in the world does it take so much time!? good luck!

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  4. Ahhh! I have been researching my tail off on how to clean up our landscaping. I have found so many ideas on Pinterest, I'm just scared I'll mess it up lol. My dad has a huge green thumb and growing up he always had our landscaping in topnotch condition, so I'm going to be getting all his advice, tips, and help!! I can't wait to see what y'all come up with!! :)

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  5. Oh man, this is HUGE on our spring to do list - our yard is kind of a mess! The previous owners just let everything overgrow and we're still trying to clear out all of the crap they left. I love all of these inspiration pictures!

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  6. That first picture...ummm can I just live there forever?

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  7. It's amazing how much some yardwork TLC can do for a home! Hydrangeas bushes are my absolute favorite!

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    1. Yes!! I'm hoping ours is transformed before our eyes ;) Hydrangeas are my favorite flower ever!!

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  8. Landscaping can be a big job! And expensive too! Can't wait to see what you do with your beautiful yard:)

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