More Than I Could Chew

You know that saying? The one about biting off more than you can chew? Yeh, that pretty much sums up my adventures in landscaping.

Last summer, Mr. Mel and I did alot of work, ALOT of work by ourselves. I did my own landscape plan, we hauled, shoveled, lifted, dug, mulched....but there is still plenty of work to be done to get the yard to a place that I'd consider "done".

This project is just too big for me to get done without help, so Mr. Mel and I have hired a professional landscaper to finish what we started. The control freak in my is having a meltdown. But at the same time I think it's important to recognize when we're in over our heads, and to ask for help.

We will still be getting our hands dirty, but I'm looking forward to having a pro fix and problem solve some areas that I lack the knowledge to tackle on my own.

Our front yard has a steeper grade than I realized that must be retained and have levels built in. This is way beyond what I am comfortable handling on my own. The overall design for the front yard will stay as-is, but we will have stone edge installed to hold in our soil and mulch (which seems to run off during every rain) and to provide a finished edge against the sod.

The front patio will be moved further out from the house and will be made about 4 feet larger, and a planter and pergola will be built for shade and interest.

Switzer's Nursery & Landscaping

They'll also be grading near the road to create a more gradual ditch that will be much easier to mow.

Many of our cedars and a few other plants didn't or barely survived the harsh winter (and hungry rabbits and deer), so the landscaper will be replacing some and relocating others.

Our subdivision was pasture land for many decades and, as a result, there are some very stubborn weeds and grasses that will take a few years to permanently kill off. They'll also be hauling in yards and yards of mulch to fill up the beds and help control the weeds.

The backyard will get new brick flower bed edging, mulch, some grading work, and a stacked stone seating wall around the patio and built in bbq area.

For the front and rear yards we'll get detailed planting plans that we can follow over the next few years to fill in our beds as we kill off our wild weeds and grasses.

I'm excited to share photos as this project gets underway.