I didn't actually retire...

[Abby Normal]

... I became a landscaper. And I have the farmer's tan to prove it! We hired a crew for the front yard. We did the side door ourselves. The backyard is still a work in progress leftover from last fall. A little hardscaping is next (walkways, patio, etc.).

Our life will involve a lot of watering over the summer, but we're as happy as we are tired.
 

There will be a rose trellis on the right side and some evergreen bushes on the left.

Our side door.

A flagstone walkway from the driveway to the front door that follows the curve of the bed goes here.

[Margaret CPA in OH]

That's all so beautiful!  We have some work to do but not so extensive as yours. Did you do your own design?  It's really nice.

About 30 years ago, realizing that there was too much shade in the front, we put in ground cover on one side of the walk and a rock feature that looks like a stream on the other side.  Perennials were interspersed and we supplement with some annuals.  Twice yearly we have a big cleanup.  The ground cover is evergreen so the front always looks decent.  The back, well, it belongs to the deer, birds (it's a certified wildlife habitat), lots of moles and chipmunks with a few raccoons meandering through.  With an acre of woods and a creek it's hard to do much else.

Rest easy and enjoy this work of art.

[Elrod]

Super work Abby, You must have one of these......

[Donnarae]

It looks great! Man, that’s alotta work!

[Abby Normal]

We had a professional designer work with us, but we told her the size and shapes of the beds, and gave her a list of plants we liked. Thanks, everyone!

[Patrick Michael]

A lot of hard work, but definitely worth it.  Looks great! 

[KATHERINE]

so neat!  

[Abby Normal]

We bought some cheap Solar LED spotlights to highlight the plants at night, and the serpentine cedar makes a creepy shadow on the wall.

in

[Lion EA]

You can have a lot of fun for Halloween!

[Catherine]

It looks beautiful!  Enjoy the fruits of all your labors.

[Abby Normal]

1 hour ago, Lion EA said:

You can have a lot of fun for Halloween!

My thought exactly.

[Randall]

My landscaping.

 

[BulldogTom]

when you get done cutting that up and splitting it, you want to truck a cord or two over to me?   That looks like a summer of work.

Tom
Longview, TX

[Catherine]

Looks like Randall got the essential parts done. The rest can follow at his leisure! Maybe BulldogTom will mosey on over to help him.

[Randall]

That was from a recent hike in eastern Ky.  The Sheltowee Trace.  Mother Nature did the honors.

 

[KATHERINE]

That little tree looks cute in day light though.  Anyone grow real fruit trees?

[Catherine]

5 hours ago, KATHERINE said:

Anyone grow real fruit trees?

Our house has a big ole pear tree planted when the house was built (as was common back then - neighborhood is peppered with pear, apple, and peach trees in back yards). I have since planted two dwarf apple trees and a second dwarf pear tree (big tree is definitely showing its age and won't last forever - 70 years is a long time for a fruit tree).  Also had a peach but the rabbits girdled it one winter (they got through my not-sturdy-enough fencing) and it died.  Keep meaning to replace it, the question is where to put it 'cuz the original tree's spot isn't as good due to some changes a neighbor made.  

We get about 300# of pears from the one big tree and give them away by the bushel in September.  We can only eat, and I can only can, so many, after which it's give away or throw away.  The dwarf apple trees keep us in fresh, cooking, and sauce apples until....... about now.  I have just enough left from last fall to make one more cake, and then there won't be more until September/October.  The dwarf pear is a relatively new tree, and this is the first year we have pears on it.  Need to thin them out, so it won't over-tax a growing plant.  Another advantage of the dwarf trees is that they only get to about 8' tall.  Yes, you can prune standard trees to that height, but you need to be a lot more aggressive and on top of them, and prime pruning season is late Feb/early Mar and for some unknown reason that time frame tends to be a tad bit busy around here!

[Abby Normal]

Catherine having dwarf trees makes me snicker.

[Abby Normal]

We put in a succulent garden with various sedum, daisies, yarrow and Beekeeper Caryopteris along the driveway, and it's doing very well.

[BulldogTom]

1 hour ago, Abby Normal said:

Catherine having dwarf trees makes me snicker.

So she can reach the fruit on the bottom branches.....

Tom
Longview, TX

[Sara EA]

I was so proud of myself after putting in a new shrub bed--spent a few weeks visiting local nurseries picking out just the right plants, then supervising hubby digging the perfect holes, adding the good nutrients, mulching, etc.  Abby clearly outdid me in square footage and money and effort spent!  And you can't just sit back and enjoy.  New plants need deep watering, especially in this unseasonably hot weather.  I've been spending a good half hour twice a week on watering,  surely eclipsed by the amount of time Abby has to spend.  Isn't it nice to have projects that go beyond measuring how many inches were reduced off our stack of paperwork each day?  Randall's photo reminds me of our yard in CT when the tornado came through.

[KATHERINE]

On 5/31/2022 at 8:30 PM, Catherine said:

Our house has a big ole pear tree planted when the house was built (as was common back then - neighborhood is peppered with pear, apple, and peach trees in back yards). I have since planted two dwarf apple trees and a second dwarf pear tree (big tree is definitely showing its age and won't last forever - 70 years is a long time for a fruit tree).  Also had a peach but the rabbits girdled it one winter (they got through my not-sturdy-enough fencing) and it died.  Keep meaning to replace it, the question is where to put it 'cuz the original tree's spot isn't as good due to some changes a neighbor made.  

We get about 300# of pears from the one big tree and give them away by the bushel in September.  We can only eat, and I can only can, so many, after which it's give away or throw away.  The dwarf apple trees keep us in fresh, cooking, and sauce apples until....... about now.  I have just enough left from last fall to make one more cake, and then there won't be more until September/October.  The dwarf pear is a relatively new tree, and this is the first year we have pears on it.  Need to thin them out, so it won't over-tax a growing plant.  Another advantage of the dwarf trees is that they only get to about 8' tall.  Yes, you can prune standard trees to that height, but you need to be a lot more aggressive and on top of them, and prime pruning season is late Feb/early Mar and for some unknown reason that time frame tends to be a tad bit busy around here!

Catherine, I have a lot fruit trees too.    Once I heard someone referred my home as " The house with a lot fruit trees at the corner."    I have pear, apple, quince apple, cherry, fig, persimmon, strawberry, pomegranates, peaches, melons and a chuck berry.  Blue berry died already.     Sounds a lot, but they are not doing well.  My fruit trees are dying.  No fruit from persimmon for last two years, no fruit from peaches because the leaves dried up by it self. , Cherry is too young.    I dont know what to do now.  

[Catherine]

10 hours ago, KATHERINE said:

  I dont know what to do now.  

First thought: are they getting enough water and enough sun and fertilizer? If yes, contact your county extension service or a tree specialist, and have them take a look. Good luck!

[Catherine]

Just for that, @Abby Normaland @BulldogTomyou two don't get any slices of the apple-walnut cake that I just made this morning. That'll learn you!

[WITAXLADY]

super job! looks great - My landscaping is still in the pots as I still have too many taxes to do yet!

d