This past weekend, my mother-in-law, the master gardener, came to help in the yard. The overgrown shrubs, trees, and vines were something of a dread for us. We thought we would just rip out most of it and start from scratch. My mother-in-law, however, saw the potential behind the weeds.
At 8:00 am, on a day with record-breaking heat, we set off with the largest offender - the magnolia. It is rather close to the house and previously blocked four windows. After putting the trimmers to good use, we are now able to see out of our living room (2 windows.) Hooray! The light in there is amazing and being able to see the front yard is wonderful.
Next we moved to the shrubbery. Our yew was out of control and may be beyond saving, however we were able to make it somewhat manageable for the time being. The unidentifiable bushes in front of hubby's office were diseased and dying. After ripping them out we found a small and slightly pathetic holly; hopefully ridding it of its surrounding neighbors will give it new life.
After these changes, I realized that we had another magnolia; it was kind of hidden before. We gave it the same treatment as the first, but the branches were larger. Our struggling must have been evident because our neighbor lent us hand saws, which took care of them quickly. I am proud to say, you can tell the magnolia is a tree.
The clean up on the side of the house with hubby's office was one of the biggest changes. Before, the office was dark in the afternoon. Now, the office has to have the shades drawn or it will be too bright! The various trees, weeds, and vines were removed to reveal hostas (a favorite of hubby's.) We were a little afraid to remove the two trees, which we discovered were giant formidable weeds since they provide shade to the favored plants. We've decided the weed trees will live to see another day; I'm not sure about another winter, though.
We ended the day at 6:30pm after chopping up the various debris in order to bag and bundle it for waste management yard pick-up. Ah, the benefits of the burbs. :-)
Pictures of the master bedroom to come!
At 8:00 am, on a day with record-breaking heat, we set off with the largest offender - the magnolia. It is rather close to the house and previously blocked four windows. After putting the trimmers to good use, we are now able to see out of our living room (2 windows.) Hooray! The light in there is amazing and being able to see the front yard is wonderful.
Next we moved to the shrubbery. Our yew was out of control and may be beyond saving, however we were able to make it somewhat manageable for the time being. The unidentifiable bushes in front of hubby's office were diseased and dying. After ripping them out we found a small and slightly pathetic holly; hopefully ridding it of its surrounding neighbors will give it new life.
After these changes, I realized that we had another magnolia; it was kind of hidden before. We gave it the same treatment as the first, but the branches were larger. Our struggling must have been evident because our neighbor lent us hand saws, which took care of them quickly. I am proud to say, you can tell the magnolia is a tree.
The clean up on the side of the house with hubby's office was one of the biggest changes. Before, the office was dark in the afternoon. Now, the office has to have the shades drawn or it will be too bright! The various trees, weeds, and vines were removed to reveal hostas (a favorite of hubby's.) We were a little afraid to remove the two trees, which we discovered were giant formidable weeds since they provide shade to the favored plants. We've decided the weed trees will live to see another day; I'm not sure about another winter, though.
We ended the day at 6:30pm after chopping up the various debris in order to bag and bundle it for waste management yard pick-up. Ah, the benefits of the burbs. :-)
Pictures of the master bedroom to come!
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