I've become a bit more sensitive about the way my front yard looks. It looks like we have kids. I looks like we haven't spent time weeding. It looks like a mess. It's been neglected for five years and it's high time it was beautified. (Honestly, the back yard isn't much better, but because most of it is behind the house, you can't tell.)
So, for Mother's Day I did something a bit out of the ordinary for me. I bought some flowers to place on my porch as a kickoff to "Project Yard." Robinson and I made some flower stands out of some old wood that once were stairs. (We think they were anyway. It seems that the people who owned the house before us had the nasty habit of buying wood, pounding nails in it, then chucking it in a big pile behind the house. We inherited a large wood pile that we used to make some patio chairs and a small table out of. Now that the 2x4s are gone, there are lots of little scrap pieces and lots of 2x6s.)
I even found a thing - wire shelf? quilt holder? display something? - at the Transfer Station that I wrapped plastic around and placed the tomatoes in as a pseudo-greenhouse. They are looking lovely indeed!
Added proof of how resourceful I actually am - see the door mat in the pictures? I made that out of an old carpet square and duct tape.
Next year I'd like to get some juniper bushes for the front of the house. I've seen some lovely ferns around town that I would love to have in my yard, but I believe they are shade loving, so I probably won't be able to put them in the front yard. It's much too sunny, which is great for the greenhouse, but not so nice for shade-loving plants. Maybe they'll be happier behind the house or the garage...
Next year I also plan on growing my own flowers so that I won't have to buy any. I have a lot of annual seeds I brought back after my grandmother's funeral a couple years ago. I really should start using them. Maybe I'll grow some extra for my other mom friends (and my own mom!) for Mother's Day 2013.
The side deck is getting some love, too. After several years of not having a place to sit on our patio, we finally finished two chairs* this summer (one we started on late last summer). We need to sand and paint or stain them, but considering they were made out of scrap 2x4s that we found all over the yard, they don't look bad indeed! We're still working on a table and a bench. Both need some 1x4s which we don't have in our yard so we'll have to buy them. All in all, I estimate that all of our patio furniture (2 chairs, 2 tables, and a bench) will cost us less than $50. Not bad and a great use for old wood!
Blessed be.
* The chairs and little table were made using a book called 2x4 Furniture: Simple, Inexpensive, and Great-Looking Projects You Can Make by Stevie Henderson. It has lots of indoor and outdoor furniture. It has lots of pictures and the instructions are very clear and easy to follow. Robinson and I bought the book for $0.50 at a Goodwill down in Washington before we got married. It's been extremely helpful in making our home look beautiful!
So, for Mother's Day I did something a bit out of the ordinary for me. I bought some flowers to place on my porch as a kickoff to "Project Yard." Robinson and I made some flower stands out of some old wood that once were stairs. (We think they were anyway. It seems that the people who owned the house before us had the nasty habit of buying wood, pounding nails in it, then chucking it in a big pile behind the house. We inherited a large wood pile that we used to make some patio chairs and a small table out of. Now that the 2x4s are gone, there are lots of little scrap pieces and lots of 2x6s.)
I even found a thing - wire shelf? quilt holder? display something? - at the Transfer Station that I wrapped plastic around and placed the tomatoes in as a pseudo-greenhouse. They are looking lovely indeed!
Added proof of how resourceful I actually am - see the door mat in the pictures? I made that out of an old carpet square and duct tape.
Next year I'd like to get some juniper bushes for the front of the house. I've seen some lovely ferns around town that I would love to have in my yard, but I believe they are shade loving, so I probably won't be able to put them in the front yard. It's much too sunny, which is great for the greenhouse, but not so nice for shade-loving plants. Maybe they'll be happier behind the house or the garage...
The side deck is getting some love, too. After several years of not having a place to sit on our patio, we finally finished two chairs* this summer (one we started on late last summer). We need to sand and paint or stain them, but considering they were made out of scrap 2x4s that we found all over the yard, they don't look bad indeed! We're still working on a table and a bench. Both need some 1x4s which we don't have in our yard so we'll have to buy them. All in all, I estimate that all of our patio furniture (2 chairs, 2 tables, and a bench) will cost us less than $50. Not bad and a great use for old wood!
Blessed be.
* The chairs and little table were made using a book called 2x4 Furniture: Simple, Inexpensive, and Great-Looking Projects You Can Make by Stevie Henderson. It has lots of indoor and outdoor furniture. It has lots of pictures and the instructions are very clear and easy to follow. Robinson and I bought the book for $0.50 at a Goodwill down in Washington before we got married. It's been extremely helpful in making our home look beautiful!
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