Flowerbed Makeover Part One

July- Southeast corner of the house, front yard

Earlier this month, when my oldest daughter was here visiting, she helped me pull weeds and clear this large flower bed out.  It starts beside the driveway, follows along the front of the house and wraps around the side all the way to the back corner of the house.  We left all of the mature plants in place, only pulling one type of perennial, weeds, grass, and wild strawberries.  The strawberries are invasive, forming a thick ground cover that hardly produces any berries.  The berries are really small too, only about the size of a raisin.  Once cleaned out, only 4 hydrangeas, mulch & 2 solar lanterns were added.

Here's a little tour~

July- "Before" Southern end of house

Most of the weeds pulled

Just some stubborn wild strawberries left

Still working on those strawberry vines

You guessed it- strawberry vines!

All of that green vine cover....wild strawberries

Front bed, mostly East facing, beside the driveway & walkway, 

strawberries hadn't taken over here...yet

Day lilies in bloom 

"After"  Clarissa Hydrangea planted at very end (will fill out to 2-3 foot diameter), 

solar lantern added, still need to do something with the trellis & would like to find another 
lilac tree to fill that empty wall area...that's a lilac tree in the bed to the right.

"After" Lilac tree, with another Clarissa Hydrangea planted beside it (can't see it from this angle)

"After" Clarissa Hydrangea barely visible, rhododendron, trellis with new clematis 

"After" Another angle of this end of the house

I bought this and the smaller trellis at our local farmer's market.  

They were made by a local, elderly man.

"After" Sister Theresa Hydrangea, will fill out to 5-6 foot diameter

"After" Sister Theresa Hydrangea, Lamb's Ears, Asiatic Lilies, 

and a few other plants I haven't been able to identify

The "crazy" tree.  I'm not sure I really like this tree so close to the house.  I have a feeling 
it'll be cut down one day.  Just doesn't seem like a good idea to have it here.

"After" Bombshell Hydrangea and solar lantern added

Bombshell Hydrangea- will spread to 3-4 foot diameter

"After" Strawberries are gone, mostly.  I still find a few pushing through the mulch 
and pull them out.  I have a feeling I'll be fighting them for a few years.

"After"  Much cleaner look, but may add a few plants here and there for color.

"After"  Looks good, but not sure if I want to keep the 4 grass clumps.  

Maybe I should divide them and edge more of the bed with them?

"After" Part of our front porch, looks much better than before

Thanks for taking the little tour.  I'll be posting "part two" to share photos of the flower bed with the wooden bench.  It received a makeover as well.