Welcome to the 383rd Metamorphosis Monday!
Looking forward to all the wonderful Before and Afters for this Metamorphosis Monday!
Happy Memorial Day to you. This weekend I’ve been working out front. When I last left you, I had a couple of shrubs in the ground. See them there in the back?
Today, this side looks like this. Yay for progress!
So far I’ve planted 5 Green Beauty Boxwood, 2 Baby Gem Boxwood, 1 Green Tower Boxwood and potted up a tree-form Limelight Hydrangea. At first I was just going to plant the Green Beauty Boxwood, but I decided to mix up the sizes a bit and added in a couple of Baby Gem Boxwood Globe shrubs toward the front. Their mature height is only 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide. That’s a Green Mountain Boxwood in the planter on the right.
About the Limelight Hydrangea at the very back…
I don’t want a lot of color in the front area of my home, I’m going for an understated look, something that feels relaxing and maybe just a little elegant. Last year I purchased a tree form hydrangea to use somewhere here in the front. In the midst of all my planting, I had an idea. Why not place it in a large planter between the windows.
I bought a second hydrangea (the one you see below) and went in search of a REALLY big black pot. I lucked out and found this one at Lowe’s. It was tricky finding two of them that weren’t damaged. The third Lowe’s I checked had two in great condition. You can also find them at Lowe’s online. They were on sale, which was nice. They come in different sizes and the ones I purchased are 21.75-in x 23.5-in. Forgot to clean it off before I took photos so ignore the dirt smudges.
The planter gives the hydrangea height (as opposed to planting it in the ground) which I really like there between the windows.
Those hydrangeas should be happy in there for quite as while because they have lots of growing room. I like that I can move them if I ever decide I don’t want them there anymore. I don’t normally like non-evergreen plants in front of my home, don’t want a bare look come winter time. But with all the evergreen boxwoods in place, one hydrangea won’t bother me.
See that taller shrub in back on the right?
That’s a Monrovia Green Tower Boxwood. I wanted something tall and skinny for this corner and the Green Tower Boxwood should be perfect. It grows to be 1-2 feet wide (this one is already about 1 ft wide) and 9 feet tall.
Last night I googled to see how fast it grows and was surprised to read that it can grow as much as 18 inches a year! Mine may not grow that quickly since it’s in shade for much of the day in that area. Hopefully it will like the light it does get.
I’m so glad to have this side of the porch completed to this point. I still have additional area over here for planting, so there will be updates in the future, I’m sure.
I’m thinking of putting a camellia in this corner where the house attaches to the garage, one of the lower growing camellias like ‘Jacks’. If you have a suggestion for this corner, let me know. I could always put in another Green Tower Boxwood to match the one of the other end.
I may take the day off today, to let my muscles recover. After that, it’s time to get to work over here on this side. I’ve saved a fair amount by doing the planting myself. Pike Nurseries quoted me $1,000 to plant just the 10 Green Beauty Boxwood! So far all my shrubs have come from them, except for the Green Mountain boxwood topiaries I purchased a couple of years ago at Lost Mountain Nursery.
As mentioned earlier, I’ve planted 8 shrubs (5 Green Beauty, 2 Baby Gem, 1 Green Tower) and potted up a hydrangea. I have the same left to do on this side. Imagine what it would have cost if I had let them plant everything!
My lawn care guys quoted much less but I’m enjoying the work and love the overall body workout I’m getting. I sit way too much, so this is good. Achy, but good. Pass me the Advil, please!
The Limelight Hydrangea I bought last year is on a different blooming schedule from the one I just brought home from the nursery. I guess they’ll sync up for next year.
Porch Benches
A couple of folks suggested I move the new porch benches inward a little. Here’s how they looked in my previous post.
Here’s how they look moved inward a couple of inches. Does that look better?
I like that you can see them a bit more from the walkway. They are lined up now with the base of the porch columns and with the grooved column area on either side of the front door. Now I just need a pretty wreath or basket for the front door.
I remembered another pillow I had stashed away and brought it down for a photo today. I can’t leave it out here since it’s not an outdoor pillow and would fade quickly. I’ll be on the look out for a couple of outdoor pillows. I like this lumbar style, it’s such a nice shape for a bench. One day the Green Tower Boxwood will be tall enough to show there against the brick wall behind the bench. You can just barely see it under the bench in this photo.
Happy Memorial Day to you and your family! Are you doing any gardening this weekend?
Update: A couple more photos with all the boxwoods planted. So happy to have them all in! 🙂
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Susan, you have been a busy girl, and your yard shows it. Everything looks beautiful. I love the tree Hydrangea in the pot between the windows. Great idea. Your benches make the porch so inviting. Have you tried Aleve? It works better for me when I need a little pain relief.
Thanks, Laurie! I think I tried it a while back. I should probably buy some and give it another try.
You are a machine! Wow! Go Susan! I can’t imagine doing all that alone. It looks great!
Ah, Susan, the boxwoods are great. As you know, I have all boxwoods in my front landscape, and I really like them, especially now that my balcony redo is complete – yay! The variety I have closest to the house are Green Velvet, and the ones at my gate are Korean boxwoods (hardy for harsh winters). I plant annuals in front of my boxwoods 2X/year, generally pansies in fall (which overwinter nicely to spring), and then summer annuals, which I just put in last week (generally a red, white & blue mix using geraniums, vinca, diamond frost, angelonia & purple queen). I love it when it’s all fresh!
Thanks for hosting us, and letting us all share in the ups and downs of home ownership!
Rita
LOVE the benches Susan! Target has some great and inexpensive outdoor lumbar pillows-
Happy Memorial Day, Susan! The front exterior of your home is classic and elegant! The box woods look fabulous! You have been putting in a lot of hard work! Pam @ Everuday Living
It’s looking so good, Susan! The benches look great! I think you will be pleased with the black. They look great with your shutters and lighting. Thanks for hosting. Have a lovely week ahead. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
That mix of sizes looks so good, Susan. As does moving in the benches a bit. With all the symmetry out front, maybe the camelia would look rather out of place. But all-in-all how elegant your front yard will look when you are done!! Enjoy your day off!
Just wanted to add: Those tree-form hydrangeas are my favorite part along the house–just the perfect touch. Perfect.
Well, Susan, you can now add “landscape artist” to your resume! You are doing a fantastic job and I’m tired and sore just watching all the tasks you are completing. You should be so proud of all your accomplishments. Your neighbors must just sit back in awe when they see you out front hauling shrubs, digging holes, and hoisting benches! And all this with a broken tailbone!! Yes, today should be a day of rest and ice. You are such an inspiration to us all.
All your hard work is paying off. The boxwood look great and your idea to put the tree form of Limelight Hydrangea in the mix is genius. When each hydrangea will bloom will be dictated by how much sun each one gets. If they both have the same sun exposure they should bloom at the same time next year. The black benches look beautiful! Did you know that the American Hydrangea Society is having their annual garden tour in your area on June 11th? I would so love to take that tour. Please go and take lots of pictures. Here is some information. http://americanhydrangeasociety.org/Annual-Garden-Tour Have a restful Memorial Day. Vikki in VA
Goodness, you have been busy! Your yard is looking absolutely fantastic, and I love your benches. Please consider posting before and after pictures when done. You are right,planting is a labor of love and (and a love of labor!) But so wonderful when finished and enjoying.
Everything looks great!! Good job…you are a busy woman!!
I love your benches but would prefer them without pillows. There are no pillows in your inspiration porch photo, and I think it would be more starkly elegant without them. The boxwoods look beautiful and very elegant.
Joellen, that is a very good point. They do feel more elegant without pillows. Maybe I’ll just occasionally use one on a special holiday, like 4th of July or Christmas, but just leave them as is the rest of the time. I like that idea! Thanks for mentioning that, I do agree!
I love the benches on your porch! They really look great! Your garden is looking great too! I vote for the camellia in the corner by the garage, it will look good, stay green in the winter and give your beautiful flowers! It will also give some height to the end of the garden. The big planters are great too, very European! I can’t wait to see it all finished!
The benches are so elegant. Love the shrubbery. And kudos for planting all of them (no easy task!). Have a great day, and thanks for hosting MM.
Everything looks beautiful so far. Love your hydrangea in the black pot. You have the benches positioned perfect. Enjoy your much needed break.
Happy Memorial Day!
P.S.
I’m an Ibuprofin gal. Gel caps. Works great for me. lol
Love the benches – they turned out great! And the landscaping… beautiful! So glad you were able to find the plants at that size. Thanks for posting the update.
Your front porch looks lovely. Thanks for hosting and have a happy holiday!
BRAVO! It is really looking fabulous, Susan. And an added big-time bravo to YOU for doing the work yourself. You are amazing. Well done, ma’am!
I admire your energy and enthusiasm and willingness to do the hard work! Your porch and yard are looking terrific! The benches look better moved forward and I love the idea of the lumbar pillows. I never realized there were so many kinds of boxwood! Looking forward to watching your tall skinny one grow. Great job, Susan! You’ve inspired me to work in our little side yard today–need to spray a few weeds along the little concrete wall, trim and fertilize a couple of camellias. Happy Memorial Day!
Everything is really coming together! I love the benches and those big planters are perfect! Hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend! Hugs…Debbie
You are an inspiration!!!!! Love your benches and the boxwood. We will be on the lookout for the green tower boxwood, have the perfect spot. Thank you for all the info, love your blog.
Love what you grow, and what you love will grow!
Happy Memorial Day to you and your family.
Thank those for the past and present.
Your benches look nice pulled up where they are now.
Landscaping looks great too.
Relax.
Hi Susan! Your boxwoods look wonderful! Thank you for the inspiration as I have gardening to do! 😉 Thank you for hosting today!
Susan, I think your front yard looks absolutely gorgeous, along with the rest of your home. Thanks for hosting the party. I am off to visit some new links (to me). Enjoy your week.
It is really going to look great! I know about planting – bending, squatting, carrying, etc. and the soreness. It’s well worth it when done, but really don’t enjoy that part. Can barely move the next day. But the fresh air and exercise does one good. But let me tell you, here in Texas, the deer visited us last night and ate a lot of my knockout roses and regular roses. and they were on their 2nd bloom for the year. I am not happy with those deer at all!!
Oh, no! That wouldn’t make me happy either, Chrystal. I hope your roses just think they got a gentle pruning and bloom right back out. Wonder what you can do to discourage them from doing that.
Hi Susan. I was going to suggest you move the benches in some, too. So glad you did cause they were giving me the willies. I could see myself (and my big caboose) plopping down with a little too much gusto and sending the bench flying off the back. LOL! They just felt too close to the edge. The way you have them now looks better and feels safer…..to this heebie jeebies prone girl, anyway.
Everything is looking great!!!
Loving it! I’m feeling it for you though planting all those by yourself. I know the burlap shrubs are heavy.
I can’t decide on what I’d plant on the left without seeing this from a backed up point of view but somehow I have a feeling you’ve probably already decided on what to put at the corner already!
The benches are the perfect touch- a nice generous porch deserves a couple of benches!
I marathon planted things last weekend, a bit more through the week and today. Sitting outside enjoying the beauty of the day and catching up on some blog stuff now.
Everything is looking so spiffy! Maybe you should start your own landscape business!!! I like the benches moved in a bit. They show up better. I think the benches make a great statement on the porch. Can’t wait to see how everything will look once finished. I did do a little planting this morning. I found 3 pots of Asiatic Lillies for $4.99 each. The flowers are almost a rust and each pot has 3 lillies and they are blooming plus have buds. Couldn’t pass up that bargain. I put them in the flower bed across the back yard. I planted these 3 together. Now I want to get some more and plant then in 3’s in several spots in the bed. These will come back next year. The rust adds a good contrast to the yellow blooms on some of the other bushes. Take an Advil, put your feet up and fix an Amaretto Sour!!! Doctor’s orders!!
I think it looks great! I love reading all of your ideas. You will have to look on my Facebook page to see our house decorated for memorial day
Love your ideas. What color is your front door?
Thanks! It’s Benjamin Moore, and the color is Heritage Red from their Aura line of paint.
It’s so nice to tend the garden at this time of year in the USA… and of course, it’s looking pretty nice.
Love the entrance with the black bench and patriotic pillow.
Thanks for hosting.
FABBY
Wow, Susan, you make me very glad I live in a small house. I ripped up my old beds and switched up my perennials to be mostly day lilies in the front, with some hostas. My hydrangea gets lots of leaves but no flowers. I’ve often wondered about the hydrangea trees, and I may just try them because of your blog. What is your mulch? Very popular here is cedar mulch. I prefer the black, which makes my green plants pop. I spread 6 1/2 bags of mulch this weekend after weeding was done, and probably need to lay down another 6. I did create a cute container out of an old wooden Coke crate, in a red, white and blue them for the summer.
Thank you for your emails. I just love seeing what you’re doing.
So love it all!!! So inspiring!! I so like the benches back and adore the planter between the windows! So elegant and classy!
Susan your beds look great and I am in love with your new benches! I really think I need to order the swing version.
I love the swing! If I didn’t have a wicker one already on the porch, I’d have to order it…it’s so cute.
Your boxwoods are looking wonderful! But I would vote YES to adding a camillia – they are pretty year-round and bloom when the other plants are just starting to think about flowering. I like the black pots, they look great with your other black accents – and those benches do look better pulled in a bit. Great job! Rest up before you tackle the other side.
OH, I DO SO LOVE ALL YOUR BOXWOOD!! Honestly, everything just looks fantastic and you do NOT have to “deal with much” afterwards…but to enjoy! I have the “Green Velvet” boxwood and they are doing great in their individual pots (from LOWES!!) 🙂 franki
Enjoy your inspiring posts and think you have such good taste. Did I miss it somehow about how you planted the boxwoods. I was wondering if you amended the soil or just placed them in the ground and how deep, and just all the steps you used in the actual planting process. Water, no water, how often to water, fertilizer, etc
Oh my gosh Susan. You deserve a day of rest! Everything looks just beautiful!!! I think a camellia or gardenia would look great by the garage! Evergreen too. Hope you had a restful Memorial Day. Can’t wait to see the finished project.
Hi Susan…
Love all the new plants and can’t wait to see what you decide on for the door.
I’m glad you pulled the benches forward a bit. I’ve been worried someone might go over the back edge, if they weren’t careful.
Susan P.
wow, Susan you amaze me, you always have the most interesting read here. thank you for hosting.
I know that I’m late to the party but it’s 3am in January and I found you while I’m driving myself crazy in the planning stages of a landscape redo! Remember those head spinning days? Happily, it appears that you and I have the same tastes and I love the classic look for the front (keep my perennials and the English Garden in the back). I am having SOOO much trouble finding larger boxwoods, but I WILL prevail. One question. Do you suffer from or worry about boxwood losing color in winter? For my hedge along the very front of the house I relied on Japanese Holly because I was worried about this possibility in NC. I’d love to hear your thoughts/experience. Many thanks.
Michele, I totally understand that “crazy” stage, I do the same thing whenever I start a new project. The Green Beauty Boxwood that I have didn’t lose their color this winter. Are they known for doing that? I’ll attach of photo of how they looked a few weeks ago covered in ice and snow. They are still pretty green this winter.
Susan,
After we corresponded (and with considerable confidence but trepidation ) I sold my first born child and….no , but almost and I purchased 5 HUGE boxwood. Careful planting took place in January and deep watering has been on the schedule once a week (I can send photo through email if you wish). The man who sold them to me is nicknamed Mr. Boxwood and he gave me a tutorial on planting I will never forget. A boxwood farm has been in his family for generations and he treats them with such love and care (and terrific pricing!) I just wanted you to know that even though your words may seem like they are just going out into the ether, there often is someone listening and being affected.
Michelle, I know how you feel, they are ridiculous expensive, but so elegant and beautiful! I just love them! I’m so glad my post was helpful for you. I would love to hear how Mr. Boxwood recommends planting them! 🙂