Before + After: Front Garden

When we moved into our house here there was a 4'x12' dirt and weed patch under the window along the path to the front door. Whomever lived here before us had purchased edging bricks for it but never set them into the ground. Needless to say, the front of the house looked a little sad.

So I dug out the dirt and set the bricks a few weeks ago after a lot of rain which helped soften the ground. The pictures below are the before shots, though I got excited about starting and had set one plant before I remembered to take pictures.

BEFORE

Since we've been here I have been planning a way to make it look great without spending a ton of money with plants that would last year round and hopefully be easy for who ever moves in next to take care of. I also wanted to make sure it was pretty and colorful. I took a trip to Home Depot to scout what they had and went back on Sunday and bought what I thought we needed.

We decided on three Croton codiaeum variegatum ($29.94), two bags of red wood mulch ($5.94), and one bag of Miracle-Grow shrub and tree soil ($5.97) for a total cost of $41.85. I borrowed a shovel and rake from the housing office and got to work and in an hour and a half I had finished.

This is the finished product! Though, I think it needs one more bag of mulch.

AFTER

Here is our front yard pet, the Nerdy Bird. Thanks Gram!