Curb Appeal

**Jaded** · 07-20-2007, 12:20 PM

I started cleaning up the front yard today. I had some bags of mulch that have been sitting out there for what seems like forever. I forgot there were so many, but finally managed to get all 27 back to the "holding area" in the back. The crabgrass and weeds had grown up around them, so I sprayed it with Roundup, and when it dies, I'll till it all under, and make a bed there. I want to have a bed there with a tree and some other stuff, but I don't know exactly what yet. I'm thinking of going with the mimosa tree I have in a pot, because it would be a perfect place where it could spread out and be pretty. Then I'm also thinking maybe of planting the avocado I have there. It needs lots of room to grow. The only problem with that is that the fruit will eventually fall into the neighbor's yard, and they might not like that..whoever they may be...that house is abandoned and slated for demolition soon.

I'm going to redo the foundation beds in front of the house. I had been just sort of haphazardly planting this and that in it, but I want something more uniform. There is a large plumeria (frangipani) in the middle, and I'm thinking of some dwarf yellow ixoras or some other dwarf shrubs there, to make it look more clean and neat.

Then there's the bed out in the front yard with the palm trees and jatropha, which is growing all wonky because of the palms. I need to take it out, and I'm going to reshape that bed into a round bed, just around the palms, with maybe some bromeliads in it, but nothing that needs a lot of maintenance.

The lawn needs a complete overhaul, but I'm probably gonna leave that for now. I have some groundcover that is starting to grow into it, and if I leave it alone, it will eventually take it over. At least, I hope so. I hate mowing!

I'm going for curb appeal, since I may need to sell the house one day. I think I'm just trying to make it look more "easy maintenance" to appeal to people with busy lives, or retirees who don't want the bother of taking care of a yard.

Plus, I just want it to look nicer.

**FrugalMomof3** · 07-20-2007, 01:31 PM

Wow you really have a good plan going! We did the curb appeal thing a few months back. We dont have much of a front yard but every little bit of "charm" helps

**Jaded** · 07-20-2007, 03:55 PM

Yes, it does. I used to watch "Curb Appeal" on HGTV all the time, and it's amazing what a difference a few changes can make. I'm hoping mine will be a lot better after I'm done. I need to paint the house, but that's a project for when it's a LOT cooler!

It was already so hot by 11:30 today that I had to come in, and I was so tired from being out in the heat that I had to take a nap. Heat affects my lupus very badly, makes me very tired. But someone has to do it!

I'm going back out later when it cools down and try to do just a little more, but right now, I have housework and laundry to do. Just woke up from my nap, feeling much refreshed and ready to go back to work.

**Darlene** · 07-21-2007, 10:25 AM

Good for you! Those little touches do add up. When you care about the outside of the house people (buyers) are more apt to want to take their time to give your home a look see & like you said it's just nice for you too.

**Jaded** · 07-21-2007, 11:37 AM

Today all my plans got spoiled by nature. I was going to dig up the place where the mulch bags were, but found out that it had become one huge fire ant nest, so I had to treat it and wait a few days before I dig it. That won't get done this weekend, but I'm making progress on it.

Now it's going to rain, so I ran around throwing fertilizer out on everything. That's done, at least.

I'm trying to work around Mother Nature, but she is being a real pain lately! However; we need the rain desperately, so I'm all for it. Nothing is growing as it should around here because of lack of rain. I had to hand weed the front bed today because I can't mulch until the plants get larger, and they just aren't growing!

Life in the garden....aggravating at times, but well worth it!