$6 Front Flower Bed Makeover

(Sept 2009- when we moved in)

There is very little landscaping around our new property, but that is about to change. I definitely have a blank slate to work with! The front flower bed has a few hostas and what I think is a miniature boxwood (or mini because it's growing in pure clay). But there is no "wow" factor and probably won't be for a while, but I can definitely improve on it this year.

(Early March 2010)

Last fall I trimmed back all the vegetation left from the hostas and sprinkled some lime that I had left over from the garden.

(Early March 2010)

I needed some sort of height along the wall. In a back flower bed there was an ill placed bush that I was able to transplant out front. I placed it between the two garage windows. I also discovered that the soil is completely clay. Wait, it is solid clay with an inch of mulch on top.
See.....

I amended the soil with compost and some top soil I found in the woods. I really needed to divide the hostas this year, but I think I waited too long. They are almost in full leaf now. Maybe next spring. I also purchased some perennials from a neighbor who was having a plant sale last weekend. Everything was priced from $1 to $3. So I am filling in with those and pansies I started from seed to finish the bed for this year. Once all of those get planted I'll have an after photo. I can't wait to see how this matures this year. I will have only spent $6 for this mini plant makeover!