Landscape Saturday, Part 1

(The first of many installments, I'm sure...)

The front yard took a step into Spring last weekend. We got a last minute call from my Dad on Saturday — he was itching to help in the yard and wanted to go to the nursery. Like right then. Not wanting to lose our set of very capable helping hands, we said yes.

We had not done a lot of research on what we wanted to do in the front yard beyond the initial inclination to do a very-California landscape of succulents and grasses. We were crestfallen when we realized not only would this look not work well in the South, but our front yard is in mostly shade to boot.

Cali-like grasses and succulents

Paver heaven

So, we did what any reasonable couple would do and quickly hopped in the car to stalk the yard of house we love on Hampton Road.

Favorite house on Hampton

Love these pavers for our yard down the line

Of course their house is in mostly sun so they have the grasses we love, along with creeping Jenny and simple bushes. While we can't replicate the grasses in our shade, we definitely are drawn to the minimal approach to the landscaping — low, simple, clean.

At Roundtree nursery we found these, which we thought looked like grasses but could survive in the shade:

A form of Yew plant (totally cut my self out of the worst photo ever).
We bought 10 of these with the plan to space them out along the front
of the house as our main foliage.

And this cool variation on a fern, which we bought a few of as accents.

So here they are going in:

My dad

Mike

....and fully in!

Yew plants spaced along the front with our Japanese maples and holly tree

Ferns for accent around the cone-shaped boxwoods

..............................................

Now that we have landscape fever, I took a few photos around the neighborhood of other plants that we like the look of. (Inspiration for later, or for the backyard)

Along with creeping Jenny, for it's bright color

The ultimate wish list is to replace the brick walkway with those pavers that I mention above as a walkway, and let the grass grow through them. AND to replace the steps and our brick wall around the perimeter of our yard with a slate like this:

(Color variation due to it having just rained)

We ran into this slate wall around the corner in Myers Park on a walk — and seriously almost
knocked on the door to tell the owners how awesome it was!! We're both currently obsessed with it and are racking our brains for a way... I'm sure you'll be hearing more about it to come :)

And in prep for Landscape Saturday, Part 2, 75 bags of mulch were delivered today and are sitting in our driveway waiting for some attention this weekend... There is also a tractor coming on Tuesday to level the backyard!

Have a great week~