While I’m sure the inside of our house could use a good spring cleaning (it always can) the outside was in desperate need of freshening up. We had eight large boxwoods out front that were nearly dead last year but I wanted to give them one last chance to perk up. They didn’t.
Ugly, Dead Boxwoods
So at the top of our to-do list for this spring is replacing them. The bushes are arranged with three on each corner of the front porch and one on either side of the font step. After all the rain we had last week the soil was nice and soft – perfect for digging in! Dad helped me dig up all eight bushes while mom pruned and weeded all the flower beds out front and dug up the gardenias that (sadly) didn’t make it through the winter.
So many dead bushes
Then we picked up a couple of beautiful new hydrangeas to replace a few of the boxwoods. I’m planning on replacing the boxwoods that were by the front steps with some sort of evergreen (either a small leaf holly or a yew, probably) but haven’t found the perfect thing yet. Instead of putting in more bushes at the far corner of the porch where it is in constant shade I think I’ll put in several hostas.
Hydrangeas
Next, we need to decide what to put in the small half-circle bed in front of the walk where the Gardenias used to be. So far this bed has killed knock out roses and gardenias. What should I feed it next?
Square Peg Farm 
How about a butterfly / humming bird garden? You could plant a butterfly bush, some salvias, bee blossom, and maybe put in a little bird bath – or a butterfly watering dish (they like a shallow dish with sand and water just covering the sand that they can drink from).
I have a flower garden- or two- like that in the backyard. I really don’t spend any time out front so I want something very easy and low maintenance that looks good from the road and when people are walking up to the front door. The fun stuff- like my flower gardens- are in the backyard where I spend all my time!
Hmm, then what about daffodils?