Beautification Phase One

Hello loyal readers. Yes, last week was a poor effort on my part but I promise to be back with a vengeance this week. Here's my story. I bought this little townhouse (1/2 duplex) on August 1, 2001. Per regs of the subdivision I planted the requisite patmore ash. It subsequently died the following year and since that time I've been without the required tree. Now, the owner's association sent me an annual letter stating that I was in violation and needed to plant a tree. Well, having a brown thumb I ignored said letters. I mean, what are they going to do to me? Take away my birthday?

This year with the help of a Butte Girl, I decided to give my little shack some curb appeal. I like the way this turned out and documented it with photos and mindless drivel. Its what I do.


Early Sunday morning. Still shade in the front yard. Notice the little gravel pile in the bottom left. Remnants of the last attempt.



A straight on photo. Plants in the background ready to begin their epic struggle under my care. The gravel pile is in the bottom right. Its like an ancient Indian burial ground. Where trees go to die.

The first hole has been dug and awaits the patmore. The battle for life is about to begin.

"In this corner, weighing in at approximately 200 pounds and hailing from Sweet Pea Nursery, Patmore "Swaying Gently" Ash. "

Oops, forgot to take the ribbon off the top. I'll get to that in the next few months.

Now for the gravel garden. I like the gravel garden because it took so little water and its so very hard to kill rocks. Butte Girl and my old dog Sloan are about to transform it into something magical.

This is some kind of bush I bought at Costco. I can't remember what its called but it looked cool and it was cheap.

The beginning of the flower bed. I copied the design from Ree, The Pioneer Woman. She has an incredible blog and makes me long for the ranch. Measure twice, cut once, blah, blah, blah. Sloan did all the measuring. Quite the talented dog.

Whoa, whoa, whoa!!!. I don't remember anyone saying it was break time.

That's much better. I'm not running a day camp here.

Sloan surveying the situation. Or maybe eyeing the neighbors yard. Old dogs get to do what they want at my house. They've earned it.

The box frame is up. Now, this didn't turn out quite to Ree's specs. I was getting pretty pissed. Butte Girl says "there's level and there's level enough". After much swearing and debating how far I could actually throw my screwgun I said "I can cover it up with some 1 x 8's and paint."

Will ya look at that! A flower box in front of my house. Live plants and everything. Petunia's, iris', some stuff I can't pronounce or spell. NeatO!

I frickin love the old truck/tractor seat I found at some antique mall in Gallatin Gateway. I know they had the price marked wrong. I just know it. 30 bucks?! I'm not a thief and I made them double check and they were sure so I loaded it up and away I went.

Notice the dead spots in the lawn. That's from my old dog. The heat brings them out as it was two weeks in between starting and finishing this project. It will be green again soon enough. A little raking, a little Kentucky Blue and things will really start to shine.

There ya go. It's amazing what a couple of plants and some white paint can do to dress the place up a little. I did buy tough to kill plants so we'll have to keep our fingers crossed. It will be harder to give directions to my place now. I can't say, "the first place with no tree in the yard is mine." However, I can say "drive til you see the flower box and tractor seat". That's not a bad deal.