Athenamama: The Story of Our Front Yard

August 9, 2007

The Story of Our Front Yard

We recently decided much of the flora in our front yard needs to go. Apparently one of the former owners of our house thought bark would make for a nice ground cover in the flower beds around the front yard, and I am sure in 1974, when the bark was new and a nice dark rust color, it did. Unfortunately, what probably started out as a lovely piece of landscaping has degraded into a gray and brown eye sore that harbors tiny critters, looks more like dog feces than bark, and has migrated all throughout the yard.

It has to go.

Being that my back isn't what it once was, we hired the job out. We told the two man crew that we wanted everything that wasn't grass, (or a twisted juniper,) gone. As they started their work my wife mentioned to me that she would like a few pictures of the front yard so that we could have a record of what the place looked like "before" we had everything taken out. Always one to oblige, I quickly located my camera and took a few quick shots.

This shot of our house was taken from the sidewalk, and shows most of the yard. That's the walkway leading to our front door there off to the right, and the bark starts right there next to it. You can also see towards the left our avocado tree peaking over the roof line from the backyard. That thing needs to be trimmed up, too.

More of the front yard. Those elephant ears are right in front of our bedroom window. They offer plenty of privacy, but the root system is a jumbled mess that is like the MGM Grand for insects. Ever since we moved in I have been battling black ants, and ever since we lost the elephant ears I have not seen ant one in our bedroom.

A close up of the bark. Tightly packed into the California clay, and looking more like a waste product than a decorative one, it was scraped up, loaded into a truck, and put someplace more appropriate.

Now we have a clean slate, but no idea what to do with it. Ebby has a few ideas, but I don't think turning the whole front yard into one gigantic kitty litter box would please the neighbors.

Posted by Jeff at August 9, 2007 11:55 AM

Comments

A very big job looms ahead for you but taking a little bit at a time you will have your 'Curb Appeal' under control soon. Please keep us posted on your progress.

Posted by: momma at August 11, 2007 8:00 AM

A good place to start may be your local nursery. They will be up to snuff on the various plants that are native to your area and that will do well in your soil type.

I love the idea of starting with a clean slate. I will be looking forward to the "after" photos. And remember.. Rome was not built in a day. :-)

Posted by: Coll at August 12, 2007 7:44 PM