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My Spring Yard and Exterior!

April 3, 2016 By Rhoda 32 Comments

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Spring is here in Atlanta and everything looks so lush and green right now. I love this time of year when all those fresh green shoots pop up everywhere and the trees leaf out with new growth.  It just feels so good to see all of that happen after the gloom and dreary days of Winter.  Bring on the Spring!

The landscaping in my yard has really taken off too and it’s been almost 2 years since it was installed by Southern Living plants and Carmen Johnston.  What a difference this landscaping has made to my house.  I showed you progress last year and of course, there’s another huge difference in year two’s growth spurt. It’s really looking good!

That above link has all the plant names that I have in my yard.

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I still love to look back to the beginning, right when I bought this house.  Wow, what a difference 4 years can make. Can you believe it’s been 4 years already since the purchase and renovation?

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These pictures are a little glary, because I took them in early morning when the sun was sharp,but it really shows the colors nicely.  Both the Quanzan cherry and pink dogwood are blooming right now and I have to capture them as soon as they bloom or they are gone too fast.  Wish spring lasted longer!

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All the plants are really filling in nicely and spreading out.  I’ve only lost a few of them so far and most are doing well. We got a lot of rain last summer and Fall.

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The cherry tree has those fluffy pink flowers and are just so gorgeous.

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Against the blue sky, there is nothing prettier than pink blooms.

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Gorgeous, aren’t they?

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I tried to capture their beauty and I think you can get an idea.  Of course, you probably have your own blooming trees too.

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One more shot against that sunshine blue sky.

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The plants around the mailbox are doing well.  For a look at all the plants that went in here, check out the first link above.

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You can see they are all filling out nicely under the trees and against the house.

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These Emerald Snow Loropetalum against the house have a pretty white bloom.

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They look fluffy right now too.

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Sweeping against the house, they really make the house look great.  It’s amazing the impact that plants have on a house, but they totally do make a huge difference.

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The pink azaleas are coming out now too and look beautiful.

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All the hydrangeas are leafing out and I can’t wait to see their blooms this year.

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Capturing the beauty of my pink dogwood.  When I first looked at this house, the pink dogwood tree and cherry tree had been in bloom and it was such a wonderful treasure to have this in my fixer upper yard.

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I lost one of my Encore Azaleas, so when Southern Living Plants asked me if I wanted a couple more to add to my landscape, I said yes and just planted a couple of these Autumn Fire Encore azaleas.

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They are smaller now and only get about 3′ tall and wide, so are considered dwarf.

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Pieris Mountain Snow is looking good.

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Pink dogwood

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So happy to have this in my yard. A pink dogwood is not the norm around here, white is.

my house before

I love throwing in a shot of the house in its Before state, just to see the stunning changes around here!  From April of 2012 til now…..

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April of 2016.  I think you’d agree with me that she has definitely come a long way baby!  The addition of that stone retaining wall was a good one too.

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No sun and after the rain gives a better look at everything without the shadows of the sun.

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One of my sweet readers, Jean, gave me that white Candytuft after I moved in and it’s doing great.  Jean, I wanted you to see this, thank you!  I’ll be planting all my outdoor planters again soon and can’t wait to get some flowers in here.  The sedum in these planters make it all the way through Winter and when spring comes, they go green again.

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The Angyo Star vine has done a wonderful job of covering the trellis system and the floating fireplace. I periodically cut the tops as it grows upward and also weave it in and out the trellis to keep it all in place.

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Corner by the house all filled in now.

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Cute concrete bunny I’ve had for a long time.

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I love this time of year when the Hosta start peeking their little heads out of the ground.  These are the best plants and I will always have Hosta around.  I usually get starts from friends.

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My friend, Rachel, here in Marietta gave me a cutting last year of her hydrangeas and it’s doing well.  She gave me some Lenton Rose too and I forgot to take pics of it, but it’s under the trees and doing great.

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Those plants we planted above the block wall are all growing and spreading out.  My sister and brother-in-law have some vinca vine that I’m going to dig up a few and start them over the wall this year.

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There is pollen everywhere right now and I can’t wait until it stops and I can get out and clean everything off.  I’ll be scrubbing down my front porch and back porch soon!

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Still love my turquoise front door, so happy and cheery!

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One more look at the front yard without the glaring sun!

I did hire a landscape company last summer to start taking care of my yard, with mowing, trimming and edging and that was a great decision.  He’s going to keep working on my grass and try to kill the weeds and get the grass growing better and it should really look nice this year with all the rain we’ve had.

Hope you enjoyed the update of my yard and landscaping.  A yard is an ever changing thing and it’s been so nice to see mine grow and mature.  This time of year is extra sweet with the blooms bursting out!

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Filed Under: Gardens and Flowers, House Renovation 32 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Teresa says

    April 5, 2016 at 12:21 am

    Hi Rhoda, You were so sweet to take me on a private tour of your home a few years ago, you were just beginning the porch. It looks great ! I know you are enjoying the fruits of your labor. Love keeping up with your projects and all the changes you have made. Thanks for always sharing!!

    Reply
    • Rhoda says

      April 5, 2016 at 7:59 am

      HI, Teresa, I do remember you and glad you got to see it back then. You can appreciate the changes with me!

  2. Ilona says

    April 5, 2016 at 1:26 am

    I never made a comment on your blog before but I have followed it for years now. Your blog is absolutely wonderful. I love your style. I love your openess and how warm you are. There are blogs that are well “staged” and most certainly make a lot of money for their authors but many of them are very cold and boastful. I never get that feeling from your blog. Wishing you many many years of blogging. Please keep these posts coming!

    Reply
    • Rhoda says

      April 5, 2016 at 7:58 am

      HI, Ilona, thank you for taking the time to say that. I see those blogs too that are way more slick and professional than mine will ever be,but after 9 years of doing this blog, I do not want to aspire to that. I want to keep blogging the way I do now and just be “me”. So thank you!

  3. betsy says

    April 5, 2016 at 1:33 pm

    A wonderful inviting front entrance. I have a slope to one side of my home and the sidewalk now has sunk and acts as a drainage ditch when there is a down pour. Gotta be a way to fix that and I am inspired by what you have done.

    Reply
  4. Renee says

    April 7, 2016 at 12:58 pm

    What color is your house? Look really nice. Love Marietta we go through there a lot to visit my daughter in Dunwoody.

    Reply
    • Rhoda says

      April 7, 2016 at 2:43 pm

      Renee, it’s painted Sherwin Williams Dovetail. Thanks!

  5. Lee says

    April 25, 2016 at 5:40 pm

    It has come a long way Rhoda, looks fabulous and the porch really stands out, it looks a grand house now :)’

    Reply
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Thanks for stopping by! I'm Rhoda, from Atlanta, GA and I love decorating and DIY projects. Decorating a home doesn't have to cost a fortune and I've spent years thrifting at antiques markets and yard sales, finding those treasures that make a home unique. I'm here to inspire and encourage other women to find their own inner creativity. Won't you join me?

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