Pimpin' the beds...

We bought our house back in October 2008, and have since done quite a bit of work on it.  The house had sat empty for nearly three years, and the shrubs in the front flower beds were taller than Shaq.  Until recently, all I'd really ever done was trim them back, plant a few flowers around the beds, and ignore them until they needed weeded.  Then I'd just mow down weeds and flowers alike.  Who had time to weed?

Finally, though, last week started my one-woman one-handed adventure into the art of gardening.  First off, we had 7 bushes that needed removed and/or moved.  I left 2 in one bed as they were, moved 3, and sat the others aside for anyone who wants them.  I also pruned and shaped them to look (ideally) like giant balls.  Get your head out of the gutter.  I dug out all the weeds.  Actually, the lawn had previously won the war and completely reclaimed my flower beds, so it was basically like starting flower beds from scratch.  I put down the black weed barrier, which, incidentally happened over the two windiest days in recent history.  Then I planted flowers (midnight gardening), mulched, and today I hauled home 48 edging stones, only to find that their height shielded the flowers from view from the street.  So, I dug out the edges of one bed so the edging stones look appropriate in height.  So far, so good.  Tomorrow I'll do the other side.  Wish me luck. 

Here are a couple of pics of my in-progress beds.  Some of the stones on the ends aren't chiseled down to fit properly yet.  That's a job for a two-hander, and he'll be home from the current work-up soon.  :-)

(This is to the left of our front door.  More mulching to follow!)

(Flower bed to the right of the front door)