TLC for the Perennials

I have spent so much time sprucing up the front yard that my back yard perennial bed became jealous! There were weeds popping up among the plants, and no definitive line showing where the lawn ended and the perennial bed began. Poor guys! They probably thought I didn't love them any more.

Check out the weeds intermingling with the veronica, coneflower and baptisia. What a disgrace!



Let's get that cleaned up a bit. There - that's better.



The fruit of my Sunday labor ...



I cleaned up the edge and pulled all the weeds. I had planned to just lay down some fresh mulch, but I knew it would end up blending back in with the grass, so I laid down some professional edging. Now I won't ever have to "clean up" the edge again!

Fresh mulch does a lot to improve the look of a garden bed. This circular area was the most overrun with weeds and in need of a good edging.



This is my favorite view from the back deck.



I sit out here every morning with a cup of coffee and my feet propped up, listening to the birds chirp.



The hydrangeas are finally taller than the catmint! They aren't blooming all that profusely, but I expect them to put on a better show in the next coming weeks.



It feels good to have accomplished something so instantly gratifying. It took about 2 1/2 hours and $65 in case you're interested. The edging we use is produced from all recycled materials and costs about $1.50 a foot. There are less expensive options out there if you're on a tighter budget. We like the black mulch sold at Lowe's. It doesn't fade as quickly as other "colored" mulches we have found. It costs around $4 a bag. I used three bags to clean the bed up, but all in all, we probably have ten bags total in this bed.