Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Wall Project Reveal

Well, the wall is finally complete. This is one of the biggest DIY projects that we have ever attempted. And our marriage is still intact. ; )

When we moved into our new house two years ago, the garden was nothing but taxus, boxwoods and daylilies. Now, none of those plants are still in their original spots and one of our goals was to build some retaining walls to level out the front garden with the slopes in our front yard.

Here is the before of the right side of our front garden. While the taxus covers the foundation, notice how low the soil level is towards the end of the foundation.



Those shrubs got moved to the side.....removed the weeds that had set up shop there...ordered our stone and it was delivered....we built three--THREE--retaining walls, filled in with 40 bags of topsoil and moved/replanted plants.

And....the after!






I'm so excited and I have to give huge props to my husband who indulges me on my "projects!" He did the lion's share of the work.

All that's left is to mulch out the area, since weeds are already starting to pop up. We are lacking in plants on that side, but I have plans....a tree will go down by the lowest wall and then three shrubs and perennials to fill in under the windows. After all of the work and cost in building the wall, I'm ready to take a break and shop for plants in a more leisurely fashion. Sometimes, the hardscaping makes such a difference--and it's the part that is the hardest to bite the bullet and do. It's hard work if you do it yourself and it's expensive. : ) Although it was a gargantuan project, I couldn't be happier!!!

I still find myself driving up the street and admiring our wall.

Linking to these parties....
Time Travel Thursday at The Brambleberry Cottage
Fridays Unfolded at Stuff and Nonsense
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Show and Share Day at Just a Girl
Simply Creations Link Party at Simple Home Life
Addicts (not so) Anonymous Addicted to Decorating
Flaunt Your Flowers at Tootsie Time
Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming
Project Parade at The DIY Showoff
Creative Bloggers' Party and Hop at Homemaker on a Dime
Tip-Toe Thru Tuesday at Crayon Freckles

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

It looks great! I love outdoor gardening/transforming...it can really change the look of a house.

Christopher Tidrick said...

Really love the extra dimension it adds to the front of your house. Can't wait to see it planted.

Fred Reeder Jr. said...

Meanwhile, send your heavy pain medication stat! Rocks heavy. Back still hurts. Tough to form complete sentences.

Erin @ The Impatient Gardener said...

Looks great! It was definitely the right call to add those terraced areas. And you know I feel your sore muscles!

The 2 Seasons said...

Looks good. We are talking about doing this for our front yard next summer.
http://www.the2seasons.com

the cape on the corner said...

that looks great! super jealous, since i've been itching to add a raised wall to my flower beds.

Katherines Corner said...

So impressive. Absolutely beautiful. I know how much work it all is. It looks amazing,. Now sit back and enjoy your hard work. Hugs!

Tootsie said...

I am so glad you found me and left a comment!!! it is great to meet you! I don't care if there aren't any flowers in your post if you want to link into the friday flaunt...it is for gardens and plants and anything growing....lol...in the winter you can even use old photos...people in my part of the world, get really tired of the snow after a while...so Fridays flaunt goes all year round!
I am your newest follower and am so happy to have met you!

Rosie Gan said...

Your project turned out great. I might do just that where my dog likes to dig...that'll keep old Major out! I've had a few DIY posts in my blog too.
Rosie

Courtney ~ French Country Cottage said...

Your retaining wall turned out wonderful! Enjoy filling it with plants! Thanks for sharing at Feathered Nest Friday this week! :)

Jacqueline said...

Looks great! I'm slacking on my yard this summer, thank you for linking this up at my party.

SJ @ Homemaker On A Dime said...

This is such a labor of love! Thanks for linking up at Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop :)

Jocie@TheBetterHalf said...

Beautiful retaining wall. We did a SMALL one a few years back and its a lot of work - way to go you!
Thanks so much for linking up. Make sure to grab a button or link back. Good luck and feel free to follow us on facebook for all the contest updates!