Who watches Jersey Shore? Remember the camping episode where Deena stood on a picnic bench and shouted “the wilderness!”? For some reason that always makes me laugh. I’m from New Jersey, so maybe it’s one of those you-have-to-be-from-there things. Anyway, we promised spring outdoor upgrades, so here’s an update on our landscaping progress.
When we bought the house, the yard looked pretty rough. Over time we limbed up the magnolia, transplanted and removed a number of bushes, and even painted the front door to improve curb appeal. Those changes helped, but there was still a lot to do: we had bare patches of dirt, weeds in odd places, and struggling plantings around the mailbox and foundation.
We decided to book a one-hour consultation with certified landscape designer Katherine Brooks through a LivingSocial deal. It felt a little odd to pay someone when we love DIY projects, but we’re self-confessed black thumbs and needed professional guidance. Katherine’s expertise saved us time, money, and frustration: within minutes she explained why grass would never thrive in the shallow-rooted circle beneath our magnolia, a spot we were planning to seed. Instead, she recommended planting a groundcover suited to those conditions.
Katherine gave us a practical plan tailored to our yard, including plant recommendations for specific light and soil conditions, suggestions for reconfiguring garden beds, and sustainable landscaping tips appropriate for our region. She also pointed out existing plants so we could learn their names and proper care. By the time she left we had a four-page plan in a notebook—a great return on a small investment.
- Seed bare spots as soon as possible where bushes were removed last fall.
- Add American holly and Southern magnolia (sweet bay) trees at the back for privacy screening.
- Fill porch planters with hosta, coleus, Kimberly fern, or small boxwoods suited to container growing.
- Remove ivy climbing large oaks to prevent long-term damage.
- Transplant our periwinkle groundcover around the base of the magnolia to hide that bare circle of soil.
Other suggestions addressed problem areas and balance around the house:
- Replace overcrowded, struggling boxwoods and azaleas by the path with appropriately sized perennials that won’t encroach on walkways.
- Plant more foundation shrubs to cover bare soil and brick on either side of the porch; Katherine provided specific species recommendations for those lighting conditions.
- Remove an oddly placed rectangle of brick near the driveway to make the planting bed look more balanced.
- Use low-maintenance groundcover around the mailbox instead of high-maintenance annual flowers.
- Plant trees on the side lot to soften the gully-like feeling—options included dogwoods, redbuds, river birches, and some smaller weeping varieties.
- Transplant a few bushes so they don’t crowd the patio path and add hydrangeas opposite existing ones to bring color and balance.
- Remove two diseased trees and a dead rhododendron near the patio.
- Cut down heavy euonymus vines on an oak that could become hazardous in storms.
- Sell extra cobblestones removed from beds to make mowing easier and recoup a little cash.
- Prune ornamental grasses and butterfly bushes in late winter or early spring each year.
- Plant aucuba on the currently empty left side of the house to fill a long bare strip that now only hosts weeds.
We know from experience that curb appeal projects take time—our last house’s makeover took years—so we’re breaking this into manageable stages and tackling one project at a time. One immediate priority was foundation plantings. We had an $80 nursery credit from another LivingSocial deal that was about to expire, so we drove to the nursery armed with Katherine’s plant list and a realistic budget.
The car-only-had-room-for-a-stroller plan was ambitious. Many shrubs were $25–$50 each, so we ended up buying two good-sized shrubs instead of a car full. They’re about two feet wide now and will grow over time, which is actually preferable to buying tiny plants that take years to fill out.
We chose Otto Luyken laurels for the foundation. Katherine recommended spacing and placement, and the nursery offered a one-year guarantee on the plants. They’re now planted in the beds flanking the porch: one on the left…
…and the other on the right.
Each bed will need at least five more plants to look finished, and we’ve still got a lot to clear out—including that brick “hose platform” that needs a sledgehammer and some muscle. We’ll share before-and-after photos as each section comes together. What are you planting or planning in your yard this season? Any favorite low-maintenance shrubs or groundcovers you’d recommend?