Front yard makeover

Each nice afternoon, my boys and their friends like to play outside, mostly riding bikes and scooters up and down the sidewalk. Now that my youngest is more independent, and I have built-in babysitters, I am able to get work done in the front yard.

So far, I've raked, weeded, edged and mulched the beds. Also trimmed the evergreen bushes and moved a few perennials around. It rained over the weekend and the grass has greened up some more. My husband, the grass is his domain, was thinking it would never happen.

Behind those green shutters is the water meter. It stuck out like a sore thumb, so I put these shutters out as a way to conceal it. The boys think behind it is a great hiding spot. Beware coming to my front door as they may jump out and scare you when you least expect it.

The area there was also mostly rocks for drainage, with the daylilies in the center and weedy plants growing up around them. I pulled everything out and covered it all in mulch. Much better already. In the pots are morning glory and moonflower seeds which should grow up over the shutters and my grandparents's old wooden rocker.

The shutters looked bare until I added the metal star that used to hang in our bedroom. In another week or two (I traditionally get bedding plants for Mother's Day), I'll fill the bare spots in the flower beds with annuals. Then dh will repaint the stairs and foundation, we'll wash windows and then we'll have a picture-perfect curb appeal.