As many of you know I eschew the outdoors. I loathe yard work. My allergies make me a virtual prisoner during the late Spring and Early Summer. But, fortunately, Diane doesn’t share my outdoor attitudes or allergies. And Diane decided this was going to be the year to rip out the old shrubbery in front of our house and replace it with new, more deer-resistant shrubbery.
So Diane contacted a local nursery and negotiated the terms of our new landscaping. A crew came out with a cool mini-backhoe and removed the old, overgrown shrubs. The guys also trimmed our trees, added new soil and mulch, and planted the new shrubs. Above, you’ll see the “before” and “after” photos. I still think AstroTurf is the answer.
That’s a really nice tree. The new shrubs are a big improvement. I tore out a bunch of ours once they got too big. But I don’t mind sharing with the deer; they’re such cute creatures. And delicious.
Bob, the tree is a Japanese Maple. You can stop by our yard every morning and evening and the deer will be there…eating everything!
Nice job, Diane. I agree with The Cap’n: really nice tree.
That’s the beauty of life in an apartment building – no worries about lawns, trees, shrubs, critters. That’s all the landlord’s responsibility.
Jeff, I lived in apartments while I was in Madison, Wisconsin working on my Ph.D. Loved the freedom!
Love the new airier look.
Patti, we like the new airier look, too. Those old bushes just hid everything.
The new look is great! But I agree about the AstroTurf.
Bill, if I could convince Diane about the AstroTurf life would be a lot easier.
Very nice! We have a large back yard, but as neither my husband nor I have anything approaching a green thumb, it’s gone to the dogs–literally! And what our dogs haven’t dug up and destroyed, the ivy has taken over. I pay someone to mow and edge monthly, but beyond that, it’s all nature taking its course!
Deb, we have a big back yard, too. Diane used to plant flowers, but the critters (mostly deer, but also rabbits and wood chucks) ate all of it. We’re tempted to build a fence, but I’ve seen deer jump over our neighbors’ fences.
Looks great, George! That is a nice Maple, and all you – or Diane – to do now is keep those new shrubs pruned so they don’t get too big. Don’t forget to plant a bunch of Daffodils this Fll for some Spring color come March or April!
Rick, we were told that deer don’t like Daffodils but when we planted them the critters ate them. Maybe not the deer, but the bunnies or the wood chucks.
We have a Japanese maple, too, but it’s much smaller.
Bob, Diane saved our Japanese Maple during an ice storm that weighed down all the branches. Diane went out and fought the ice. She freed most of the branches so we only lost a few.