• Home
  • about emily
  • before + after
  • HGTV + DIY Network
  • good press
  • contact
  • Let’s Organize These Posts:

    • Art Attack
    • Backyard
    • Barn
    • Basement
    • Bathroom
    • Beach
    • Bedrooms
    • Being Thrifty
    • Business-y
    • Buying and Renting and Selling
    • Casual Celebrations
    • Closets
    • Curb Appeal
    • Dainty Details
    • Deck
    • Decor
    • Dining Room
    • DIY
    • Dog-Related
    • Entryway
    • Flooring
    • For the Kids
    • Garage
    • Gardening
    • Helping The Economy
    • HGTV + DIY Network Projects
    • Holiday-Related Projects
    • Home Safety
    • Kitchen
    • Lighting
    • Living Room
    • Merry Travels
    • Office Space
    • Organized
    • Other Pads
    • Outdoor Living
    • Scooter Fun
    • Stairwell
    • Sunroom
    • Supporting Sponsors
    • The Art Room
    • Tools
    • Uncategorizable
    • Wedding
    • Windows
    • Work-pads
  • Search

  • Hi, I’m Emily

    Emily Fazio

    I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle.

    You can find me writing for HGTV and DIY Network, follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

    Thanks for visiting!

  • BROWSE POSTS BY CATEGORY:

    • Art Attack (7)
    • Backyard (92)
    • Barn (8)
    • Basement (27)
    • Bathroom (43)
    • Beach (13)
    • Bedrooms (73)
    • Being Thrifty (53)
    • Business-y (12)
    • Buying and Renting and Selling (23)
    • Casual Celebrations (36)
    • Closets (17)
    • Curb Appeal (44)
    • Dainty Details (8)
    • Deck (23)
    • Decor (286)
    • Dining Room (37)
    • DIY (577)
    • Dog-Related (24)
    • Entryway (59)
    • Flooring (58)
    • For the Kids (32)
    • Garage (17)
    • Gardening (70)
    • Helping The Economy (30)
    • HGTV + DIY Network Projects (283)
    • Holiday-Related Projects (80)
    • Home Safety (12)
    • Kitchen (83)
    • Lighting (31)
    • Living Room (77)
    • Merry Travels (21)
    • Office Space (21)
    • Organized (41)
    • Other Pads (14)
    • Outdoor Living (12)
    • Scooter Fun (8)
    • Stairwell (20)
    • Sunroom (22)
    • Supporting Sponsors (43)
    • The Art Room (3)
    • Tools (43)
    • Uncategorizable (1)
    • Wedding (28)
    • Windows (14)
    • Work-pads (10)
  • Search

  • Pages

    • blog
    • Merrypad Features
    • Privacy Policy
    • about emily
    • before + after
      • before + after, our current home
      • before + after, our first house
    • contact me
    • choose a badge and share the merrypad.com love
  • Home
  • about emily
  • before + after
  • HGTV + DIY Network
  • good press
  • contact

Work Your Magic, Springtime

March 22, 2011

It’s still really gross in Rochester. We had snow last week. And I’m expecting to scrape some frost off my car windows next week, based on the helpful 10-day forecast. Whatever, I think we should be used to it by now – nothing new. The bulk of the snow melted over the weekend, and left me happy to 1) check out the perennials I transplanted from my mom last fall and 2) clean up dog mess before the neighbors think I’m a disgusting slob.

The backyard’s looking rough, mostly because the grass I planted in the late summer doesn’t seem to have survived the ice and snow, but at least it no longer looks ANYTHING like this:

Before... any of this started.

It’s more like this:

Back deck, pergolas, new siding, and dead grass.

Sadly, the grass is brown and trampled, but I’m ever-optimistic and still demanding that it make a full recovery.

Brown grass. Still hoping it pulls through.

The perennials are starting to show. Lilies, Pachysandra, and Raspberries (which, seriously, notice how small and controlled they are right now):

Lilies. Yes, there's little, but they're there, and green.

 

Pachysandra planted all across the edge of the deck. It's going to be lush.

 

Branchy. Short. Raspberries that will soon be 10' tall, wide, and deep.

Although, right on schedule some little yellow buds appeared from beneath my neighbor’s fence. They’re since freshly cut and providing warmth to my kitchen island.

First flowers of the spring. 3/17/11.

The front yard needs some love. 1 of the 4 Azaleas that I planted a few summers ago already kicked the bucket. I think a second’s on it’s way out. We’ll see how the other two bushes do; last year they gave me some lovely pink flowers that lasted weeks. I’d also like to make this front bush a little deeper, but that’ll be part of a bigger front yard plan.

BTW – the driveway? I’m not sure I’ve ever revealed or called attention to exactly how bad bad bad it is. Patchy. Indented. Sinking. Cavernous. See where I’m going? Maybe these photos will help paint a better picture. Oh, like my recycling bin? Subtle.

Bad driveway. Bad, bad driveway.

And the part of the driveway between the curb and the sidewalk is the worst part – it’s decrepit and also steep and curved just enough to bottom out any vehicle that isn’t a truck or SUV.

The curb. In bad condition.

Driveway redo is on my short list for the spring. As is curb appeal with plants. Stay tuned.

Share

Backyard  / Curb Appeal  / Deck  / Gardening

Emily
I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle. You can find me writing for HGTV and DIY Network, follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

6 Comments


Irene
March 22, 2011 at 9:41 am
Reply

Our yard is a hot mess too. I just noticed though that the hydrangea has buds on it. Yay! Our pachysandra stayed green all winter, which was very surprising.

Our grass? Ugh, don’t even ask.It’s just too horrible to look at. I feel like starting fresh would be best. But I have a plan: renting a sod cutter and just getting rid of all of it. Then use the tiller I got for $50 on Craigslist and till the ENTIRE yard. Then some raking to get the roots of the weeds out of there, insecticiding for all the grubs we had last year. Then fertilizing and seeding.

I am determined to have a green yard this year, damn it!



Emily
March 22, 2011 at 10:02 am
Reply

Grass is high maintenance. Sounds like your plan will be good though – it’ll be nice and level and fresh for certain. I had really hoped that the grass just off the deck would hold – it was settled enough that I was mowing over it late in the summer, but I guess that wasn’t enough time to root before the frost hit.



Irene
March 22, 2011 at 10:08 am
Reply

BTw – as bad as your driveway seems, ours is 10 times worse.



    Emily
    March 22, 2011 at 10:38 am

    Not possible.

Cait @ Hernando House
March 22, 2011 at 11:47 am
Reply

We barely have any green-stuff (it cannot even be called grass) thanks to a certain two white dogs. I’m ignoring this fact and pretending it looks much, much better. Hopefully my backyard gets attention this year….

In case I haven’t said it enough already: I LOVE your deck and pergola!



Emily
March 22, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Reply

Thanks Cait! I can’t wait to put it to good use this summer.



Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • HI, I’m Emily

    Emily Fazio

    I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle. Follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

    Thanks for visiting!

  • Instagram

    Can’t believe I ever bought dumpling wrappers. 🥟 Pulse a few cups of flour in the food processor drizzling in cold water until it forms dough. Roll smooth. Use a conveniently large cookie cutter, or just trim out squares. The end ❤️ #hny #dumplings
    Didn’t think I’d be making more masks, but her Didn’t think I’d be making more masks, but here we are (now feat. recycled t-shirt layer for added softness and bonus-layer protection). #diy #amateurseamstress #diymask
    Get out there ☀️ Get out there ☀️
    The gang finally showed up. 👻 The gang finally showed up. 👻
    A record 233 cloves + 10 shallots 🧛🏻‍♀️ 
#merrypadathome #garden2021 #garlic #gardennotes #whatisnormal
    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    Immeasurably tall, lanky tomatillos. #garden2020 # Immeasurably tall, lanky tomatillos. #garden2020 #tomatillos #nofilter
    32 oz., reserved for the brave 🌶🌶 😍#homeg 32 oz., reserved for the brave 🌶🌶 😍#homegrown #tomatillos #harvest2020
    Nothing says “let’s stay home all fall, too” Nothing says “let’s stay home all fall, too” like a badass custom fireplace on our patio. 🔥 #chiminea #merrypadathome
    Load More... follow emily: @merrypad



  • Like Us On Facebook

    Facebook Pagelike Widget



  • Popular Posts

    • How to fix an IKEA drawer. Cheap IKEA Drawers (And The Quick Fix) 40k views
    • DIY sideboard rehab. Our Refinished Midcentury Buffet 39.7k views
    • How to design and make a barn quilt. How to Make Your Own Barn Quilt 33.3k views
    • DIY driveway removal. The Driveway Rocks 24.7k views
    • How to hang art on brick surfaces using specialty clips. The Easy Way to Hang Art on Brick or Stone 24.4k views
    • Goodbye, gold fireplace covering. Less Is More: How to Remove a Fireplace Surround 22.1k views
    • Our DIY flagstone patio. Building a Patio in One Day 17.4k views
    • Bedroom paint, freshened up with Snowbound paint. Painting Everything White: We Chose Snowbound, By Sherwin Williams 16.5k views
    • Tips for dying pasta different colors, and a Halloween Recipe for the kids. Tips for Dying Pasta Different Colors (+ A Special Halloween Recipe) 15.3k views
    • Finished stained kitchen cabinets. Javalicious, A Gel Staining Reveal (Update #3) 14.2k views



  • BROWSE POSTS BY CATEGORY:

    • Art Attack (7)
    • Backyard (92)
    • Barn (8)
    • Basement (27)
    • Bathroom (43)
    • Beach (13)
    • Bedrooms (73)
    • Being Thrifty (53)
    • Business-y (12)
    • Buying and Renting and Selling (23)
    • Casual Celebrations (36)
    • Closets (17)
    • Curb Appeal (44)
    • Dainty Details (8)
    • Deck (23)
    • Decor (286)
    • Dining Room (37)
    • DIY (577)
    • Dog-Related (24)
    • Entryway (59)
    • Flooring (58)
    • For the Kids (32)
    • Garage (17)
    • Gardening (70)
    • Helping The Economy (30)
    • HGTV + DIY Network Projects (283)
    • Holiday-Related Projects (80)
    • Home Safety (12)
    • Kitchen (83)
    • Lighting (31)
    • Living Room (77)
    • Merry Travels (21)
    • Office Space (21)
    • Organized (41)
    • Other Pads (14)
    • Outdoor Living (12)
    • Scooter Fun (8)
    • Stairwell (20)
    • Sunroom (22)
    • Supporting Sponsors (43)
    • The Art Room (3)
    • Tools (43)
    • Uncategorizable (1)
    • Wedding (28)
    • Windows (14)
    • Work-pads (10)





  • a little bit of everything, friends, DIY, and inspiration

    • Dadand.com < My husband and his BFF
    • DIY Network
    • HGTV
  • Get Posts Via Email

  • Some Legal

    Merrypad incorporates the occasional affiliate link to Amazon.com and Minted; we link to many other websites and products, but if it is in context of a paid sponsorship, it is always noted as such. Please review the privacy policy and contact me if you have any additional questions.

    Theme customized by Pete Fazio Creative, the guy from dadand.com.


© Copyright Merrypad