It’s been a while since we shared any gardening updates (over a month, in fact — see that post), but that doesn’t mean nothing has been happening. We’ve simply been slow to write it up — partly because we wanted things to fill in a bit before taking photos. Time to catch up. Remember when we transplanted some bushes to brighten the area behind the patio?
That transplant helped the far side of the patio, but it left a large, unattractive gap on the other side. A couple of weeks ago we fixed that by picking up two hydrangeas and a pot of petunias from Home Depot and replanting the bare area. With fresh mulch and a few blossoms, the space instantly felt more inviting.
The hydrangeas have been especially rewarding — they filled in faster than we expected and began blooming beautifully. We thought both might be blue, but one turned out more purple, probably due to a quirk in the soil. Either way, having the color there makes the whole patio look more finished.
We also added a ceramic garden turtle that Sherry found at HomeGoods. It was $16, and I didn’t argue — our outdoor ceramic collection was basically nonexistent, and the turtle felt like the right finishing touch. Clara adores it, and Sherry was happy to replace the white stone turtle she’d noticed on an earlier house tour (that turtle wasn’t there when we moved in, so this green guy helped fill that little nostalgia gap).
Another small victory: after more than a year the stones that had been sitting on the brick steps are finally gone. Some neighbors bought them for their garden, and we made about $90 — so the tidy-up paid for itself and reduced clutter on the steps.
Of course, our dog Burger insisted on supervising the whole operation. He’s forever on the lookout for lizards that sun themselves on the bricks, and he provided plenty of blurred photo-bomb moments while we shot closeups of blossoms. He didn’t catch any lizards, but he’s charming company nonetheless.
We didn’t stop at the hydrangeas and the turtle. Those migrating black planters that have shuffled around the patio since we moved in finally got sorted out too. They still held the hardy boxwoods we’d planted back at our old house, which was pleasantly surprising. Since Katherine The Landscape Gal had recommended boxwoods for the front porch planters that used to hold seasonal mums, we decided to move these established boxwoods to the front door where they’ll be better appreciated.
Carefully extracting the boxwoods from the black planters and replanting them in the wooden front porch planters felt like the right move, though we’re cautiously optimistic — wooden planters haven’t always treated plants kindly in the past. This time we’re committing to better watering and care, so hopefully the boxwoods will thrive in their new home.
That left the black planters empty, so we filled them with white petunias from Home Depot. Not an extravagant choice, but the clean white blooms add a cheerful note and help balance the patio visually. Simple, low-effort planting like this can make a noticeable difference in a small space.
Altogether, the updates gave that patio nook a fresher, more intentional look. Flowers, mulch, a ceramic friend, and a pair of tidy planters transformed what had been a neglected corner into somewhere we actually want to sit and relax. It’s a reminder that modest investments of time and a few inexpensive plants can change the feel of an outdoor area quickly.
How about you? Are you in full outdoor-refresh mode, or are you easing off now that summer is approaching? We’re enjoying this little stretch of gardening momentum and planning to keep tending what we started so everything continues to fill in nicely.