We did it! Over the course of two long naps from Clara (and with a little help from a friend), we opened up our front yard in what we jokingly call “Phase Two Of Ten Million” in the slow transformation of our landscape. Why so many phases? It began looking very overgrown and closed-in, so this step was all about clearing things out and creating a you-can-actually-see-the-house-now effect. Phase One involved pruning and limbing up the magnolia, and this phase focused on removing, transplanting, and thinning a lot of the dense shrubs that had been blocking views and making the yard feel smaller.
We dug up, transplanted, and removed a ton of bushes. A friend of ours took home several boxwoods in exchange for helping us get many of them out, which made the work much easier and kept healthy plants in circulation instead of going to waste. Some shrubs we moved to other parts of the property where they fit better, while others were taken by our friend. A few were sadly dead and had to be removed entirely.
The change is dramatic: opening the sightlines lets the house breathe and makes the yard feel larger and more welcoming. We took before-and-after photos from matching angles to capture the difference, and the contrast is striking. The dense hedges that once stopped the eye just a few feet into the yard are gone, replaced by a cleaner, more open layout that encourages the eye to travel out toward the street and the corners of the property.
The only drawback: I ended up with a blister, so in that respect it felt a lot like Phase One. Totally worth it, though—no pain, no gain. We also found a little joy in using tools for the first time; removing the dead shrubs with our reciprocating saw was oddly satisfying. It was our first time using that tool, and we took turns while laughing about how much fun it was, even though it was hard work.
The shrubs we salvaged were planted in the more naturalized side and back yards where they fit the existing landscape better. That helped us recycle plants on-site and maintain a cohesive look in areas that benefit from denser, natural plantings. The remaining healthy shrubs were taken by our friend, while the dead material was cut out and hauled away.
Looking ahead, this was just an initial clearing step. We have a multi-year plan for the entire property, and many more phases are in the pipeline. Planned tasks include removing invasive groundcovers like ivy and monkey grass in certain areas, laying grass seed where needed, and adding low-maintenance native plantings around the perimeter to soften edges without resorting to overly formal fencing. We also plan to landscape around the front of the house, especially on either side of the porch where there are currently very few plants and just mud during the wet season. One larger future project we have in mind is converting the carport to a garage, but that’s farther down the list.
This particular phase was intentionally modest: clear the obstructing foliage, let more light and sightlines into the yard, and create space for more deliberate planting choices in coming months and years. The goal is to make the front yard feel inviting, balanced, and low-maintenance while introducing more native, drought-tolerant, and context-appropriate species over time. The neighbors have been complimentary about the improvements, which feels great and makes the effort even more rewarding.
Has anyone else tackled exterior tweaks in small chunks like this—working around nap schedules, balancing childcare, and trying to get the neighbors’ approval before committing to big visual changes? We find ourselves sneaking outside with the baby monitor on full volume, ready to run in at a moment’s notice, and secretly holding our breath until the neighbors chime in with their thoughts. The process is gradual, often a little messy, and sometimes sweaty, but seeing the house come out from behind the shrubs definitely makes it all worthwhile.
P.S. We shared a fun Halloween surprise story related to this phase on a parenting blog, and it was a sweet little moment involving Clara and a seasonal project she loved.