Preparing for Old Age

[Tiramisu]

I'm on another one of my "kicks". Most of our landscaping is over 15yo. The landscape timbers are rotten and need to be replaced. The hedges are thin and other plants are either too tall or too thin. When you look at our house, you can't really see the porch for the shrubs. So, Hubby and I are going to tear it all out. Actually, Hubby will - while I sit with my foot propped up (surgery on the 25th).

That'll save the cost of mulching, new timbers, electricity used for edging. Cutting grass on the riding mower is easier than bending to pull weeds, use the hedgers and weedeater. So, instead of beds all around the house, I'll only have one in the back for my cut table flowers.

Of course, I'll still have some hanging baskets and potted plants out and about.

[judy]

Sounds like a plan! It really does make sense. You'll save money and not have to work so hard.

[gja1000]

We just did that with our bed in front of our house. We live in Texas and do not need to be watering flowers/shrubs. So, last fall we pulled everything out, covered the area with black plastic and left it on till June of this year. Then we leveled it out and put down weed block and then a layer of rock. We are having so much fun collecting "yard art" for the rock bed. So far we have a metal yucca, metal cactus, metal horned toad, and metal road runner. We have other decorative rocks and a couple of lizards. We planted some tiny cacti in some holes in 3 of the large rocks. The bed looks soooo good, and now we have no weeding, no watering, nothing but enjoyment!

[HALEY]

Just did that Sandy, hooked up the work truck and pulled all the old shrubs out, then just got done planting new ones, it took a couple of months. waited for plants to go on sale at Lowes, this is a good time everything is going on sale, but you have slim pickings.. so you better hurry...

[Janet]

Sandy it sounds like a good plan...less work as you both age. That's what I was thinking too, I don't have a lot of landscaping, but I already know that there is no way I'm going to be able to take care of this acre yard in my old age and I sure don't want to live out here in no man's land in the wintertime when I'm old. Plans need to be put in place here also.

[Tiramisu]

Originally Posted by HALEY

Just did that Sandy, hooked up the work truck and pulled all the old shrubs out, then just got done planting new ones, it took a couple of months. waited for plants to go on sale at Lowes, this is a good time everything is going on sale, but you have slim pickings.. so you better hurry...

Nope - not replanting. We're simplifying! I'll make before and after pictures.

[Tiramisu]

Does anybody have crete myrtles? They look fairly low maintenance. I've been watching some in my neighborhood and around town. Looks like you can keep them short or let them grow taller. I might put a few of those across the very back of our two little acres.

Our fruit trees (apple, pear, peach, tangerine, navel orange, pomegranite, lemon, plum, mandarine, lime) should be bearing by next year. We got 7 peaches this year from one tree. The mandarine trees had a few last year, but they were very sour. I love watching the g-kids go check for fruit. They all love the blueberries. I didn't get many figs this year. I want to put in another strawberry bed for them.

[HALEY]

Originally Posted by Tiramisu

Nope - not replanting. We're simplifying! I'll make before and after pictures.

That's what i did Sandy, no more trimming bushes,, low maintence rose bushes, and the trees i'll trim when needed, it's way better than trimming bushes!