After much complaining about our unruly landscaping we researched on thisoldhouse.com that the best time to trim Rhododendron bushes is in late March.  We were a little late, but at the first sign of a warm April weekend, Joe’s step dad, Mike (www.namexa.com) was kind enough to help us tame the massive plants that covered up much of our front porch.  Everyone cringed when we told them our plans to give these bushes a serious trim since apparently they are beautiful in bloom, but these Rhododendron were so high that they mustn’t have been trimmed in years.  They were really great at hiding our curtain-less front windows, but alot of moss accumulated on the porch and they really hid the tiny cape cod.  Joe was able to finally clear out what will hopefully be a nice little flowerbed.  According to the this old house article it may take 2-3 years for them to be full again, but I think we’re more than happy to make that sacrifice to open up the front yard a bit.

Future summer plans for the outside of the house include new stucco for the foundation, painting the cement porch, adding a fresh coat of white paint, and adding a little flair by painting the shutters red. If anyone knows a lumberjack in the area, we would love to cut down the two humungous pine trees that are very close to our house.  Don’t get me wrong, I love trees, but I’m a little scared that a stiff wind mind send these pine trees down into our bedroom.

As you can see from this side view the columns are definitely in need of some new paint. We have a can of white in the pantry for a really nice day when we are feeling super ambitious.  Once we actually paint the downstairs, working outside will be more justifiable.  Now it just feels like we’re playing hooky from wallpaper scraping and spackling.  Plus, it’s still cold! These solar powered landscaping lights were one of our first impulse buys at Lowe’s www.lowes.com, we always come home with a few of those.  I’m very excited to see some tulips and assorted plants that I have yet to decipher growing in this flower bed. This dirt is full of huge rocks, but it’s nice to see that life does exist!

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