From One Shade of White to Color

First the fence had to be built (see All Fenced In) and then the fence had to be painted (see One Shade of White).  But the most fun and important part of this multi-phase project was selecting and installing the landscaping.  Consulting with a landscape designer, poring over books, pictures, and plant catalogs for weeks, we settled on the "country garden" look along the fence line.  We did all the planting ourselves - no small feat for such a long fence line, and the award goes to Rob for digging ALL of the holes. 

Here's the process from bare ground to plantings:

We then added soaker hoses along the entire planting line, installed on a handy timer so the plants won't be scorched and die of thirst while we are in Philly.

And a full trailer of mulch was quickly depleted.

 

Although it needs time to grow and meld into the "look" and we still need to plant a row of roses behind the fence to softly creep over the top, we do have progress, and that is the important point.  It beats mud and dirt, for sure and the yard is looking a less like a construction zone all the time.