Back to Blueberry Hill

I came to a strange realization this weekend while shoveling what seemed like the 100th load of mulch into the wheelbarrow:  I think I might actually be enjoying this.  Funny ‘cus as a kid – this was one of the worst.chores.ever.  That pile of mulch seemed as tall as Mt. Everest.  But now, though back-breaking and tedious, it’s different.  It’s ours, and it’s starting to feel like it.

One thing that kept catching my eye while I was making the rounds was the bush line in front of the house.  Snow damage and overgrowth have left these babies begging for attention.  Prune or Purge?  I took a deep breath and a leap of faith.  Purge.  Here’s what the front of the house used to look like:

And now, after we decided that starting from scratch was the way to go:

I’ve temporarily put my garden bench and empty flower pots there to get some ideas flowing about what to do with this blank canvas.  Off for some pinspiration I go:

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I love the wood tone of this raised garden bed and it seems like this would be (relatively) easy to create.  The drawback here is that it would require a lot of soil to fill, and would need to be weeded (not one of my favorite pastimes).  Also in the running:

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These are breathtaking.  And as a side note, if you haven’t discovered Kelly’s blog, The Lilypad Cottage, you have to visit.  Her house is absolutely gorgeous and she’s a joy to read.  Win win.  I have been trying to find something that won’t ruin our vinyl siding, and don’t want to send an invitation to every bug around to come on in.  If I can figure those two things out – consider this my favorite option.  If I can’t maybe something like this would be a second choice:

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Shelf instead of window box?  Eliminates the dirt issue, but as far as screwing into the siding… hmmm still need some work.  I think I’ll head to Home Depot and see what they have to offer.  But before I go here’s one more possibility:

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So, what’s your favorite?  Let me know in the comments section below.  Thanks for stopping in!