Rehab overgrown area by curb and build stacked stone wall

New rock wall and tree neaten up our entrance

Two old, large maples have graced the sides of our front walkway until recently. Unfortunately, over the past few years we noticed that one of them was being eaten by insects. Apparently the department of transportation is responsible for the trees along our street, so I contacted them to check out its health. One day I noticed that the tree had been marked with spray paint -- apparently VDOT came and decided that the tree could not be saved.

Poor tree was marked for its demise

Several months passed and one day there was a crew in my yard, ready to go. They were worried about nearby wires, and I gave them the green light to do whatever they could to avoid them, even if that meant our old fence might get hit.

Tree being taken down carefully, to avoid wires

I knew it would not be a pretty sight when the tree was gone, but what greeted us was downright ugly. The falling limbs did take out part of the fence, which was already dilapidated -- but it never concerned me because it had always been hidden. Several Rose of Sharon trees along the fence had been heavily pruned. The old tree's wide stump remained. An overgrown old planter was full of weeds and was falling apart.

Yuck

This area of our home was not on my radar as needy. Now every time I came home I saw an eyesore. I had to do something. But what? I was not going to hire pros, so what could I do to make this look better?

So welcoming...

The first thing I wanted was a new tree to bring life back to this area, and maybe a little privacy. Our backyard had never been so visible in our years in this home. The weekend after the old tree was chopped, my brother in law left his convertible at our house in exchange for my car. I had a brainstorm: without a top, this could be useful to transport a tree! I packed my kids in and we headed to our local garden center.

The staff was skeptical and kept asking how far I was going to drive the tree

We picked out a nice, tall arborvitae and carefully drove it home. I dug a hole while the kids sort of helped, and we plunked it in. Already the spot looked a little better.

Tree helps a bit

The rubble in this area was difficult to remove. The weeds I could pull out, and I clipped back some Rose of Sharon sprouts. But there were lots of bricks and rocks and some cinder block shards too... lovely. The long wooden posts bordering this garden bed were nailed together and proved impossible for me to remove: I tugged, jumped and pried to no avail. They would have to wait until my husband could help.

Had to call in the big guns

It ultimately took two of us plus a saw, an ax, a sledge, and a shovel to dislodge those messy wood borders. A lot of daylight was burned and I worried that it could be weeks or months before I had another surge of energy and the time to act on it. I pressed on, with the help of my daughter, who loaded up some of the stones I'd bought a month or so ago for the park benches on our corner.

Busting her hump to earn her keep

I liked the idea of a stone area by the benches, but the rocks I'd laid were not flat enough. They wobbled when we walked on them, and I was afraid this area would not be good for someone without firm footing. Rather than wait for the stones to eventually sink in, I would re-purpose them as a retaining wall.

Starting to lay the stones

I scooped away some dirt so the garden bed was an arc. Thankfully the soil did not cascade down and make a mess (I anticipated holding back a landslide and had a plank of wood and a stake ready). Laying the stones went much faster than I thought it would. Each rock was like a puzzle piece, and I only had to flip or spin it to see how it might fit. The shapes naturally worked together.

So much better!

I'm sore and our wheelbarrow broke while I was loading up stones, but it's done! It's not perfect, but what was an eyesore for months now looks a million times better. I'm elated! Progress! Now to surprise my kids with some Christmas ornaments for that tree.

Corner bench project with the kids to boost curb appeal on our corner

Final product gives the neighborhood a resting place

Our home is on a corner, and the previous owners planted a hedgerow between the street and the house. In our six years here, I have struggled to keep the edge of the property looking decent. Weeds grow fast and thick, and at least four types of invasive vines choke out our shrubs and trees. In my attempts to hack away at the mess, I've had bad poison ivy, been poked in the eye by a stray branch, been stung by a wasp... but worst of all, after each attempt everything springs back. It's embarrassing to have the sloppiest area of the street, but I am not intersted in constantly toiling away out there.

Overgrown, messy corner not long after I tried pruning & weed whacking

My husband made a suggestion one day, perhaps not a serious one, but it stuck in my head. He asked if we should put a bench out there. I wasn't looking to spend money on a bench outside our house and yard, when we have so many projects I'd rather invest my money and time in. But I liked the idea of a perch for the 'hood, for the parents with small kids on bikes and the dog walkers. I would love our neighborhood to be more friendly. And... what if more pedestrians meant slower traffic? I toyed with the idea of creating a cement bench, a la Gaudi or something you'd see in Seville. I'd cover it in mosaics and add a drain hole so puddles wouldn't collect on the seat.

Time passed, and one day on the way to work I was at Habitat ReStore with a donation. In the drop-off area I noticed two metal benches. Out of curiousity, I asked how much they cost. The guy working there told me he's planning to paint them and sell the pair for $75. I asked how much if they weren't painted, and he knocked a bit off the price. Still too much for my nonexistant budget.

I happened to be back at the store later the same week. Another customer encouraged me to haggle over a lamp, and I told him I was embarrassed to do so -- Habitat could use all the money they get! But he laughed at me and started haggling for me. I walked out of there with benches and a lamp for about $40. That day I brought the kids to my favorite hardware store (Ayers Hardware in Arlington, VA) and they picked out some spray paint.

Kids going to town with their cans of spray paint

We got home and got to work. They had never used spray paint and it's hard to instruct 2 kids at once, so a fair amount ended up on their clothes and skin. And mine. But they did a great job and were so proud of the results. We ended up using a roller and an old can of paint to finish the job, as the spray paint ran out partway through. (This is my third attempt to use the stuff and I think I'm officially not a spray paint fan).

Benches are situated in cleared area

I had weed-whacked the area and replanted two azeleas so there was a clearing for the benches. The kids helped decide where they should be located.

Some seasonal flair, to please my kids

Later we added some decorations (my kids always beg me to make our place more festive). My favorite are the solar lights. Because they went up long before Christmas, I'm not going to take them down after Christmas.

White solar lights last until at least bedtime if the day was sunny

To keep the weeds at bay, I stopped by a local stone shop (Sisler's Stone in Falls Church, VA) and grabbed a bunch of flat stones. I thought I had enough to make a little wall or two, too. It didn't stretch as far as I thought! Also, the stones are thicker than stepping stones should be, so they wobble. At some point I'll replace them with larger, flatter slabs.

This was an unexpected project but it makes me happy every time I round the corner. It's great to see how proud the kids are, too.