Curb appeal landscaping project – Part 3 – Build

April 28, 2019 0 By Michael

Curb appeal landscaping project status update time

It’s been a minute since our last curb appeal landscaping project update, no excuses, some things just take time, and every gardener knows what happens when things are rushed. This isn’t quite a wrap up yet, on account of there are still a few to-do’s on the project plan. This is more a status update so you can see progress in action. And even though it’s not quite done yet, it does look pretty good so far.

What did we learn

Having most of the work done, this project was more ambitious than it looked on paper for one lone gardener. The mulch vendor came in with a heavy handed load (which took more work to move) at a pretty decent price. And preparing the space was a little more challenging than estimated. So in all it ran a little long on a couple of tasks, but didn’t really have an impact on the overall plan. Overall the curb appeal landscaping project is on time and under budget.

Winter makes you fat

It’s easy to forget your age and the impact of a sedentary winter life when you’re sitting and planning things out on paper. Oh the reality of just one more piece of cheesecake, one more glass of wine, one more helping of that favorite February comfort food when it’s cold outside add up. The net result is directly or indirectly proportional to how many shovels full of mulch you can scoop, or rake, and how many passes you can make with the tiller and shovel. So, lesson learned, either factor in some tasks for going to the gym to build some much needed work muscles, or add in some extra time into your plan as a result for your marshmallow abs.

Neighbors get curious when your front yard looks like a war zone

It’s also easy to forget about interruptions when you’re planning. We live in a close community on a U shaped cul-de-sac where just about everyone knows each other. The kids all grew up together and everyone’s super nice. But be outside on your front lawn at 8am with a powertool and ho-lee-cow… you’d better be prepared for the steady stream of investigations throughout your working day. I honestly can’t remember how many people I told that it was seven cubic yards of mulch, that I got from https://www.themulchdepot.com (who I would totally recommend if you live in the area). Or that yep, it’s just me, my electric rototiller, wheelbarrow, shovel and rake…. Did you see anyone else out here? I love my neighbors, but it’s really hard to not be frustrated when folks keep interrupting you while you’re falling behind. In the end, it really only added about three extra hours to our curb appeal landscaping project.

Use your project plan

Updating your plan helps keep things on track. Family activities, routine business as usual tasks etc. Things always creep their way in. Using “the plan” as the simple tool that it is definitely helped maintain sanity here. Easter dinner, no problem. Clearing out the old garden beds, got it covered. Sanity check day with the family at the mall – fit that in too… That’s the great part about having a plan for a project like our curb appeal landscaping upgrade. When you make a plan in advance it is the biggest gift you can give your future self… It’s like a bank account for time itself… Don’t overthink it either, it’s not about being super organized. Jeez if you could see some of the messes right now, you’d be positively shocked. Just writing down what you want to do and when and looking at it anytime someone asks for some of your time is just so freaking liberating.