52 Week Organizing Challenge: Week 21 - The Outdoor Organizing Project

There are lots of things on my list of things to organize. Some are big... Ok, most are big but every so often something creeps up and says "ORGANIZE ME!"

That is what happened this week. My original intent was to get back into my office and do some more cleaning an purging, however, it is the end of May and we are most likely free from frost and snow. So it means GARDENING season is upon us! I'll add now that there is a frost warning tonight. GRRR!!!! My poor tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, marigolds, petunias and gerbera daisies!!!!

How does one organize a garden? Well, you see... I'm botanically challenged - and before you Google it, it is a real affliction. ;) My green thumb is green enough but I often have a hard time differentiating weeds and plants. Case in point - our gardens. When we moved in, the former owners had mad gardening skills. They had the side garden all decked out in shrubs and colour. We quickly dug up many of the plants, mistaking them for weeds...

the pretty German Statice I dug up by accident during year two

We added a few, killed a few more but mostly, it's just overrun with dandelions and weed-like plants such as Yarrow, Lamb's Ear and the rogue poppies and sunflowers that grow like weeds (such as wild onions and dill) in this neighbourhood.

Poppies - grow like weeds

This year, I've had enough. With my full time job, blogging, crafting and home renovation projects, something had to go. So I chose flower bed. I spent this weekend on a backyard mission to tidy, purge and organize the yard into a user friendly, attractive, kid friendly place that I can sit and enjoy once and while instead of spending every weekend morning weeding, thinning and filling bag after bag with weeds.

The East garden was simple enough. It's the one I've done the most damage too over the years. What remains are day lilies, tiger lilies, hyacinth, tulips, some weird tulip like plant with teeny little flowers and the very hardy Nanking Cherry tree I got as a Mother's Day gift from my niece, sister and brother in law. I also added some Hens & chicks a couple years ago that took over... I thinned those last year only to see they had babies... Like 100 babies!

So I pulled up all the new edging I pounded in last year, encircled the plants I want to keep (there were six) and that's it. We're digging up the weeds and planting grass. I then hope to get add a couple of fence mounted flower baskets for colour.

I planted four pots of flowers and decided to overhaul our patio. Every thing came off, I washed it (yes, I actually washed paving stones) and then reorganized everything! It looks amazing! I finally feel like we are starting to make our house ours!

I didn't take any before pictures... Too much to do and no camera handy! And I don't have any 'after pictures' either... I know - after Laura suggested always taking pictures to make your story pop and have it be an inspiration! But I figure since the 'finished' project isn't exactly finished, once I get the grass in, I'll update!

Thanks for popping by and I hope you think 'out of the ordinary' for one of your upcoming projects - gardens, like drawers and clsoets, need our love too!

For more great inspiration, check out all of us participating in the 52 Week Challenge at the Organizing Junkie's site!