This post brought to you by Scotts Miracle-Gro. All opinions are 100% mine.
Spring has arrived and operation front yard makeover is well under way.
Step one was to remove the tragically half dead azaleas. (Oh man, those plants have deep, thick roots.) Out with the old and in with the new. We replaced the azaleas (the bain of my front yard) with uber hearty viburnum. So far so good.
Then apparently we didn’t fully learn our lesson from last year. I thought I was doing good this year. No flowers, I should be safe, right? Not so much. The deer who roam our neighborhood eat everything — even plants labeled “deer proof” by the nursery. (Deer proof is a joke.) I planned a lovely arrangement of Mondo Grass, only to have last year’s story repeat. Two days later after planting, my lovely mondo grass had been mowed down by the deer.
Ahhh the joys of living with wildlife.
Once again, my search for a plant that the deer actually won’t eat is renewed. After scouting my neighbors lawns, my next plan of attack is to try Society Garlic. I see a LOT of it around here, so fingers crossed that the deer in my yard don’t eat it!
I would also like to add some more color to my yard. Perhaps these red plants that my neighbor seems to have success with. (Anyone know what they are called?)
In the mean time, let’s talk mulch. Along with fresh plants, the spring is the time to re-mulch the beds. (Where does all of the mulch go in a single year?!) Until owning a home, I had no idea how many types and colors of mulch are available.
I recently learned about Scotts Florida Select Natural Eucalyptus Mulch. What makes this mulch unique is that it is made from eucalyptus plants, which grows four times faster than cyprus trees. Why is that important? Because that means it is a renewable resource. Plus it is grown right here in Florida. So for gardeners who practice sustainable gardening, eucalyptus mulch is a smart choice.
Other features Scotts Nature Scapes mulch include:
- Three color options – deep forest brown, classic black and sierra red
- Prevents weeds naturally
- Helps conserve moisture and control soil temperature
If your spring to-do list includes sprucing up your yard, consider adding eucalyptus mulch to your list of gardening supplies.
You did a great job! We have a lot of wildlife but thankfully no deer! Our challenge is we have a ton of shade so we have to find plants that don’t need much sun!
I do not do very well with planting plants and keeping them alive 🙂 so I love using mulch to add a splash of color to our flower beds. We go through a ton of the red since the hot summers in Florida soak up the color so I may have to give this one a try. Since it is from Florida hopefully it will not fade as fast.
My yard is in no way close to being finished but we do have lots of wildlife, deer included 🙂 I love those grass plants.