DIY Landscaping: Before & After

I'll just go ahead and say it.  I know you're thinking it.

It's about damn time.

Back in early April, I shared with you all our plan for redoing the landscaping in the front of our house. Believe it or not, we did actually complete it within a month.  100%.  That part was awesome.

So, without further ado, here's the before:

And now, the beautiful after:

So, here's what we learned:

1. April/May was definitely the time of year to do this.  I can't even imagine doing this in the heat of the summer.
2. Be weary of ordering too much mulch.  I followed the formula that the lawn and garden store provided, and we ended up with about 6 cu. yd. too much.  Out of 10 total.  We did calculate for it to cover 3 inches deep - and I don't think it's 3 inches deep everywhere.  So...we made some neighbors and friends happy with free mulch.  Karma!
3. Having a shady yard sucks.  Well, it's ok.  Ok, so I absolutely love the fact that our street is lined with huge trees.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.  But when it comes to landscaping, growing grass is a full-time job, and the foliage that will thrive in your yard will not be brightly colored.  All of the plants toned down almost immediately upon bringing them home to our dark, dismal yard.  Bummer.
4. I'm a sensationalist. (Translation: drama queen)
5. We had to make some last-minute substitutions because they were out of plants we had chosen.  I don't like them as well.  The grasses will stay despite the fact that I liked others better.  The other substitution we made is going to be ripped out and replaced.  Ew.
6. I can't wait to plant colorful perennials next spring.  Impatiens are my new best friend!
7. I can't wait to plant bulbs this fall.  I can't wait even more for them to bloom in the spring!
8. I miss how green and lush our lawn was in the spring.  It's gorgeous!  Now - it's struggling.  Poor grass.
9. I took a day off of work to finish this up when we didn't quite get it done over the weekend.  And I hadn't been able to help much that weekend.  Which is probably why it didn't get done.  It was hard work.  But it was totally gratifying.  Especially because it was a surprise for The Stallion.  He almost cried when he got home.  I think it may be the best present I have ever given him.
10.  I love mowing the lawn.  I've done it 9/10 times all summer long.  It's like vacuuming.  I love that, too.  Although, mowing's not so much fun now that our yard is struggling so much I can't hardly make out the line from the pass I just made.  And you can't really see the lines when I'm done - which is what I love so much about mowing the lawn.
11. I get so worn out from life, sometimes it's just too much for me to tell you all about it, too.  
12. I'm a big baby.

Here's some progression shots for you to enjoy:

I'll go ahead a leave you with this: