About one month after we moved into our house, my husband noticed a random, soggy puddle right by our tree in the front yard. It had barely rained, so the sloshy mud seemed totally out of place.
Sure enough, a couple of days later, the water company called to alert us to abnormal water usage. The verdict? A leak in our main water line running straight to the house!
To fix it, a plumber had to dig a giant trench across our front yard—and in the process, our front flower bed was completely ripped to shreds.
While an unexpected water line repair was not on our original move-in budget, it gave us the perfect excuse to start from scratch and build a new, improved flower bed with way better curb appeal!
5 Budget-Friendly Upgrades We Made to the New Flower Bed:
1. Repurposed Brick Edging
Instead of buying new plastic or stone edging, we used old bricks we dug up right in our own yard! It gave the bed a clean, charming border for zero extra cost.
2. The Cardboard Weed Barrier Trick
Instead of buying plastic landscaping fabric, we skipped the synthetic paper altogether and laid down plain cardboard from all our Amazon purchases, directly over the dirt. It smothers weeds naturally, breaks down over time to enrich the soil, and allowed us to just throw fresh mulch right on top!
3. Built a Walkway to the Spigot
To make daily watering easy (and keep us from stepping in the dirt or squishing plants), we added a simple stone walkway leading right up to the hose spigot.
4. Layered Flowers for All-Season Color
To make sure the front of the house has pops of color from spring through autumn, we layered three heights and bloom times:
- Front Row (Spring): Candytuft—a low, shallow-growing ground cover that gives a bright pop of white blooms every spring.
- Middle Row (Summer): Coneflowers—hardy perennials that bring vibrant color all summer long.
- Back Row (Late Summer / Fall): A Dwarf Purple Butterfly Bush for rich color that keeps pollinators coming late into the season.
5. Pathway Lighting
To finish off the space, we added simple solar pathway lighting along the walkway. It gives the front entryway a cozy, warm glow at night and accents the new brick edging beautifully!
Take a peek at how it turned out below!
Well…Bye! May your coffee be strong and your toddlers’ tantrums be short!