Sometimes the best projects begin with the most unexpected spaces.
For over a year this area of our front yard was nothing more than a bare patch of dirt left behind after we had to remove a large tree that once divided our yard from our neighbor’s. Instead of looking at it as an eyesore, we saw an opportunity to create something beautiful. With a simple wooden fence built from reclaimed lumber, secondhand brick pavers, a little hard work, and a packet of wildflower seeds, this forgotten space slowly transformed into one of my favorite places in our yard. Today it’s overflowing with cheerful blooms, towering sunflowers, and all the cottage garden charm I could have hoped for.
From Bare Dirt to a Cottage Flower Garden.
Before: An Empty Patch of Dirt
I was actually heartbroken when our neighbors decided it was time to remove this old tree that sat along the property line between our two yards. Several different arborists came to look at it, and they all agreed that it had become unsafe and needed to come down. Even though I understood why it had to be removed, I had a hard time saying goodbye. This tree held so many memories for our family. Every first day of school, my boys would stand in front of it while I snapped their annual photos. It also provided wonderful shade for our yard and created a natural border between our home and our neighbors’. When it was gone, the space felt surprisingly empty, leaving behind nothing but a large patch of dirt.
Gathering Brick Pavers One Day at a Time
One of my favorite parts of this little garden is that so many of the materials were repurposed. My mother-in-law offered me the brick pavers from her yard that she was no longer using. Since I stop by her house every day to help out, I loaded about ten pavers into my car each visit and brought them home. It took about a week before I had them all, but little by little the winding garden border came together. She also gave me an old wooden barrel that had been sitting unused in her yard. Today it’s tucked among the flowers, although the wildflowers have grown so full that you can hardly see it anymore!
Building a Simple Garden Fence With Reclaimed Wood
It was my husband’s idea to add the fence. He had a vision about how he wanted it to look, so I let him take the lead and I helped him along the way. It only took a couple of hours on a Sunday morning to get it all built.
We just used wood that we already had on hand (most likely from old fences we had torn down in the back yard). We first buried the three post a couple of feet in the ground, and then used metal brackets to attach the four 2X4’s. I actually really liked it at this stage, but from there we attached the fencing slats that we cut to size and then measured for an even distance between the slats.
Thinking About Painting the Fence
I was going back and forth if I should paint the fence or not, in the end I decided to leave it wood for now, I may paint it next spring. Here are a couple of mock-ups I created to see what the fence would look like painted either White, or green.
Which look do you like best, Wood, White, or Green?
Planting Wildflowers and Waiting
I only bought a large packet of Wildflowers seeds to plant here in my garden. But I also had a lot of random seeds in plastic bags that I’ve collected from just about everywhere I go. I started saving seed pods from friend’s plants. So I added them to my garden as well. I also planted some flowers in the barrel, but as you can see, it’s completely hidden now.
The Surprise Sunflowers
We did get some Sunflowers grow in this area last year, but it was so wild, because I never planted any, They just showed up. So I was only half surprised that they showed up again this year. But the amount that they should up is outrageous! And not only do sunflowers grow in this front area but in our back yard as well.
A Garden Divider
One of my favorite parts about this garden is that it adds just a little bit of a divider between the neighbor’s yard and ours. Don’t get me wrong, I love our neighbors, so it’s nothing personal, but I do like the feeling of having our own front yard and not a shared space. It’s a great solution to not having the tree here any more.
The Neighbors love the garden too! Their side still has a dirt patch, so they could always create a flower garden on their side as well.
I may also want to make our garden a tad bit bigger, seeing how fast it filled in.
Sunflowers in our Backyard Too!
Like I mentioned, Sunflowers Love it Here and they just grow on their own. I’m sure the birds and squirrels help a lot, but every year we get more and more sunflowers showing up and I absolutely love it!
They’re so tall too! I’m 5.2 and they are way taller than me. 😊
Looking at the front garden today, it’s hard to believe it all started with a lonely patch of dirt. It’s a reminder that some of the best gardens don’t happen overnight, they grow one project, one flower, and one season at a time. I still haven’t decided whether I’ll paint the little fence white or green next spring, but for now I’m simply enjoying watching nature do what it does best.
So what do you think? Any Questions or Comments? Please let me know below or email them to me at thewickerhouse@yahoo.com or come find me on Facebook and/or Instagram.
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Thanks for Stopping by,
Emily
