Ever since I moved into this house over 5 years ago, I have wanted to add a flowerbed out by the mailbox. Well, this spring I finally did it.
THE VISION:
When I came from the nursery with my plants for this flowerbed, I felt like I had a TON of plants! So I got out my water hose to design and lay out the shape of the bed that I wanted. I always seem to go for a kidney bean shape.
Then I unpacked my car and carried all my plants out to the mailbox and set them into the huge bed I had laid out.
And that’s when I realized that my imagined flowerbed was WAY too big! Much bigger than the actual plants I had purchased would fill. So I had to cut back the size of the bed to fit what I had bought.
And even after cutting back the size of the bed, I still went back a few days later and got 3 more plants to fill the space better. I am really pleased with how it turned out. But I do plan to expand it at a later date.
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ADDING PLANTS:
After a lot of digging, a lot of soil enrichment, and a lot of sweat, I got the 14 plants in the ground. And this is when I determined that I really needed three more Heuchera to fill in close to the mailbox post. Those are the three plants on the outside of the bed, nearest the road. The white blooming plants in the center are Candytuft. And the plants at the back, towards the house, are a low growing Loropetalum. I purchased all these plants from the Home Depot Garden Center.
EDGING:
I then carefully removed the hose and began to transport brick from the back yard and edged the bed with them. The yard is sloped and unlevel here, so I had to build up the lower end. This made it so that I need two layers of bricks to hold the dirt in place. We had a gully washer within the next few days and the bricks worked perfectly to keep the dirt from washing away.
By the time that I got the two layers of bricks laid, I had one aching back!
That mailbox though.
It’s sad.
It’s ugly.
It’s worn.
And to tell you the truth, it is just propped onto the post.
It’s been like that for a couple of years now. I came home from work one day to find the above scene. Mr. Menace just set the box back on the pole and it’s been like that ever since.
FUTURE PLANS:
So now, I am mailbox and post shopping! But I am having a hard time making up my mind. Do you have any ideas?
Do I want a round post like the columns on my porch?
Or one with a cute bracket below the box like this one?
Or a stone post?
I found this stone post on the Home Depot website but they are sold out.
Did I ever tell you how difficult it is for me to make a decision?
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Lisa Hollowell says
Your flower bed looks great! I’ve always thought that was a nice touch to have flowers around a mailbox. (Ours is across the road from our house and has wildflowers growing around it.) I like the post with the cute bracket!
gwingal says
I love wildflowers. I have always thought I’d like to have a meadow area with wildflowers. So many gardens… so little time. and energy. 🙂
Anne In The Kitchen says
I love the flower bed around the mailbox. However, out mailbox is about a 1/4 of the mile down our driveway. I think the county would probably brush hog any beds I put out there when they maintain the verge. So, I will just have to admire how pretty yours is! Thanks, for sharing!
gwingal says
Ha! I bet you are right Anne! I don’t even allow Mr. Menace to get on the riding lawn mower in our yard. He just can’t see my plants! LOL Thanks for visiting. 🙂
Across the Boulevard (@AcrosstheBlvd) says
Your flower bed looks great! I have whatever the opposite of a green thumb is, but last year my brother, who can grow anything, helped me start a flower bed around a tree using a stone border. I was amazed when they started blooming again this spring! The stone mail box would look great for your area. Maybe it will be back in stock soon. Thanks for sharing at Snickerdoodle. Pinning to my outdoor board.
gwingal says
Thank goodness for brothers! It is excited to see things come alive in spring. Thanks for visiting. 🙂
Christine @ www.rustic-refined.com says
The shade loving Heuchera you go looks wonderful. Love that color you picked! and as for the mailbox I would pick the post that goes with the style of your house. If your house is colonial, then the round one. If its a ranch ten the brick one. Th square one woud be good for almost any style.
gwingal says
Hi Christine. I was surprised when I purchased this Heuchera that it said it was good in sun! So I’m giving it a try. Thanks for the input for the mailbox post. We do not have any rock anywhere but I do love the look of that one. And we have huge white columns on the front porch, although they are fluted columns so I tend to go with that one, but I do love that cute bracket on the square one… LOL 🙂
Mary-The Boondocks Blog says
Nikki you are so funny. Your kidney shaped garden is lovely and it will look amazing when the flowers have grown. As for the mail box, one never would have thought that there are so many options to choose from. I like that stone one, too bad it’s sold out.
gwingal says
Thank you Mary! I am still undecided on the post….. 🙂