Someone Tell me if I'm crazy??!!

I'm really on the prowl in my flowerbeds right now - especially after being cooped up in this house with that dern kidney stone for so long - and I'm loving it out there!!!! I am having an urge and I need some feedback before I do something I might be sorry for. I have nandina as my primary shrub in my front landscape, I have other things that are focal points, but this is the filler that runs all the way across and I hate it!!! It would be OK if it wasn't always escaping into my beds.. Here are my questions - Ready??
1 - Do I go ahead and just dig them all out - just go for it and figure it out as I go?
2 - I have stella d'oro (sp?) in the front beds and I'm kind of sick of those also - do I dig those out? I can save them just in case?
3 - AM I CRAZY?
I'm just so sick of my front landscaping - we had a landscape designer draw it out and it was beautiful the first 5 years and now UGH!!!! I really want it to be more FREE - not so prim and proper!
Help ME!!! Michelle If I HAVE to go out and take a picture I will LOL - I just haven't cut the grass and it needs it! and there are quite a few weeds in the bed and I hate the round bed too that I didn't mention. But if you need a picture to help I'll go take one!

I may be aiding your illness, but I did the same thing. And if that's not enough to push you over the brink, here's a diary of my before-and-after: http://davesgarden.com/journal/d/t/Terry/100/

See what nandinas look like 20 years after they're installed. (CAUTION: It's not for the faint of heart, or those who love nandinas.)

Yep - you're definatley aiding my illness! That looks great - see I want that more FREE look - Now I'm going to have to go out there and take some pictures, but I've got to mow the front yard. Not just for the photos, but for ME! My hubby always mows, but he has been so busy as work and I really want to mow after being stuck in this house for so long. So keep the ideas coming - I'm off to put bug spray and raggy clothes on and mow my field of a front yard! Michelle

Michelle,

Are you well enough to take on such a large task??

Is it cool enough to start such a large task??

Are the plants you're wanting to put where you rip out stuff, available this time of the year?

Is there time enough for your landscaping get a good hold before cold weather?

If the answer to all the above is YES, then go for it!!!

Judy

Hey, Judy, dost thou practice what thou preacheth???LOL!
I think maybe this is one of those "wish-I-could-start-the-whole thing-over summers" Told my DH that this winter I want to dig up my whole "cottage garden" and start from scratch! Not sure that will help if next summer is like this summer.

Deb,

I'm so worn out from watering, watering, watering, then fighting the spider mites, that I don't even want to SEE anyone working hard in their yard!!!!

lol lol

Judy

Judy, well enough - yes, cool enough - never, plants available - I have no idea what I want to put in there!!, time - I think so.

OK - I'm going to post some pictures - I still haven't gone and figured out the collage thingy so they'll be a few posts. PLEASE ignore the weeds and the volunteer crepe myrtles, I've still got to tend to those!

I have a Magnolia tree on the front left of the yard - it shows in this pic

This view you can see the crepe myrtle

OK - these will be the last 3 photos - these will show the closer shots of the front beds up against the house.

Middle - overlook the blue tube - I need to cover that!!!

I just divided the stella's this spring from the middle of the house (where the blue tube is) and moved some of the divisions in to this bed - they are still babies, but I'm just tired of them! This bed is in front of my little porch by the front door.

OK - HELP ME!!!!

A coworker's wife asked if I had any more callas to share. Well, of course....so we pulled up about 50 this weekend, and terrible person that I am, I also pulled up all the stella d'oro day lillies and some unknown variety as well. I was going to slip them into the barrels of lillies (see, I'm horrid) when she showed up. She mentioned (again) how much she liked the monkey grass that I gave her (she asked for it, I was going to burn the beasts) and that she was thrilled to have day lillies popping up among it. She asked if I had anymore. Boy, she must think I'm superwoman, I was so quick to run to the yard and miraculously present her with 19 fans of day lillies (LOL). One man's weed is another one's rose...

I wouldn't worry about regretting the removal of the day lillies. My experience seems to be that they never stay gone long enough to allow you to miss them. :-)

I agree with judy though, take it slow, no point in pushing yourself too much in this heat and having a relapse.

I'd get me a chain saw, lady like size, and go to work on those 4 tall things (crepe myrtle included), cut them down about half way but all the same height then I would use what you have as a backdrop to COLOR!!! Really strong color low plants in front, you'll probably have to extend the beds out. The area in front of the porch is begging for short ferns in front of the bushes, then something colorful in front of that, tulips for the spring mixed with something about that height for summer blooms, maybe even annuals The bed around the tree I'll have to leave to another person. There is a garden design forum and I'm sure they would love to offer suggestions... be aware that a couple of posters come on a little too strong for me.

Judy

PS Pot up the volunteer crepe myrtle, someone will want them at the RU

Would you belive I cut all but the tall skinny one way down - especially the crepe myrtle, I was kind of worried when I cut it that I cut it too much. I cut back the crepe myrtle in the fall and the other two first of spring and the nandinas way down. That crepe myrtle grows SO big! So it's OK to cut those back good now (I know the shrubs, but the trees)?

Thanks deb for making me feel better about the stella's - they have just been really bugging me!

Well ... I suppose you would be taking a small chance, how well do you like them? Do you want to keep them? If the answers are "not very" and "no" then go for it. If you don't want the work of digging them up should they die, don't.

What plants would give you color spring, summer & fall and perhaps be everygreens in your area?

Judy