Before the frost

We had to get some aluminum sulfate to try and neutralize the pH level so grass will grow in our yard and Little Tree Garden Market had plants still for sale at 60% off!  Whoa!  We indulged!

Since moving in, we both disliked the hydrangea plants on either side of our front door.  These plants have huge, showy flower heads too heavy for their stems which fold or break from the weight.  A very pretentious, impractical creation, in my mind a ridiculous twist of Mother Nature's glory.  We wanted them gone.

And so we started digging...

And digging... There were huge roots, but they gave in to my ratty determination and mom's axe!  In the end...

this is (part of) what came out of the hole and what went in.  The right side was messier.

Now we wait for Spring and hope that our new babies will survive the wintery weather okay.  A bag of mulch should help cover their roots and tuck them in for a good sleep.

Looks a little naked, but then so does the rest of the property:  we had the hedge that hid the house along the sidewalk cut down to about chest high, and the magnolia cleaned up.  Thank you to Jake Neely at Companion Gardening for lots of helpful information and guidance and a fantastic job of tidying up our whole yard, helping to make our Flying Leap look a bit more loved on the outside.