one man’s trash

So, my crazy neighbors across the street decided they wanted to dig up their GORGEOUS huge azaleas that were in full bloom and put in some really boring small stumpy shrubs.  When I was leaving the house to take K & B to school, I noticed the landscapers digging everything out.  I immediately stopped the car and rolled down my window.  “Hey, what are you gonna do with those azaleas?”  They said they were just going to trash them so I told them that if there were any that could be salvaged, I’d love to try to transplant them into my yard.  Since they only had to walk them across the street to my yard, they agreed to leave whatever they could.

Last year, I decided I’d try my luck at planting four little azaleas in our front yard.  I painstakingly watered them every day through the hot summer so they’d stand a chance.  You can see them below on the left side of the house—yeah, those four really puny little things in the front that look like they’re dying.  I don’t know what I did wrong, but I think they’re diseased cuz lots the leaves have turned yellow and have little brown spots all over them.

(I took this picture about a month ago before all the leaves had come back to the trees.)

Anyway, after being gone for a couple hours running some errands, I came home to find three azaleas for me to give a new home to.  And here is what my yard looks like after spending a couple hours digging some big holes in the hard North Carolina clay (I’ve got a pulled muscle in my arm to prove it):

They definitely don’t look as good as they did in my neighbor’s yard because of the stress of transplanting, but I love the pop of color that they add!  (We’ll see if they’re still alive in a few days. . .)

Oh, and did you notice the other huge difference between the two pictures?  Look very closely. . .

Don’t see it?  Take a closer look at the front steps and the walkway.  Yes, we power washed for the very first time!  Check out this picture when I was partway done:

No, that middle section isn’t wet—THAT is how dirty and gray the walkway was.  I washed the squares on either side of it to show the dramatic change!  Tell me that’s not amazing!  I think it actually glows in the dark now.  (I wanted to do the driveway as well, but I think that would have taken me about a week.  The driveway will have to remain that lovely charcoal gray.)