Many years ago, Ted and I hired a landscaping company to install weed barrier fabric, mulch, and decorative rock in our yard.  Over the years, the fabric has deteriorated and Ted said he now spends the bulk of his outdoor work time pulling weeds.  Not fun!  It was time for an update, so we called a landscaping company and had them do all the work for us:  remove the current mulch and gravel, dig a spade edge around all of our trees and landscaping areas, lay heavy-duty weed barrier fabric in those areas, and add new mulch and gravel.  We also contracted with them to remove and replace our dying privet hedge.  The results look fresh and beautiful and Ted hasn’t pulled a weed for weeks.

We changed two beds from mulch to lava rock.

 

The gravel walkways provide drainage from the patio and give us a route (or two) to the back yard.

 

Paving stones provide a nice shortcut between the new hedge and the burning bushes.

 

The landscaper suggested borders around the mulch and rock in the pool area and we really like the new look.  These borders and the spade edges help keep the mulch and rock where we want it.

 

Our mission–and we choose to accept it–is to sit outside and enjoy the new look that required no hard labor on our part.  We love it!