DIY Network

Grimm: Plan, Costs and Products Meet the Grimm family and find out the gardening challenge plan. From "Garden Sense" episode DGAR-303

Walter and the Grimm family

Meet Greg and Carla Grimm and their children Lydia and Ella.

The Grimms are experienced do-it-yourselfers and are restoring an early 19th century home. Besides the historic appeal, they bought the home for the beautiful sloping front yard complete with flowering trees and a huge tree house.

But so far, their work has been focused on the inside of the house. Now they want to fix up the outside by getting rid of the weeds and untidy grass and creating some beautiful landscaping that will be safe for the children.

They'd like to hide the latticework under the front porch, and they want to create beds that will keep the kids from going off the edge of the wall in the front. They also want to hide the steps they don't like.

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Gardening Challenge

Before--front yard

Before--the wall

After--front yard

After--the Wall

Required Project Timeline

The Grimm's project took six hours to complete.

Project Details

Carla and Greg's project allowed the DIY Garden Sense team to use plants as camouflage to cover up structural problems.

Rose bushes were used near the highest corner of the wall to keep the kids away and safe; and careful attention was paid to the mature size of the plants. We wanted them to cover up things like the stairs and the corner, but not grow tall enough to block the view of the architecture.

Next, we removed the existing crabapple tree and created curving beds on both sides of the sidewalk. Hollies were used as foundation plants to hide the lattice under the porch.
Then we added six different types of bright flowers to add a layer of color in front and to help soften the harsh steps; we added two abelias. This was a sensible choice because the leaves will cover the edges. Then we added two big containers to fill in some of the steps with color.

Along the wall all sorts of plantings to made it off limits to the kids.

Gardening by Zip Code If you're looking to start a gardening projectbut don't know your gardening zone—visit the National Gardening Associations's USDA Hardiness Zone Finder. Enter your Zip Code to identify the proper zone.

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