Did I mention that we bought a house!? Yup, we sure did. And just a few weeks after we got engaged. Yeah, we cray. I wouldn’t go as far as to call our little 1950’s house a fixer-upper, it was totally livable, but it definitely needed some love and updating to meet our tastes.

First things first, we started with the front yard which was completely overgrown with huuuuuge rosemary bushes and a tree that almost completely draped the entire front yard. I teamed up with Harvest Organics, makers of organic soil products, to transform my front yard from an overgrown urban jungle to a charming wildflower garden that will welcome lots of visitors to our home!

The rosemary bushes were almost 5 feet tall! 

If you follow my InstaStories (which ya totally should!) then you know that I’ve been composting for a while. We’ve been able to cut down our household trash each week by more than half by composting! You can compost lots of stuff like paper towels, food scraps and yard clippings. When Harvest Organics reached out to team up for this post, I knew it was a great fit from the start.

Harvest is the largest processor of yard and food waste in North America, managing to keep nearly 2,000,000 tons of waste from ending up in landfills. By recycling these scraps, they turn waste into organic gardening products that then feed the earth to, in turn, feed people (e.g. vegetables, fruits, herbs, grasses, trees, flowers) to create a more sustainable planet.

Step 1: Trim the rosemary back using a hedge trimmer

Which made Harvest Organics Garden Soil the perfect base to mix in with my native dirt. The rosemary had sucked a lot of the nutrients out of the ground, so I tilled in the organic Garden Soil into my garden bed to give my new plants a nice little home. I choose to plant perennial flowers in hopes that they will come back year over year! I also sprinkled in lots of wildflower seeds as well!

The seeds that the birds didn’t eat are starting to sprout and I can’t wait to see them bloom! I’ve been watering the ground consistently to make sure that the plants have everything they need to get set in. Once they take, they should be able to withstand dry, hot summers! Not to mention, provide lots of blooms that are beautiful to look at and great for the bees and other pollinators.

Step 2: Remove the roots and other debris

I am hoping that by spreading all this good, my vegetable and herb garden will benefit! I love the idea that by doing a little good, like composting, I can reduce waste and provide something so beneficial to my garden!

Dont’ just garden- Harvest! Your plants and the planet will be happier for it!

My Front Yard Makeover

Here is how we transformed our front yard from being completely overgrown with huge rosemary plants to being a charming wildflower welcome to our home!

Step 1: We used a hedge trimmer to cut back the rosemary to the thick stalk underneath. We cut the rosemary into 3ft. sections and tied it into bundles with compostable garden twine and composted it!

Step 2: We used shovels and a lopper tool to remove the roots of the rosemary bushes.

Step 3: We pulled out any remaining roots or weeds. Then we tilled into the Harvest Organics Garden Soil into the native dirt. I gave the whole garden a good soak at this point.

Step 4: We planted perennials like Canna Lily, Blue Balloons, Shasta Daisies and Lavender! I also sprinkled in a Texas wildflower seed mix that includes Bluebonnets and poppies and lots of other colorful flowering plants.

Step 5: Don’t just forget about your garden! Make sure that it’s getting all the water it needs, especially the first season. After the first year, the plants should hopefully come back year after!