The only problem with cutting back the abelia hedge on the left side of the house earlier this year was that it exposed all of the work that needed to be done to this side of the house.  You could see the staining on the brick from ivy, the trim that was long overdue for a fresh coat, and all of the weeds and refuse that needed to be removed.  We’ve been working on it bit by bit, and we finally wanted to address the other thing that was previously hidden by the hedge – the propane tank. While this is the least visible side of the house, it is still pretty visible.  Our house is situated on a suburban peninsula where two pokey neighborhood streets meet at a Y.  That means we have curbs on three sides of the house, allowing you to see every side from the road

We’ve knocked out two more projects on the left side of the house this past week!  This was the side of the house that had been most neglected over the years.  Even though it does face a street (our house is on a “peninsula” lot), it’s not a side of the house we see very often.  It’s opposite the garage, driveway, and side entrance of the house; you don’t see it at all from the backyard because of the fence, and you only get a peek of it from the front.  It’s been a little out of sight, out of mind for us, and I think that was the case for the previous homeowner as well.  What was once a lovely abelia hedge framing a lilac tree was completely overgrown and overrun with weeds and English ivy.  Because of the landscape tangle, the brick hadn’t been cleaned in years, and