Then and Now... the mailbox area

OK, let's start with the mailbox bed...




When I moved in, it looked like this:

In August 2008, I ripped out the old bed and doubled its size, after which it looked like this:
 

I planted crocuses in the corners, yarrow in the center, and mulched it.  In spring 2009, I planted  star gazer lilies around the mailbox pole, and in June 2009 I added a silver frost butterfly bush on either side of the bed, so I wouldn't have to mow those areas.

Here's what it looks like now. Bear in mind that neither stargazers nor butterfly bushes are blooming yet  (and yes, I did prune the butterfly bushes earlier this year)...

The yarrow hasn't spread as quickly as I wanted it to... I need to either plant more of it, or add some other type of groundcover that can hold its own against the crabgrass that is creeping up through the landscape fabric under the mulch.  But that's the only complaint I have about it.  I figure it's not too bad for my first-ever real landscape project.