Is there such a thing as too many flowers?

I never would have thought that I would say yes to that question. But after our last few rounds of rain, our flower beds were going berserk! I dug up the bushes the builder put in a 2-3 years ago and started putting in Texas native plants like lantana and skull caps so that we wouldn't have to water as much and because I liked the way they looked too! Not only are they drought tolerant and don't mind the heat, but they are annuals so after they die in the winter and have to be cut back, they come back bigger and better the next year! I love not having to plant flowers over and over every year. Particularly because our flower beds are so big! The layout of our house just has big areas in the front for flower beds and for some reason the builder made them even bigger by landscaping all the way down the side of the sidewalk that curves around to the drive way. None of the other houses in the neighborhood were done this way. I like it, but it's a lot to take care of.

Ellie was home with me and for some reason I decided to go out and do this around 11am which meant that it was already really hot and sunny. I guess I thought that it would be quicker than it was, but after I was out for a few minutes, I realized just how much I needed to cut back! I only had a pair of scissor like hedge trimmers, but I think I could have used an electric pair for this mess!

Here's the before. Wow, what a jungle!

And here's the after! Much improved I think!