This front yard had spent the last few decades as overflow parking for the previous owner’s family. The ground was so compacted we had to hire someone with a chainsaw to carve up and remove the turf as we couldn’t get a shovel in it. We then had to dig it over with a pickax, before starting in on a complete makeover. Full, hot sun in summer. The new owner wanted as many flowers as possible but not too high-maintenance, so we focused on planting flowering shrubs, lots of spring bulbs, and easy perennial plants that come back reliably every year.