Work in Progress

After neglecting our yard for a year and a half (other than mowing and minimal maintenance) we decided it was time to get out there and clean things up a bit this spring -- and of course that led to bigger plans (like landscape the backyard around the patio and plant a vegetable garden).  The previous owners had done quite a bit of landscaping -- but had left the area around the patio pretty blank.  And like her interior decorating tastes, the previous owner's landscaping/gardening tastes leaned towards chaotic and cluttered.  Fine for some, but it wasn't a style that I found soothing and relaxing, just not enough order and too cramped. 

So, over the course of the past month or so, we've been spending every nice day outside working little by little to change the look of the backyard.  There's a lot of dirt being moved, I think every pair of shoes I own is covered in mud (you would think I would stick with just ONE pair to wear when working in the yard ...), most of my pants now have dirt stains on the knees, we have a TON of mulch sitting in the garage just waiting to be spread, a TON that has already been spread, and lots of plans still left to execute.  My dad has been a great help with the planning, supervising and execution on week days when Scott is working. When all is said and done (not necessarily this summer...), there won't be any grass left between the driveway and the house.  As you can see from the pictures, there wasn't much grass there to begin with -- just lots of weeds -- so we aren't losing much.  And in my dream world we also build a pergola over part/all of the patio and stain the patio with a fun "rug" pattern.  One step at a time.  I'm excited to have it all done, but I'm also having fun with the process.  I find that I really enjoy the heavy work and being outside.  Working on this project seems so much easier than working on projects inside the house (or simply cleaning the house). It helps that the girls are always willing to go outside with me and play.  Let's hope I've inherited my dad's green thumb!

Before shots of the backyard -- pretty much a blank slate

future vegetable garden

first transplants:

the first boxwood moved

boxwood and a hydrangea that was moved from the front

boxing in a vegetable garden, cleaning up flower beds, moving more boxwoods, and planting trees:

where we will be growing vegetables

the 'ring' where all the boxwoods were planted -- there are still four that I haven't moved yet. 12 were planted in this one little area!

arborvitaes planted on the side to build a screen between our neighbor's yard (we lost our fence in a storm the first year we were here)

flowerbed rounded out and cleaned out

Millie's favorite part of gardening