Where do I start? I've done a lot to it in the last year. The first thing I did last April was prune and clear all the overgrowth in the back yard. That was a full day's worth of work and my first time at doing it. My hands were so sore the next day.
I planted a couple of lantanas back there too in August I think.
Shortly after that we moved in and the dogs moved in mid way through September. The lantanas didn't last through the end of the year. That's when I realized all my gardening would have to take place in the front yard. However, I noticed a couple of days ago, one of the lantanas is coming back. I'm going to dig it up and move it before the dogs destroy it again.
Last fall I bought a ton of plants and put new beds in around the red oaks out front.
After
I plopped in a few other plants in blank holes and pruned the crap out of all the small boxwoods, one of the hollies and the two nandina clusters. A few weeks later I took out one entire boxwood and pruned the other holly next to it.
This spring I've hacked (severely pruned) the 3 remaining boxwoods off the front porch. They were massive. Now they aren't and they have pretty beds around them with flowers and plants for company.
Hard to see After
I also pruned the pomegranate tree but it needs much more.
When I put in the beds around the boxwoods I also planted 3 vegetable sprouts. I have a zucchini, cucumber and watermelon plant. Last weekend I moved them to the ground and have been babying sitting them since. They need a lot more water than I expected.
Cucumber
Watermelon
Also a couple of weeks ago I added a new bed around the block light post and planted irises. They're looking hot and tired. I hope they make it.
I've got a ton of bulbs around the southeast side of the house. Amaryllis, iris and jonquils. They will all need to be thinned and separated this fall for next year's bloom. They were all there when we moved in and haven't been thinned in years.
We have plans to extend the beds around the entire front of the house as well as adding in a raised bed right in front. I hope to have that project done before the year is out. It'll take time though but that's okay, we aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
In the back, instead of planting, we're adding on to the porch. We'll be extending the existing 8x8 porch out another 12 feet to make it 8x20. It will enclose the two crepe myrtles that are there.
I also added a small brick pad just inside the gate so we'd have somewhere to step instead of the dirt or mud.
After
One day soon I hope to get a sandbox out back for the dogs to dig in so I can reclaim my backyard and grow the grass back in where it's been destroyed. Leveling out the holes and hills that have been created will be what I'm most looking forward to. Mowing back there is hazardous to twisting ankle health!
It's all a never ending, yard changing saga. I love every second of it.
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