Summer of Landscaping

The "Summer of Landscaping" is more accurate than it sounds! We finished our Paver walkway on Memorial day, May 31, and I began landscaping our yard on June 1. The final piece of sod went in in late July, although, I was still working on some other "curb appeal" items until August.

Here's the Front before:

And after:

Not only did we landscape the front, but the entire back. It started out with no plants (other than the large trees in the far back of the yard), so we had our work cut out for us!

Here's the back Before:

And the after:

I also did some landscaping in the back corner of our yard. What had been a muddy and shadded area with a dirty shed, is now refreshed with a little mulch, some new plants, a couple of replanted shrubs (previously in the font yard), and flowers. Plus--a perfect place to relax on a hammock on a nice summer day! What an easy change!

We also spruced up the side of our house. Before, it was just a blank slate of grass running into the house, but now, we've built up the ground around the base of the house, and transplanted some Sedum bushes from the front along the side!

One of our first landscaping plans to be implemented was our new garden. All of the brick for the raised garden came from our font rock bed (which is now thankfully gone).

We quickly realized we may have over planted...

Which was obvious by the later part of the summer...

I finished landscaping 2010 with some dirt and sod that built up the land to be even with the edge of our side driveway...

It was so much work, but completely worth it in the end! We get some many compliments from neighbors, friends, and family!

Along the way, we gained some additions to our family...

Our new puppy (to be named...)

Our birdhouses were a hit right away, and we have a new backyard bird (I think it's a finch)