The Back Yard: Then and Now

I was looking through photos of when we first moved into this house in 2005 and it made me think that it would be kind of neat to post photos of what the back yard looked like then and what it looks like now. I was going to call it “Before and After,” but “after” implies that the yard is finished, and it’s definitely not. It is a work in progress – probably always will be, at least in MY mind. I do feel at least a little proud of myself after looking at what I started with and what I have now. That’s saying a lot since I’m always my own worst critic.

The Herb Garden THEN

When we first bought the house I knew this was the perfect place to plant herbs – right by the back door for easy access.

The Herb Garden NOW

Mint, chives, thyme, germander, sage, rosemary, thai basil, lemon balm, with a few daffodils and hostas mixed in. 

 

In Front of the Shed THEN

The area in front of the shed was an overgrown mess of wisteria vines and weed trees.  

In Front of the Shed NOW

It has taken awhile to get the soil improved and get things to actually grow here, but it is finally taking shape. 

The Flower Garden THEN

Yes, there was a flower garden here already, however, it was mainly just hydrangeas, roses, and some annuals. I took out most of the roses since they are too finicky for my taste.

The Flower Garden NOW

I kept the hydrangeas, the two butterfly bushes, and a couple of roses, then gradually added other plants over the past few years. These photos were taken at various times of the year.

The Left Side of the Back Yard (aka The Overgrown Area) THEN

I always referred to this as the overgrown area. There used to be a big, old tree here that kept it very shady, but in December 2007 the tree split and part of it fell on the house so we had the rest removed. After the tree was gone, it just got more and more overgrown with honeysuckle, ivy and poison ivy. Every year I tried to dig out the mess and failed miserably. As soon as I would get part of it dug out it would grow back. I finally gave in and hired a landscaper to clear it out.

The Left Side of the Back Yard (aka The Overgrown Area) NOW

I just started tackling this last year, so there is still a lot of work to be done. We had thought that we might eventually put a patio in this area, so I left room for that.

The Vegetable Garden THEN

When we first moved in they had these small raised vegetable beds in the very back of the yard. They fell apart a couple of years later. 

The Vegetable Garden NOW

This was my big project in 2010-2011 – the project that did my elbow in! This is what I often refer to as my “Kitchen Garden.”

I have a couple of other areas to work on this year, if my elbow can manage it. If you wonder about the front yard – well, I have only done minor work in the front yard so far. I always go nuts with the porch plants, but have yet to do much with the yard there. I know I will eventually, though – as soon as I run out of ideas in the back yard!