Before & After: Part II

I’m sure our yard looked nice when we moved in, but even pre-baby the most we could do was mow the lawn and try to pull out weeds before they took over. Not easy tasks pre-baby; nearly impossible post-baby.

The main challenge with our yard is that it’s just so darn big! And it’s segmented into all these different areas, each with their own issues.

The pathway leading to the front door had several overgrown shrubs that were impossible to maintain. I’d prune them, then it would rain and all the places I’d cut would sprout an extra foot of thick green growth! Not only were they were multiplying out of control, but they had caused the siding to rot behind them. Now they’re gone, replaced with lovely well-spaced pineapple guava plants which may not look perfect yet (they definitely have some growing to do), but will be much slower growing and should even flower in the Spring. Here you can see the new siding too...

The small side-yard next to the driveway had become totally overrun with weeds, and now has a new layer of mulch and a lovely array of shrubs. This is one of the first things people will notice as they drive by.

That same side in the backyard is what I see out my kitchen window and dining room glass doors, and basically was just dirt and weeds. While visitors and passers by may never notice this area, it’s truly my favorite improvement. Okay, so the before isn't the EXACT same area, but it's a continuation of the same area (it was the closest I could find)...

As you can see, Aurora loves getting strapped into her Snuggli to help water the new plants!

We’ve made a lot of progress, but there’s a lot more to be done. There are several other areas that we haven’t even touched, and I’d love to beautify them all. For now, we’re just trying to get everything to the point where monthly maintenance is the only yard work we’ll need.