The Before Pictures

We're doing a LOT of work around our little two acre plot in a small village in Western New York. For you to get the full picture over the coming months, you need to see what it looked like to begin with. Well, not to begin with, because we've been working on the yard for the last three years and I only took the "before" pictures on Monday!

Please ignore the ugly siding, which will be replaced sometime in the next few years. Also ignore the masses of hideous plastic toys.....we're working toward a more natural play space, but it's slow going!

First, the bed around our most-used porch (we have 4!)
In this bed we have an azalea, lillies, sparaxis, gladiolas, and a lilac.
Also visible are some potted chives.


Next, an empty area that will soon be sporting a snazzy little patio made from free tiles my mom had in a pile in her woods.


Our large maple tree surrounded by hyacinths and daylilies. The lilies have been moved since I took the pictures on Monday because they don't get enough light in that spot. Isn't the plastic irritating to look at?! And the garbage cans aren't even for garbage. One holds our camping chairs and the other is full of some vines I'm going to make into wreaths.


Another view of where the patio will be and a view of the back porch.


A view along the side of our yard where I'm going to put some raised beds for square foot gardening and flowers. I'm hoping the neighbor gets rid of his junk truck this year, but I won't hold my breath. He's quite nice and the rest of his yard is nice and neat, so I'm not going to complain too loudly.


This is along the property line with the same neighbor who has the junk truck you just saw. I've planted the daylilies and some daffodils here since the picture was taken. We're hoping to make a natural play space for the kids in the edge of the woods.


The woods and the piles of leaves that have since been raked up. Where that pile of black weedcloth is I transplanted some peonies that were too close to the house. I dug them up last year and gave them to my mom, but of course I didn't manage to get them all.


The real mess that I'm working hard on. There are briars and weeds galore, plus some metal that the previous owners dumped back there that I need to dig out. What fun!


More of the mess, the compost pile, and the neighbors' pool.


Panning past the compost to near the little pine tree where I planted a ton of bulbs earlier this week. You'll see updated photos soon.


One more view of where the bulbs were planted.


Our shed and the mess that my husband needs to clean up! What do you with old gas cans to recycle them? And all of my pots ready to be filled up as soon as the weather is warmer. Leaves to haul away still....I think this is my last big leaf pile that needs taken care of.


The other side of the shed. This area in front of the neighbors' fence is going to be tough to plant in unless I put in raised beds. Our house is an old farmhouse and we have huge amounts of concrete in the back yard. Does anyone have a suggestion for a shade-loving ground cover that doesn't spread so fast that it will invade the neighbors' property before I know it, and that also has a very shallow root base?


Picture two of that area.


I didn't get pictures of the front yet. We're not doing much out there but adding some more mulch and adding a small fenced area for the dog.

So there is the backyard before. I can't wait to show you the in-progress and after pictures!