Garden Design & Evolution: A Look Back Part 1 – The Front Yard

Garden Design & Evolution: A Look Back Part 1 – The Front Yard. A month or so ago I had decided to organize all the digital pictures we had into one location. I really wanted it to be organized and backed up. There have been a few times when the hard drive fried and we lost a lot of important pictures. Thankfully we had given CD’s to family and friends, so we were able to retrieve most of them. Still though, the thought of loosing pictures that mean so much to me was scary. What I thought was going to be only a few days worth of work turned out to taking me about a month and a half. I am still not completely done. the last bits can wait. After seeing some of the old pictures from the day we moved into the house until now made me realize just how much has changed over the years. It’s kinda fun to look back. I wanted to share with you the evolution of my garden from the day we moved in June 30th 2004 until now

IN THE BEGINNING! I wish I had more pictures of the first day, but we were also planning our wedding that would take place just a month after we moved into our first home. We were overwhelmed to say the least.

The first thing we did was convince our best friend to climb on top of the tree in the front yard with a chainsaw and cut it down. GET UP THERE DON!!! I wasn’t sure if you were supposed to be on top of the tree you were cutting down, but who was I to argue. He came out of it with only a few cuts and bruises, so that’s a win. After a little stump grinding the front yard was opening up.

With the tree gone it was time to rip out the old lawn, that was made up of green weeds, sharp weeds, and clay. YUCK

We got a fresh load of topsoil delivered, but since it was October, work was paused so I could make a cool graveyard for Halloween. It was my first attempt at decorating for Halloween. My skills have improved a bit since then.

After Halloween was over it was time for the new lawn and a nice flowerbed under the front window, We even put in a paver walkway to the front door.

Feeling that we had made the front yard exactly how we would want it for the rest of our lives, we turned our attention to the little strip of dirt between the neighbor’s and our driveways. It wasn’t bad looking, but we wanted something a bit more manicured.

With beautiful plants and a cute child watering it, this was how it was going to look forever. Yaaa… I wish.

This is what we lived in for a good number of years. But two boys have a tendency to outgrow their space and it was soon time to either move to a bigger home or expand the one we had. Well, we had such great neighbors the decision was easy. Our little house needed to grow.

And so it did.

Now with all the bedrooms expanded, we decided that we wanted to get out more and go camping, but we needed space to put a trailer.

First we cut down a few trees, and then start digging up that lawn and pretty flowerbed we just put in.

With the flowerbed gone and the trees cut down it was time to get to ripping up lawn and pouring cement.

For a few years this was the perfect front yard. The boys loved playing in the front yard on the Slip N Slide, and I loved mowing the lawn EVERY WEEK. Oh wait… no I didn’t. I hated mowing the lawn. HATED!!! I also hated how hard it was to keep it looking green. We are always in a drought, so green lawns mean you weren’t doing your part. UGH!!

Then the pandemic hit and we were all stuck at home. What better time to do that major project you have been threatening to do for years. Out with the lawn. In with the dry riverbed and berms.

And this is what it looks like today March 21, 2022. I am pretty happy with how it matured over the last year or so. I have since added daffodils, tulips, and a few crocus. There are a few other plants that I plan to take out because they were just too big or died from the frost. That however is for another time.

Of course there were a few slight changes over the years, but these were the most significant. I think this is how it will look for a long time though. Plants will be changed in and out, but I have no intention of moving any of these rocks again.

Garden Design & Evolution: A Look Back Part 1 – The Front Yard