From Then to Now (Back Yard)

Here is second part of my Blogiversary posts called "From Then to Now: Frontyard", this part is of course, "From Then to Now: Backyard". Most all of my gardening and the changes in the yard have been done on a shoestring budget and physical labor-mine! Every single garden you see was hand dug by me, every single rock and concrete chunk was hauled in by me (every single one free!), all plants were planted and nurtured by me, all hardscape was designed and built by me (with the occasional manpower from Mr. Fix-it and the two sons). What is my point? Just letting you know that gardening takes a lot of labor (as if you didn't already know it). but not so much money, just dedication and some free time; which I finally got after I retired from the Army, but for some reason the labor part seems to leave me before jobs get completed these days, however, that is a story for another day. Let's look at some backyard pictures of a garden in a constant state of change (aren't they all?).

Before: Northeast corner of Backyard (September 2001)

After: Northeast corner of the Backyard. (September 2008)

Before: Back Foundation Garden along the non-existent sidewalk looking south. (September 2002)

After: Back Foundation Garden looking south. (September 2008) My two sons and I built the sidewalk while Mr. Fix-it was deployed to Iraq. This sidewalk was the most expensive project in the garden. Since I built it I have sought alternatives to pavers; which are so much more cheaper.

Before: Backyard Northwest Corner (Summer 2001)

After: Backyard Northwest Corner (September 2008) Yup, those are my free bricks I received back in September from Adam, a fellow Freecycler. They are working their way into a new patio in this general vicinity. Actually-I am working them into a new patio, a post to come at a later date. I sure wish they could do it themselves!

Before: Backyard Looking from Deck Toward Pond to the West (Summer 2001)

After: Backyard Looking From Deck to Pond to the West (September 2008)

Before: Looking southwest from the deck (September 2001) Mr. Fix-it and a very young Jimmy are playing on a swing here.

Before: Looking Southwest from the Deck (Summer 2004)

After: Looking Southwest from the Deck (September 2008) Before: Looking east from the Southwest corner of the yard (Summer 2003)

After: Looking East from the Southwest corner of the yard (September 2008) The veggie garden is to the left, you can see the gourds growing all over the place. The grassy area is Mr. Fix-it's 'driveway' to his garage-a non-gardening area.
These two posts have been fun for me. I got to pull out old photos and really assess the garden and its changes in the past seven plus years. It has been a lot! But like all gardens, it is still continually evolving and changing. Just like life and us gardeners.

I also have to add a caveat to this post, when looking at all the photos one thing you can really notice is how many trees have been cut down. I must give total credit to Mr. Fix-it and his invaluable labor in cutting these trees down. He gets a bit offended if I don't include him and his labor, so I will make sure not to make that mistake again. He does help out quite a bit, but since he works SO much, the main part of the labor falls to me.

in the garden....