I'm going to tell you right now that this is not going to be a pretty post. It ends in pretty but everything else is really, really dirty. And it's a lot of photos, so if you're a picture person, you're in luck. Over the last month, hubby and I (but let's be honest, mostly I) have been working on our yard to get it exactly the way I want it. I guess since I want it a certain way, I'm the one who has to do most of the work, and that's okay with me. Take a look at the pictures to see how far we've come. First I wanted to show you how I dug out a garden bed on a Saturday afternoon. I was sooo tempted to make raised beds, but I really wanted to see what I have to work with first, before I started building up. If this year isn't as successful, raised beds will come next year.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFe1pqY5bPlfmYQaGhLxhKAhYS9mHgvrcWgK5ZCPctVW34FvjqAklZyTSxcfPkaHYau7PK5ChJzXSGZZo_1BL6a5KCXVMg5KKSBveGhRisO2fjN97Y__paanTzJDIm33jaWMxlEWY0E4Qz/s320/P1020274.JPG) |
Remember this? Ew. My plan was to make this into a vegetable garden, but it wasn't nearly as big as I wanted. So I decided to cut out a second area. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uJExFqkPTl_XhGn7v51GmrsTz7BFeRrDyiI_GW9I6Dh2Y2KXbMKDv2JBjH9hgnfeOJ13b3p6DvJ3g4xuSZYAddTXrmShfi-Hwjngz_ECbqFZ7PLOIDcCJGnaNwup3LzQb7uESCX1_cqj/s320/P1020362.JPG) |
This is the second part of the garden laid out with string. I wanted there to be a path between the two so I could walk between. The path opens up on the right side to the house. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5paDr7aBZ9Tmkp6ugp5PUnjiPT9yM_P0C1EbhyphenhyphenidicA2tAlPsDloy5riVhyBi1vNdo4j1clxua9m2Vi-05vHUMUeMT5KfiIGhQjUMqByzDjg3mtTfm-CSo8epCklvpg6s84hJZ2bTsTKC/s320/P1020364.JPG) |
My neighbors don't go out much.. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzdLpaizRs_8Lbq4SPoKWjWyVuk3Go8M9yhmsMrNz9TLUNvp7R9XyHgxnigz6yO_mK4j23TCn9enuJ15WPqslbf3wnxFFnlLAJPcf6WSbgOW_khUNThACkrRLmZsrIEn_ZSbVEgLaMudi/s320/P1020367.JPG) |
I felt it was significant to document how long it took me to do this. This is one hour in. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tzQ3-EFMga82DCznWf750EN-vzGYR0XY0ylth7sj1CaDj1XCoxOfve8yrb80I04EskrlTqE_Ak-WW-lWF1ulj3Hd9H4o6IGmWit1yBE_Dg4UhqCOi10pytoJNYo1AalRRlstOoFDWK0u/s320/P1020368.JPG) |
Two hours in (I promised myself I wouldn't cheat and get that little piece of sod out before taking the two hour picture) |
|
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHNswKYnMeU-oweNPOUihyYcbZdxtTr-TwcGh6X34pFqMhStyQc3CEVm_OkvycTnk7TbuGZEoC6SOxzC4LPXa3C4a57NlD8kkIR1N3MQHobgEHWVgSmGaGjfRCdF-tQ2RF_YkqGdgMe04/s320/P1020375.JPG) |
After mixing bags and bags of manure, peat, and top soil into the clay soil. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24qLE1XneCsAXPJS6dS9GTBHowfNNIMwrFNJmuCT7ibn161xbDSmLrqin9fQ3xFpyT_wVOxco4_JAGdjACk0am_9JRvPdwoCTdaE6coI8Lpo1DpMKpOuVLikUFfKPUs2puwO9ieEkah9v/s320/P1020445.JPG) |
This is what it looks like today. I planted the new bed a few weeks ago. We cleared out the jelly bean (the other bed) of the lilies, daisies and yuccas and I just fenced it and planted it two days ago. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHSP1XVw8DkRLoKp1mYR2jAnlsaGExHWsjKEwuZHiN_laHCJJ_YDxfoya8t7vecMbSAkOs2srMxrzG_eD6SyAqRcHhkYtWyubVhS3y0qWue6AipEYMB0RpEnhhkVObQnZBTW9hekGdbLU/s320/P1020446.JPG) |
That's it! Everything seems to be doing really well, but I still might make some raised beds by using stone for next year. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxF8qaHS61ikKCicHalSmch2r9kRQbF6AxHqRY9DzxuKQY19WGf6LAG3RwTwhVUfHMQd2yLFQhhDd6Q8w4cF0L4_YIxVUyhlbqGDIKSe4KJiuNS0GfAPvZ9-2DFtOqxwMFIT0IAJoGkAbB/s320/P1020450.JPG) |
We relocated the jelly bean plants to next to the carport. They actually survived and are all going to flower this year! |
|
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnKaHsItDWTzg4L0BmWiIZus8nVb6edXXfh653vp6Yw7eOTiSCWpZA69rzkI668oD0Oi0ZDBddlyqcAN3Cs6XTkvYUGs3frByRsdR-KdPw6T6zuS4BdiVNnmuu0k1lfoyu22Cfm3W7vWy/s320/P1020405.JPG) |
Tornado warnings - it's why you tie down your trellis |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlgV_zYXnZ0hk5feBsZLhqS4PN-RZNkk8MdP-SE_-hh234s_XvvINXOlQKSq1CJ7lJCYl0-S41PEihRR3Z46Z-RzHlOdhfTf7jqGiVN1h7-p2h_SlLknh4q_dHyWABfYYC9FU3Z3sXXjf/s320/P1020425.JPG) |
I'll finish up this post with one of my favorite photos of the year. These are the roses that are next to our house. It was a great surprise to see what they would look like. |