Backyard Makeover - sides of pool

2012- What it looks like today on 5-28-12.  I bought four more hanging baskets and put one on every other fence post, so now I have 8 hanging baskets along the fence. (though you only see four in this)

2012- Rocks today - see what I mean....at least we paid to have the neighbors pine trees trimmed that are over our property.  That should cut down the amount of pine needles.  Also when our fence was partially redone the guys messed up my rocks when doing the posts so it just looks messy compared to 2011.

Astilbes

2011-Again, rocks looking their best!

2011-We added a couple different hostas along this side and in between there are three astilbes.  At the far end of this you see my lilac bush that was here when I moved in.

2011-The Crushed rock ONLY looked that good on the first day or two.....then the darn pine needles messed it all up.  I love the look of the azaleas (at least I think that is what they are) along with the hanging plants.  

2011-It was suggested to NOT bring the mulch around this area where the kids will be walking to get to slide.  The will get mulch all over feet and then into pool so we got some stepping stones and then placed rock.

2011- Other side of pool - partial grass - lots of pine needles from neighbors tree goes in this area over the year.  UGH!

2012- Wow, look how much the daises grew in one year. The ones that get more sun (the right side of photo) are a lot bigger than on the left.  I also moved a clematis vine from another part of the yard to this side.  It is doing well!  I took out the bucket since all it does is encourage the growth of mosquitoes in the standing water.  I looked over the internet and found an easy way to make my own rain barrel.  Voila!  I also temporarily moved my Herb garden of Cilantro into this area because it sees less action than where I had it.  I am not sure of the "perfect" place for it yet.  I have  4 of those containers and in two others I am growing different types of lettuce.

2011-I took out the drain pipe and added a big black bucket thinking it would collect the rain water and then I can use it to water the plants. (dumb idea, will explain later)  I have a hosta, shasta daises in the back and tall phlox in the front.

2011 - getting ready and tearing out all the flowers - very wet May!

2011- beside pool - there was daffodils, tulips, and some other things that I have not clue about here.  You  can also see a drain pipe that comes off the gutters of the house on the right side of the picture.

Backyard Makeover - backyard

2011 - been here two years and sick of looking at this dead area that we didn't know what to do with.  I didn't have much grass and I really thought I was an eye sore. My wheelbarrow is full of dead grasses, leaves, and things I have picked up over the years. The unfortunate thing about living in a neighborhood is there is NO PLACE to throw your weeds and such, so I kept collecting them in this, and this is where it stayed for two years.  I did find a perennial in there though and I replanted it!

2011 - after I cut down the tree in the corner and cleaned the area out  - knowing my friend was coming over to help with my "kickass backyard pool makeover" as she called it!

2011 - a little bit of a drainage problem.......May was a little wet!

My friend Kim borrowed her dads small rototiller (boy was that fun) and she brought over some edging and flowers for me to plant.  We worked really hard one weekend and got really dirty!

doesn't she look enthused!

A lot of these flowers Kim bought me herself and also transplanted some from her house.  I can't wait till mine get big enough to share with others.  She was very generous!!

Here it is all planted -2011 (the pink rhododendron was transplanted from another area of the backyard)  

I 

I noticed in 2012 that I lost all three plants closest to the edging.  I really think it was a dog issue because I noticed at one point they had dug in the garden to bury a bone.  Damn dogs!  I really liked the plant on the lower left corner, it had pink flowers and a light green leaf.  I am not sure of the name.  I will try to plant some of that again next year.

2012 - flowers are coming back and looking good....lost a few and added a few annuals.

added a basket of annuals on the hook and new solar lighting

5-28-12 you can see the flowers getting bigger compared to above photos.....love this gardening thing!

Backyard makeover - Side of Garage

My outdoor projects: side of garage

Side of garage 2009 -when we moved in

As you can see above there was nothing in this space but from what I can tell a place that old owners may have placed "stuff"

I took two hostas from my last house since I found I couldn't really kill those.  I never ever thought of doing any type of gardening until I saw hostas coming up every year at my old house and thought "I haven't killed those, maybe I can plant other things!"

My first attempt at gardening 2010

Don't ask why I made the garden that shape....that's just how it came out.

2011 - added rock walkway and decided I liked the black mulch better.

2012 added larger rocks,a new fence courtesy of a hurricane, and a couple of little lattice things (rocks were in backyard last year)

2012 side view