The Backyardigans

We moved into our house two summers ago and have slowly updated the yard. It wasn’t bad when we moved in, just a little 80’s with the lava rock and ugly bushes. It’s been a process, one that I realized gets worse before it gets better. Last year our backyard died, which is a long story. But the shortened version is that the lawn service we have (just a basic one that comes 3-4 times a summer to fertilize and spray for weeds…or whatever they do) ended up planting us a new backyard since it died under their care. They had to send their “expert” to our house three times to try and figure out what happened, especially puzzling because it was only the backyard not the front. We got a typed letter in the mail stating that they’ve never seen anything that bad take out a yard that fast before. I supposed that meant we had the worst yard in all of southeast Idaho which ended in some high-fives between Doug and I. So they did a round-up treatment on it last fall to kill it all completely. Last fall we also took out all the lava rock in the front yard, so we went through a few seasons with a really terrible looking yard. But things started getting exciting after a few big days in the front yard and when the hydro-seed went in the backyard.

I realize I am using the word “exciting” very loosely as this post could not possibly be interesting to anyone else.

Here’s a photo from google maps of the yard before we moved in. Which is probably not smart of me to post because it just may actually look better than where we are today. The only original thing in the front yard that has stayed is the big tree next to the house. It wasn’t our plan, but we ended up removing every other thing up front. Hopefully once all the new flowers and shrubs mature it’ll be an upgrade.

Google Maps Aug 2011, before our reign here

Last fall, removing lava rock. Worst job ever.

Beginning of this summer:

only dirt

Working on the backyard to level it.

New grass planted

new grass + new herbs

Fun story about the lilies below- I have a friend in WY that I just know from work, our company works with her’s a lot and her and I talk on the phone several times a week. We’ve never met in person but have become really good friends. Last fall she mailed me some bulbs and starts from flowers in her yard and we planted them in October and kind of forgot about them so it was really exciting to see them sprouting up this spring!