Our First Place

Shaping Up the Yard

I read that you're supposed to work in your compost in the Fall, so your soil is nice and loamy in the Spring. Frankly, I have been too overwhelmed to go back into the garden, but I knew if I waited until Spring, I would have an extremely hard time working the ground as I did last Spring.

I thought I would start off slow and just do the South side of the house. We've affectionately deemed it the "ugly side" of the house, but it is also the side of the house that is most visible from the street, so I would like it to be presentable.


In front of this window is a concrete slab, which is odd. I just buried it with dirt to make it part of the landscape.


The ground was surprisingly easy to work with. The grass/roots are mostly dried out, so was much easier to dig it up because they aren't bound together now.


I shaped this circular area where I plan to plant a small tree. I'm trying to create 'depth' around our house.


From the other angle.


The problem with doing this is you have to consider how it looks from afar. After digging, I took 10 steps back to look at it. From 10-20' away, take another look at it. Can you see the shape? Does it make sense? And most importantly, can you get the lawn mower around it?


After looking at it, I realized I had to come out more and more. Here, I plan to do something to camouflage the air conditioner. I also read up about collecting the runoff and "reuse" it to water my plants. I'm going to see if I can do that here with this drain.


Since that was so easy, I ran with it and continued with the very back of the yard. I really want to make it a focal point and not just "the crap in the back". In the summer, the back is completely shaded by our neighbors tree and fence. I extended it out in order to grow anything back there.


You can't really tell in the above picture so here it is again.


The view from our deck. See here, it's not nearly as wide as I need it to be to see it from afar. But with my limited time and winter coming, it's a start and at least it will be a little easier on my wittle body next Spring when I have to work the soil.


I started on the side here where my vegetables go.


Again, from the deck it can hardly be seen, so I have to keep making it wider and wider.


I know it's boring. Just a pile of dirt. It doesn't look like much now, but by next spring it will be better.



You can't tell but it's 2 to 3 feet wide from the fence.


This could use more shaping. See how it's jaggered.


Also, dig up your dahlias! Store them in a paper bag in the basement until next year.