Simply My Backyard

It’s the dead of the winter here in Central Illinois, we’re in the process of getting several inches of snow and I’ve been reading gardening magazines all evening. I bought about fifty magazines at a yard sale this summer from some homeowners whose yard should have been on the cover of one of them. Those beautiful souls allowed me, a total stranger, to walk around in their private back yard garden that was one of the most amazing that I’ve seen. (Thank you, wherever you are!) I purposely stayed away from the magazines until now, because I knew I was going to need a “fix” sometime when summer seemed light years away.

I’m not so sure treating myself to the articles and gorgeous photos was such a great idea. Now I’m feeling anxious to get my hands in the dirt, and a little sad that I won’t be getting any yard “therapy” for a few more months. I’m thinking of all those outdoor projects that are patiently waiting for me–my wood fence that needs attention, my lovely stamped concrete patio that needs to be sealed and all those plants that need to be divided that, like my children, grew bigger and faster than I imagined.

I found some treasures for my yard at the end of the summer that never had a chance to shine, and were banished to an empty shelf in my garage. I made a cute, rustic potting bench from curbside finds at the end of the summer that no pot ever sat on. I refurbished a beautiful bird bath, also found on a curb last fall, that I’m anxious to place in the perfect spot in my yard (see it here!). My mind has been hopelessly stimulated now by all these dreamlike thoughts, and it’s 1:00 a.m.

So, my therapy substitute in an attempt to quiet my thoughts is going to be sharing back yard pictures from this past summer through this post. If you’ve never visited my blog before, here’s a quick history. I live in the city in a subdivision where the yards are tiny, and neighbors are on top of each other. (I love my neighbors, by the way.) My actual yard space, not including my patio, measures 14′ x 34′. When I moved here, the green in my back yard consisted of a lawn full of clover and some weeds around the deck. Not one tree, not one bush, nothing. I tore off the deck, and some very talented young men replaced it with a poured stamped-concrete patio. Then, I planted…and planted.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any pictures of the section of my back yard that is dedicated to vegetables only, but for the record, I did manage some bang up veggies this past summer. I also developed my side yard for veggies, but that’s a whole different adventure. The following pictures are exclusively from my tiny back yard after only four years. I would also like to mention that I purchase only small (young) plants in order to keep costs down, so this gives you an idea of how quickly small plants can grow in a short amount of time.

(For more photos and specifics of how I transformed my tiny yard, refer to my previous post, “ My Tiny City Garden—In the Beginning“.)

Before…

After…

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I hope this will add a little “spring” to your step, and give you a little taste of summer here on my blog. (Sigh)

This post was written by Tracy Evans, who is a certified Home Stager and Redesigner, a journeyman painter and an avid gardener. If you have an interest in Redesign, please feel free to check her other blog at HomeStagingBloomingtonIl. You can find additional before and after pictures on her website at www.HelpAtHomeStaging.com.