Back Yard Update

It has been a while since I have given an update on my yard. A couple of months ago I decided that I did not like the way my lawn in the back yard was growing--patchy and full of weeds (trying to bring it back from being dead--neglected as my home was a foreclosure). So I got this bright idea of tearing it all out, so one Saturday I rented a sod cutter and spent all day cutting out my ratty lawn. It took some time to figure out how to get rid of it all. I spent the next month rolling up and piling the grass in preparation to be discarded. I discovered that I could rent a dumpster and do the work myself, but I was fortunate to find some workers who would do the job for me for the same price, so they hauled the sod away.
I have since dropped a load of cash on edging bricks which I have since put in myself and more cash on various plants and flowers. I have managed to plant one box of hedges, two beds of flowers, and some perimeter flowers (of course the one garden that has the hedges planted is in the shadows--hard to see in the photos). I have additional hedges waiting to be planted. You can see this clearly in the pictures (I have four additional "gardens" planned). It is time consuming--I spent all of last Saturday planting and I try to get home each day to use the one hour of daylight I have after work to get out in the back. Of course, it has been a few days since I have been out there thanks to other commitments (I've recently been called as a Ward Missionary and have received a home teaching assignment, both of which require some work in the evenings; additionally I have been working on several committees at work: WASC Curriculum Coordinator, 10th Grade District Writing Assessment Trainer, 10th grade Pacing Guide Committee, Leadership Training, etc., and of course I cannot neglect my commitment to the gym). Needless to say, I am always busy with something these days.
Anyhow, I hope that you enjoy the pictures of the yard--it is starting to come along but it has a long way to go!