I'm Making Progress!

on The List. I spent a good amount of time in the yard this weekend. DH again convinced me not to do too much in the front because if a building permit isn't too much then the garage is coming down in a few weeks when he's got a whole week off. Then he'll be tearing out the whole yard and putting auto-sprinklers in, doing rock walls and a whole menagerie of wonderful things. Can I just say I'm a teenie bit hopeful!

But here's the progress on the backyard...

1. I don't usually let people see the Spring version of my planters but here is this one. It's needing some serious attention. Daisies line the perimeter of it and is that bush even still alive? (click for bigger pics) Check! - ready for a new variety of annuals. Last year it was beautiful!2. So that's where all you little guys have been hiding out! Time for a little heart-to-heart fellas. My parsley is NOT your home. Check! This parsley bush has been relocated to a pot so that DH can till the veggie garden. Snails have been relocated to heaven.
3. What are you? And where did you come from? Um, DH said he liked the "jungly look" of this corner and to please please leave it. It's a good thing it's not in my first line of vision when I look outside. I'm not lovin' the jungle look, myself. 4. I hate you. You are going down! Check! Oh. My. Gosh. This abominable creature was actually 5 creatures with arms 5" thick. I had to hack them off, then dig out each stump. After which I found 5 other tree stumps under and around this area. I dug each and everyone out, smoothed it out and perhaps it's ready now for some new beautification. This took me like 4 hours! Ok, not really but it felt like it. 5. This is the southeast corner of my yard leading up to the front. It's a menagerie of useless plants that turns jungle-like in August. I plan to tear it all out and then I have no idea. Check. Just to the right of this frame is the above creature. I cleaned this all out and am pleased with its potential now. Yeah me!
6. Didn't I already tear you out like 12 times already? Persistent little bugger. Check! This stinker is gone! Next , that trellis is history and I can do something else with this little corner that's right off my patio. It could actually look great! 7. Why didn't anyone tell me to take out bulbs before laying sod? Forgot about these, but DH mowed over them and the leaves will die so I'll probably not worry about them until next Spring. I don't want to destroy the sod pulling them up right now.8. Anyone need Irisis? These are in the wrong place, too compacted and just a little too unkempt for me. Didn't do this yet. I really need to figure out where else I can put these. Perhaps there will be a nice little spot in my fabulous new front yard...whenever that happens.9. Boxwoods: How about a measuring tape when planting, people. I mean, did they just haphazardly throw them in the ground or what? (there are 2 more to the right) Ugh. DH promised me to pull these out with a track-hoe but they're actually really nice boxwoods and he would destroy them. I don't mind them at all. I'd really rather just relocate them. Again, I'm stumped. I also got the entire veggie garden cleaned out. I actually had lots of stuff in there that needed to be moved for the tilling. The parsley, some oregano, chives and some volunteer lettuce that there's no sense in wasting. I love living in a house more than a couple years...it's great to see what happens from year to year!