Mildly Extreme Backyard Makeover

This past weekend we finally finished a major project. It all started with Justin deciding he did, after all, want a garden.

I didn't do a very good job at taking a "before" shot of our neglected backyard but this picture should give you an idea. I hate sunflowers.

Yucky weeds....infertile clay soil.

Our rusty, one handled wheelbarrow for ornamentation.

So....
The south end of the terrace we planted grass seed (which I've been watering by hand 2-4 times a day for a month). Here's Sarah taking a turn.

With materials and tools from my dad, Justin built these fancy garden boxes with Nate's help. Nate actually helped a lot on this project. I was always so relieved when Nate came over. He's much more handy with a drill and shovel than I ever could be.

Add a cubic yard of compost and a cubic yard of bark and ta da! Shout-out to my sis Rachel for the use of her truck. And apologies to our next door neighbor for the tire tracks in his dirt.

We planted tomatoes in one box and 3 varieties of peppers and 2 kinds of squash in the other.

And a peach tree. Come by in 4 years and we might have a peach. And we may have landscaped the "hill" but don't count on it.

And in other home-project news, our washing machine came to a screeching halt (literally) and is most likely irrepairable. We tore it apart trying to fix it and although we found no evidence it was due to malfeasant mice, I'm still blaming it on them.