O.M.G. my new yard!

We moved a few months ago, I may have mentioned that or not, can't recall. Bigger kitchen, nicer back yard. Altho not as nice as we wanted, so - somewhat unbelievably - we hired someone to do the whole thing, front and back, just the way we wanted. It's been going on for 3 weeks - mud everywhere, piles of yard tools, wheelbarrow tracks all over, mountains of rocks - and today when I got home from work, it was all done.  After a lifetime of mostly living with whatever came with the house, I finally have a yard I absolutely love.

Front Yard

BEFORE: not my cat, ugly hedge, rocks everywhere

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER: Little paver patio for bench with blue star creeper in between,
hydrangea in front flower bed.

AFTER: flower bed and lawn

AFTER: street view - gorgeous!
Can't wait till the flower bed grows up a bit.

BACK YARD BEFORE: patchy lawn with holes from previous dog

BEFORE: boxes of rocks from yet another rocky area, dead lawn

gack!

During:

DURING: big pile of awful dirt that went away

DURING: the trenches! The dog loved these.
She'd hop down into one and trot along,
all you could see was her tail.
Looks like Afghanistan to me.

After:

AFTER: WOW!!! Sod, shrubs along back.

Raised bed that was already there, planted with fruit trees and veggies.
Pear, plum, peach, nectarine and apricot.
Already have some veggies growing in tubs and buckets.

I just love it. Despite having neighbors all around,
it's quiet and lovely to sit out there in the evening.

View from the back corner with my tomatoes in paint buckets
left over from doing the inside of the house.
They're the perfect size and much sturdier than the pots I used to buy.
And free if you don't count the paint!

the shrubs: also have a lilac and a weigela further on around to the right.
These will be so pretty next spring and summer.
All pinks, purples, blues and whites.