Side Yard Complete!

Our side yard went from white trash to rock garden:

Do you feel like calling me a rock star? (Hahaha, get it? ROCK star? Oh, I need a break.) With those pictures posted I can now say I will be perfectly content to not see another landscape rock or shovel for about a year. In the end I shoveled two tons of rocks (yep, 4,000 pounds!), planted two glorious trees, and threw away a lot of old wood and junk. It feels so good. I am going to miss my favorite spray paint location, and my kids are definitely going to miss when it rains:

But now that it’s done I can honestly say it was worth it. I thought a lot about people who live alone or are a single parent. Most of the project I did by myself, my dad helped me shovel rocks for a couple of hours and my husband made a cameo appearance one night to help move around dirt… but at the completion of the side yard I am convinced you can do it. For real. If I can shovel that many blasted rocks, even without help if you really want something done at your house just do it!

If you are going to finish your yard, here are three questions to consider:

1. Consider where you live, what is the climate like? I am in the desert. Most people want low maintenance yards and finished space that does not require a lot of water, that’s why I put down rocks. I much prefer grass, but that is not really environmentally responsible around here.
2. How much time do you have for maintenance? If you don’t have time to mow it, trim it, or water it, don’t plant it! Consider a simpler solution that will still be “finished”. Rocks are about as easy as it gets…
3. Will it look planned and orderly? Make a master plan before you start.

My favorite part of this project are the beautiful trees. They may be small now, but one day they will be mighty:

This is my last outdoor project for a while, between this and the curb appeal, garden and fire-pit, it’s time to finish some stuff indoors. I already have the materials for my next project! Yeah!

Have a great weekend and happy creating all!