This is where our entire landscape transformation began. My husband came home one frosty January day and said, “I hear if you want trees removed, this is the time to do it.” I think he barely got the words out of his mouth before I was on the phone setting up estimates. We had thirteen trees removed from our itty bitty back yard. Most of them were gumballs.
We had always dreamed of having a yard where our kids could run and play in the grass; laughing as they hurdled the sprinkler. However, there were a few minor obstacles. I mentioned the trees, but there was also the fact that we inherited a back yard covered in rocks.
Not much frolicking in the sunshine back here!
We removed every last rock aside from a few we used in the landscape. We carted them out wheelbarrow by wheelbarrowful. Back breaking, but so worth it!!
Do you want to see the after right away? Or scroll through all of the before first? I always wonder what readers prefer. I’m going to give you many befores and afters back to back. How’s that?
Here is the back yard after tree removal and about a hundred wheelbarrows of rocks, from standing at the gate looking in:
And after!
We laid sod first. Laying it in July requires a LOT of water. These photos were taken in August. You can see a few bare patches that didn’t take, but overall the difference is still pretty huge.
The view along the fence:
From the other side before:
And after:
A new swingset was a must for the kids.
We built half of it in the rain.
Did I say, “we?” Really, I did help…just not in the rain!
What a good daddy! The kids absolutely love it!
We also replaced the fence ourselves.
This is looking towards the gate, I sure don’t miss those trees!
Big difference!
These rocks lead to our water hose. This is one of the ways we were able to reuse some of the rocks.
Peeking out through the gate:
This is the fist picture I showed you:
And the after of this view:
Prickly holly bushes were replaced by soft limelight hydrangeas on either side of the steps. I can’t wait to see how these come back.
Behind the swing set:
I love the soft lamb’s ear in the foreground. It has a really nice form like a hosta, but can tolerate the sun much better.
This is what’s on the other side of the gate:
This is our side yard with a flagstone path that leads to the front. This is often an overlooked area but our outdoor space is so limited, we wanted to take advantage of every inch. You can read more about this area, including how I recycled granite blocks to create a little patio seating area here.
If you missed my front yard makeover, you can see it here.
These photos were all taken last Summer without sharing them to the world in mind. My grass looks so much more lush and green now than it ever did last year. My evergreens are so much bigger now, but my perennials haven’t all made their appearance yet. I wanted to share this early enough to possibly offer ideas to anyone planning a backyard makeover, or to anyone looking to make a few changes.
I will update with fresh lush photos when everything comes in full swing. This is going to be a really exciting season for me watching everything come back (fingers crossed) and fill in. I hope you stick around to see it unfold, too!
Poof! Like magic! Here’s my back yard one year later!
XO,
P.S. It was an amazing feeling the day we pulled out the sprinklers for the first time. The kids loved every. minute. of. it. (Honestly, I think we enjoyed it even more:)
Luci@BungalowAtHome says
I came over via Simple details to see you side yard makeover and I can’t get over the transformation and that you did it yourselves!
Awesome job!
Christy K. James says
Thanks Luci! Six months of backbreaking work last year, but we get to really enjoy it now:)
Luisa says
Absolutely stunning! You guys seriously have done a tremendous job! I’m more of a plant a tree girl than a cut a tree down girl…but those gum ball trees are absolutely useless! Not only do they drop those ugly spiky things but they are also water hogs. I love the way you were able to use some of the existing rocks in your landscape. Really…I could go on and on! I planted 8 limelights and 43 hostas last year and so far they look like they are all coming back this year…just hope the limelights bloom! Crossing my fingers and even saying a little prayer that all of your hard work pays off and everything comes back this year!!
Christy K. James says
Thanks so much, Luisa! I agree about the gum balls…blah!! So far my limelights are starting to come back, fingers crossed we both get blooms this year. Hopefully everything survived the winter!
Traci says
It is hard to believe this pictures are from the same yard. What a terrific transformation. I love how you have used garden art throughout the yard.
Traci
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Traci! Wasn’t it really ugly before?!
Linda at Beautiful Ideas says
What a fab transformation! It is truly lovely. I’m sure that you’ll thoroughly enJOY your garden.
Linda at Beautiful Ideas
Christy K. James says
Yes! I can’t wait to sit back and enJOY all our hard work this year!
Suz says
Stunning back yard, and yes, I see all that work, but the results are fab! Nice job!!!
Craft On & dance like no one else is watching 🙂
Visiting from Transformation Thurs@The Shabby Creek Cottage’s linky party
Smiles,
Suz @MaytagNMom
NW Illinois
My Party Project This Week
Christy K. James says
Thanks for stopping by to check it out, Suz:)
Dayle says
It is stunning! The hard work shines through. I understand the back-breaking aspect of making over a yard. We’ve done quite a bit with ours over the last 23 years, but still have things we wish to do … one day. I love your results. What a great place to raise a family.
Christy K. James says
Thanks so much, Dayle! We really wanted a yard the kids could enjoy, too:)
Beth @ Whole New Leaf says
Your backyard is AMAZING! I’m definitely pinning this in case I ever can get around to fixing up our yard.
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Beth!
Connie says
It is amazing indeed! Carrying out rocks is no small feat. I know from personal experience. Your work should be featured in a magazine spread. It’s beautiful and you’ve created an outdoor space for your family to enjoy. Great work!
Christy K. James says
Wow, thanks for the awesome compliment, Connie! You are so right….if you’ve experienced unloading a backyard full of rocks….you really understand:)
Chelsea @ Married Filing Jointly says
What an amazing transformation! We are in the middle of doing the same thing right now.
Would love you to show this off at my Give Me the Goods link party where you can link up through my blog and party with four other blogs!
~Chelsea @ Married Filing Jointly
http://www.marriedfiling-jointly.com
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Chelsea!
Lauren @momhomeguide says
Your new backyard looks beautiful — it looks like you did lots of work! Your kids must be really happy that you made the change! 🙂
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Lauren! It’s really great my kids now have an outdoor space to play 🙂
suburbsmama says
What an amazing transformation! I can’t believe that is the same yard! If you get a chance, please share this at my Sunday linky party (starts Sat at 6pm) http://suburbsmama.blogspot.com/
Christy K. James says
Thanks!
mishelle says
looks really good!
Sonya ~At Home with The Barkers says
WOW!! You guys did an amazing job!! SO happy to find your link at Crafty Scrappy Happy!! I’m headed now to see the rest of the yard 🙂
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Sonya!!
Cassie Neumann says
Wow is all that I can say! I really wish my yard looked like this! What a great job and such a great inspiration and motivation for me to get my yard looking a lot better! You can see that a lot of work went into this! Again, thanks for sharing (I found your link on Simply Create) and great job!
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Cassie! I’m so glad you found some inspiration here…I am so excited for everything to come back so I can get out there and enjoy it 🙂
condo blues says
What a lush and fun transformation. Perfect for deck BBQs.
Christy K. James says
If only my deck looked as good ha ha! Needs some spring clean up!
Jill says
What a beautiful transformation! You’re making me look forward to having a nice yard this summer. Love that the lamb’s ear can tolerate the sun well… I’ll have to keep that in mind when I buy plants.
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Jill!
Shauna {The Best Blog Recipes} says
LOVE this backyard makeover!!! I’d love for you to link up a few of your posts at my weekend link party on The Best Blog Recipes if you haven’t already!
Hope to see you there!
Shauna
http://thebestblogrecipes.blogspot.com/
http://ready2loseweight.blogspot.com/
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Shauna!
Krista @thehappyhousie says
Beautiful backyard! Thanks for sharing it!!
Krista @thehappyhousie
Christy K. James says
Thanks for coming to check it out, Krista!
Cindy says
I just found your blog today and love your yard. Then I saw the master bath and the sectional makeover. You and your hubby do awesome work. If I had started ripping up my sectional my husband would’ve killed me. And he usually puts up with alot when I get one of my ideas! I just added you to my favorites, thanks for sharing.
Christy K. James says
My husband is a pretty good sport, indeed!! I’m so glad you found me 🙂
Karen Schulz says
visiting from nifty thrifty things. This is a spectacular change. I cannot imagine the huge amount of work this was. You must be absolutely thrilled and your kids will have such an amazing summer now.
Christy K. James says
I really am thrilled with how it came out. I can’t wait to enjoy this summer back there! Thanks for coming by to check it out:)
Heather says
I just found your blog via hometalk, I love what I’m seeing! Your yard is beautiful! Great job!
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Heather! Im so glad you found me:)
Angela @hickorytrailblog.blogspot.com says
Ah maz ing!!! It looks wonderful!
Christy K. James says
Thanks so much, Angela!
Amy Marshall says
It’s gorgeous! We are working on major interior remodeling right now but our yard needs a lot of help…thank you for the inspiration!
Have a great week!
Amy
http://www.homesweetthriftyhome.com
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Amy! I can think of a few things inside I’d like to majorly remodel 🙂
karen@somewhatquirky says
Wonderful job! I know this will be an exciting summer watching everything grow and fill in. It really makes it worth all the hard work!
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Karen. I am really looking forward to this summer:)
Jen @ Girl in the Garage says
Wow, what a difference! You guys did an amazing job. I found you at the Nifty Thrifty Things party… I’m looking into doing some things to our back yard this summer. Ours doesn’t have as many problems as yours did.. but it’s just kind of boring right now. We are putting up a swing set similar to yours within the next few weeks for our boys’ birthdays this month. 🙂 Next I really want a patio or deck area so I can relax while the boys are playing. Thanks for sharing this!
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Jen! Our boys love the swing set. It’s so nice to have a place for them to play. Good luck with your back yard:)
Mary Alice Patterson says
Wow, you all did an amaaaaaazing job on your backyard!!! It’s so beautiful, and you created such a wonderful place for your children to play.
Mary Alice
Christy K. James says
I’m so glad you like it as much as we do!!
Charlene@A Pinch of Joy says
Fabulous transformation! There was a lot of hard work involved but you’ve created a wonderful family living space!
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Charlene…I think so too:)
Tina says
What a great transformation!
Christy K. James says
So glad you like it!
the cape on the corner says
wow, that was some before. this is a much more livable and enjoyable after. congrats nd well done!
Christy K. James says
Wasn’t it awful? We never even set foot out there for fear of twisting our ankle!! So much better:)
Jamala says
You backyard is gorgeous.
Christy K. James says
Thanks for checking it out, Jamala:)
Cheryl@ Sew Can Do says
Fabulous transformation and definitely worth all the work. The gate, beds & accents are fabulous. This is my dream yard!! We inherited an extremely large rock garden in ours which took several summers to turn into a normal, just soil garden, so I feel your pain with the rocks. I wish our yard was a bit smaller so we could do some lovely beds like yours. 2/3 of an acre sounds great until you have to maintain it. Would love if you linked this to my Craftastic party: http://www.sewcando.com/2013/04/craftastic-monday-link-party-laminates.html
Christy K. James says
Thanks so much Cheryl! I complain that our yard is too small, but I can’t imagine maintaining a huge yard….but all that space would be nice! Give and take, I guess:)
Lora @ Craftivity Designs says
WOW! What an incredible transformation. Our backyard/deck area is on our “To-Do” List this spring and I’m so excited to start tackling it. Thankfully, our grass is in great shape, it just the deck & flower beds that need a lot of work. Your pics are a huge inspiration to me!
Christy K. James says
Awesome, Lora! It’s so fun to get out there and enjoy creating beautiful outdoor spaces!
samantha says
looks amazing!!! great job!
Christy K. James says
🙂
Karen says
Absolutely beautiful!!
Kelly @ The Moon and Me says
Beautiful! I love the stone walkway. Wanna come help with my yard? 🙂 We don’t get much rain…
Kelly
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Kelly! I could go into business, right?
Tracy B says
My backyard is in terrible shape and you’ve inspired me to create beauty! Love your blog and thank you!
Christy K. James says
Thanks so much for the lovely comment, Tracy! So glad you are here:)
Leah says
Love what you did, it’s a completely new yard! Definitely keeping Lamb’s Ear in mind when I’m putting in some new plants this spring!
I feel your pain on rock removal! The previous owners of our house looooved rock way too much, but put in 5 different kinds, interspersed with bright red mulch (what were they thinking?!). How did you dispose of your old rock that wasn’t reused?
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Leah! My husband hauled most of it away in his dump truck. He was able to get rid of it through his work. I know just how you feel with all that rock…best of luck to you 😉
Leah says
I think I need to meet someone with a dump truck 🙂 I don’t know what to do with it, so I’ve been posting it on Freecycle and occasionally throwing a couple shovel fulls in our trash!
Christy K. James says
I thought about posting ours for “free” too. You may get some takers. My neighbors are having someone else remove all of theirs. I think a landscaping company, maybe you could hire it out? I feel your pain, though 😉
whitney saenz says
Ok, as someone with a backyard full of rocks… that we HATE… I have to ask, what did you do with them once you wheeled them out of the yard. Sounds like a stupid question, but we don’t know where to even begin to get them gone after hauling them out!
whitney saenz says
nevermind…. just read the above comment! OOPS!
Christy K. James says
Oh no! You are where we were last year! We HATED those rocks. The back yard was pretty much a useless space. We tried to creatively use as many as possible. We put them around our a/c units and under the hose. I think we dumped some under our deck, too! Best of luck to you, Whitney…you will be so happy when they’re gone 😉
Laura @ Laura's Crafty Life says
What a great transformation. Yard work and landscaping is back breaking work but totally worth it. Especially when you have kids that love to play outside! Great job!
Christy K. James says
I agree, Laura! 🙂
Robin~All Things Heart and Home says
I can hardly keep myself from going outside and working on my backyard! Your creativity and hard work have inspired me!
xoxo
Christy K. James says
Thanks so much, Robin! I was out there yesterday with my son and it was amazing to see how everything is coming back to life. I really love to be out there 🙂
Chrissy says
Wow, your backyard looks absolutely stunning – what a great job! Amazing! xxx
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Chrissy!!
Brandi says
You guys did an amazing job. Your yard is gorgeous.
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Brandi! It has filled in quite a bit this year…I hope to share photos as soon as it stops raining long enough to grab my camera!
Lauren @MomHomeGuide says
I love your backyard makeover! I am thinking of planting some flowers or perennials under some trees in my backyard. It looks like your yard is shady — what plants have you found work well in light shade? (If you don’t mind me asking!)
Christy K. James says
Hi Lauren! For the shade, I like hostas, coral bells, astilbe, and hydrangeas to name a few. I’ve also had good luck with box woods. They are great for adding year round shape to your garden (as well as the azaleas). I also love a perennial called Brunera I believe, that gets tiny little blue flowers. I’m not sure what zone you are in, so your best best bet would be to visit your local nursery to see what they offer. Also check out what plants are thriving in your neighborhood. I did a post on how to create a landscape from scratch as well as an update on my back yard showing what it looks like one year later. You can find them easily under the ‘DIY Project Gallery’ tab. Hope this helps! Planting a garden is hard work, but so rewarding. Have fun!! 🙂
XO,
Christy
Jamala says
I just visited your blog and was completely in awe. Your design transformations are simply gorgeous. .and the backyard ..all I can say is WOW!!!
Christy K. James says
Wow, what a beautiful compliment, Jamala! I really appreciate your kind words, thanks so much for visiting 🙂
Julie @ Being Home says
Christy, this is an amazing makeover! What a beautiful retreat you have in your backyard. I bet some happy and fun memories are (and have) been made. 🙂 Love!
Paula@SweetPea says
What a transformation! I know you really enjoy using your backyard now. The great thing about it is that it is functional but small enough to easily maintain.
Christy K. James says
You’re exactly right, Paula! We really enjoy it and it’s very manageable, although looking a bit sad right now for winter lol. It makes it more exciting when spring arrives 🙂
Tela says
This makes me very happy!! I love your back, side and front yard! You did a great job. Our houses are on top of each other too, but we are still 4 hrs from the beach.
🙁 I also love love love the gate!! So pretty!!!
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Tela! I love it most this time of year as everything is coming up. Our lot is small too, but that made it easier to plan out I think 🙂
Becky says
Beautiful transformation!! Question: where did you get your swing set? What’s the brand? We have a small yard and it looks like the perfect option for our space. I’d appreciate a link! Thanks!
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Becky! The swing set is made by Gorilla and we purchased it online from Walmart. It was $899 and I can’t say enough good things about it! We too purchased it because it was the perfect fit for our backyard. It is very nice quality and was easy to assemble!! Here’s a link: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Gorilla-Playsets-Landing-Wooden-Swing-Set/15642035
Becky says
Thank you!!! We actually figured out which one it was during our research and ordered the set from Home Depot yesterday but it was WAY more than this, I’m going to call for a price adjustment or cancel the order. You just saved us some serious $$$! We must have missed it on Walmart’s site. Thank you thank you!
Christy K. James says
Oh good, I’m glad I could help! I thought the price was very reasonable for the quality! XO
Becky says
Christy, thanks again for your tip on the Walmart listing! We saved so much money and LOVE LOVE LOVE the new swing set. See how it turned out on my blog!
phyllis says
how do you get those beds in backyard so mounded; what is the trick to that; no matter how much i dig,cant seem to figure it out; nev. comes raised enough; do you have to pile dirt ? thank you;
P.S. Your work is fantastic; my hat goes off to you. love all your projects.
Christy K. James says
Thanks so much, Phyllis! We brought in several yards of soil and compost from our local nursery to build them up. 🙂
Laura says
This is such a beautiful yard and garden! My husband and I are currently going through the same backyard trouble and I would love any tips as I am not a gardener but trying very hard to become one! We laid sod the first summer we were in our home and it didn’t come back. The next summer my husband planted seed with no luck. I am currently saving to have professionals lay sod and then do everything else myself and am struggling to figure out the best plants to plant. Your posts are definitely inspiring me!
Christy K. James says
Thank you, Laura! Before we laid our sod, we added a layer of fresh soil to the existing soil. Also follow the watering recommendations that your supplier suggests, to a tee. If you want to know more about the landscaping part, I wrote this post that you might have seen already, but should be very helpful: https://www.confessionsofaserialdiyer.com/how-to-create-a-landscape-from-scratch/ Good luck with your back yard! XO
Jeff Murphy says
Awesome! Great job!
Christy K. James says
Thank you, Crabman Jeff!
Steven Goodale says
Holy bananas! Honestly, that is a remarkable transformation considering you really did not hardscape the area at all – just some trees and rocks out, grass, playhouse and hammock in…fantastic work. Amazing before and after shots for sure.
Christy says
Thank you, Swimming pool Steve!