The Yard

Here's the deal... I live in a small house and I have a good sized back yard. But there's a problem - my backyard looks like it was designed by a early 50's homemaker. It is utilitarian and orderly. I've got a concrete pad that used to host a clothes line... I have a row of ancient roses, I have a linear planter overgrown with star jasmine (light on aroma - not like the strong scent of pink jasmine), and I have a couple of ancient fruit trees. Upon closer inspection, you would find that my orange tree is about 50% dead and the apricot tree is completely riddled with termites. Did I mention that I have an inedible fig tree? Not that I like figs in the first place, but this sucker just adds insult to injury - bright green fruit twice a year that drop like rocks and never ripen. Oh, and the yard also has wood-sided raised vegetable planting beds. All in all, this yard just doesn't cut the mustard for my preference.

So here I go - I am undertaking a project to scrape the earth in my back yard and reconceive the space so that I get a couple of outdoor rooms and a lot more usable space. I get both encouragement and discouragement from my friends on this one, but dang gang, this is my yard and when I am done you will have no doubts. Take a look at the existing conditions.