Making Progess, Rocking Out

So we don't have much of a backyard, which didn't bother either Chod or I when we bought the house. I figure nothing is way better to work with than a huge mistake that needs to be fixed.

 There's a shed and a little garden area, a peach tree and a lot of weeds and gravel.

After talking to some neighbors we learned that there hasn't been grass back here for 12 years. And a few owners ago had a son that worked for a gravel company and he hauled in a lot of gravel. Then they realized what a mess it was and they sold the house, rumor is because they didn't know how to fix the backyard. So, a neighbor and the previous owner hauled 3-5 dump truck loads(depending on who you are talking to) of gravel out of the back yard! So much for not having someone else's mistake to fix.

I've spent many hours trying to get a vision of what this backyard should become, but haven't come up with anything good yet. Finally, last Sunday I drew up a plan of Phase 1.

Our goal (maybe it was just mine, but Chod is a willing participant) is to get grass planted this fall. No way am I dealing with a muddy winter and spring without grass back there. Phase 1 includes grass, a shade tree and fruit trees, and an expanded garden area. We'll deal with Phase 2 when a good idea comes along.

Monday it was tilled and we've spent the past couple days raking rock. It is hard to believe that they hauled of that many dump truck loads and there is still so much rock.

 

 Chod's starting a new landscape company called "Little Red Wagon Landscaping". Isn't that cute? A wheel barrow maybe more efficient, but we were using what we had.

We got it de-rocked as well as its going to be and smoothed out this morning and I was itching to throw down some grass seed, but Chod talked me into waiting until we had the tree planted.

 I'm pretty excited for this tree and hope it doesn't die this winter or I will be really sad.

 See all those little rocks? They could drive a person crazy.

Our lone tree. The peach tree is no good and it's coming out, and Chod has been trying his hardest to kill the quakies in the front yard and then they'll come down too. So there is a lot of pressure on this one to grow tall.

And tomorrow: grass!