Back Yard Update!

Whew...it feels good to sit down with a nice glass of white wine and just chill.

We spent the day in the back yard...pea gravel, boulders, mulch, blood, sweat, tears , Mickey D's sweet tea...

I guess I should let the pictures speak for themselves~

Bed filled with hydrangea (back corner-hard to see), flox, peonies, and daylilies.  Will most likely have to divide next spring, and move to another bed.  Product of all the rain last summer!

Bar area.  We built the bar a few years back after seeing something similar in Better Homes and Garden magazine.  It is made from cinderblocks and 2x4s.  Top is stained with deck stain, and the columns were painted with Rustoleum Renew.

A closer look...

Our knock out roses are blooming like crazy, especially now that they get more sun.  Our neighbors had to take out their leland cypress trees due to disease that were along the fence, so the roses are now in full sun.  My hydrangeas close by are NOT happy however!! They plan to replant trees, so for now I will leave them and see what happens.

Our pond.  My brother contracted someone he knew to build the pond (bare bones), and he landscaped it for us.  We finished up the project literally the day before our oldest's graduation party in 2008!  I think I still had some dirt under my fingernails.

The waterfall...

Hostas underneath our deck steps.  Cannot wait for them to fill out.  That is if the darn squirrels would quit digging around them!!!

We have a stepping stone pathway close to the pond.  The boulders in the bottom left corner will be a part of a rock garden I am building to help with a drainage issue next to the steps.

Hostas and ferns near the pond.  Again, cannot wait til they are all this big!!

New pea gravel patio area. The boulders were added for a border as well as to allow rain water to drain.  We plan to put a fire pit in the middle and surround it with some chairs.

Our veggie and herb garden is taking off nicely, after it was toast due to a late frost crazy Atlanta weather.  Even our rosemary is coming back (bottom left).

The hydrangeas on the hill are just starting to bloom.  I love these, petite blue blooms.

Our blueberry bushes.  This is after we cut them way back last fall!  We can't eat them fast enough.  Lucky for us, #2s beau LOVES them and will waste no time eating his share!

Looking back from our new pea gravel patio toward the pond.  A little better look at our pathway.

Arial views are always fun!  Here is the bar area...

Pond...

View from the side of our deck.  We hope to replant several trees soon.  We lost 20 leland cypress last year to disease.  Just beyond the tree line you see is still a lot of property, currently covered in just pine straw.

New porch pillows.  This is where I plan to park my rear for the rest of the summer once all these yard/house projects are done.  Windows go in tomorrow and then paint is next!

We could not have done this without childlabor our sweet girls, and #1s "the keeper".  They worked their tails, arms, legs, whatever moves off!!!  We did feed them lunch afterward ;-)

Hope you enjoyed the back yard tour!  

I am linking back to  the Best of the Nest