"It's a jungle out there"

Yes, our backyard a.k.a jungle a.k.a. secret garden is under transformation. When we first bought out house, the front and backyard was overwhelming. It was very overgrown and not kid friendly. Our first step was hiring a crew to help clean it up. It took them several days to take out alot of the bushes and greenery. Even then, there was much work to be done. There was draining and filling up the Koi pond, removing tons of stones and pavers, lifting up mesh and tarp that covered majoirty of the backyard, pulling up alot of weeds and random plants, and cutting down trees. It is almost all complete, and then Santiago will have to get a rototiller and prep the backyard for sprinklers, a patio extension and grass. We are finally able to have hope that the end is near. Santiago has put a lot of work into it, but watching the boys play out there makes it all worth it. I hope that it can be finished by Isaiah's birthday in July, but it all depends on time and money. Anyone want to buy some stones???

Some of the before pics are when we first moved in, and others are as we started removing things.


BEFORE-A back corner of the backyard where the koi pond was.




After: We still need to remove the rest of the stones around it, and eventually we will take out an orange tree.



Before: Along the house

After: We took out three huge bushes along the back. I'm hoping that it means less spiders in the house. We also had to take up alot of stones and pavers around this area.

Before: The grass area. The picture was taken before we moved in (which is why it is so green!) Sure it looks pretty, but too overgrown all around it.




After: The "Green Wall" is gone (you can see it in the above picture). There was about a six foot hallway between the green wall and the fence. Not really a place I want my kids playing.




Before: The back fence. This picture was taken just before they took the trees out.



After: Yesterday we had all of the trees on the back fence cut down. They still need to remove all of the stumps, but it has opened up our backyard alot.
With all of these changes that we are doing, it seems to be making our backyard alot bigger. It is a good size, and we are excited to have a big grass area for the boys, and bigger patio for entertaining. The boys have loved playing out there, but I am ready for it to be more child proof!