A view underwater...

I came across some old photos of what our yard looked like before the sod was removed. As you can tell we replaced the shed and the viburnum is gone.

Our property sits pretty low compared to some of our neighbors. The neighborhood had an ongoing problem with flooding and luckily the town put in a french drain to help us out. We still get water but it drains readily!

Our yard is surrounded by a chain link fence. Along the back from the shed to the left corner was a raised bed with dying red twig dogwoods and day lilies the orange prolific ones you see everywhere. The day lilies remained but all the dogwoods needed to be replaced. We have a big ash tree that provides some shade, but its seed dropping are maddening. We also have two small trees near the left corner that we have yet to identify. We think they are black cherry trees. They have insignificant white flowers in the spring and small purple berries in the fall. The berries drop and germinate, creating a seedling mess every year!

First you ....

remove the old patio and a lot of sod.

We started our garden in the late spring of 2001. Our children would soon be building their own lives, one was already in college, the other would soon graduate high school. They didn't hang out in the backyard anymore other than to sunbath or mow the lawn. My husband talked to an associate about helping us design an "after-work get a way" in our own back yard.

Anita was an avid gardener and a wonderful friend. Her home was nestled among flower and vegetable beds. She once raised sheep and had the best soil I've ever seen. I won't go into the compost pile, but I will tell you sheep leave the best fertilizer behind! She really created our vision with graphite and paper. Unfortunately she passed away before she could see our shared vision fully grown. She was truly an inspiration with a fork and hoe, but her spirit lives on everyday in what I see out our window.

Our house is nestled in one of the oldest planned developments in CNY. You know the kind where the houses are similar 2 stories, built on small lots and your neighbors wave when you get the morning paper.

Our first task was to remove our patio. It was originally a simple square patio made with rectangle chunks of heavy blue stone.

In the first photo you can see the corner of the small stone patio. The shed was there when we moved in. We didn't know at the time that the large shrub next to it was a viburnum. A couple years later it would be gone with much regret. Live and learn everyday a motto for LIFE!

The second photo is a better shot of the small patio that will be transform by some back breaking work.

A weed is a flower...

waiting for someone to appreciate it!

This little yellow flower is called goat's beard. Wild flower or weed doesn't matter once you appreciate is delicate beauty.

Goat's Beard can grow up to 3' tall with a flower head up to 2" wide. It sprung up in our yard about 3 years ago. We dead head the flowers when they start to go to seed, as they spread like dandelions!

Black-eyed Susans are easy to grow...

ANY WHERE and EVERY WHERE!

Every blossom opens in its own way

Flowers are a lot like children, they bloom in their own time. Flourish in the light of love and grow if fed properly.

This is a white coneflower or echinacea just as it's starting to bloom. It makes its appearance in the early summer in Central NY. The seeds heads are quite ornamental in the fall. They seed themselves quite happily, but are not as prolific as the black eyed susans in our yard.

He's smiling back at you!

I'm just starting to find all the photos we've taken over the last seven years. So until I'm better organized I thought I'd treat you to some of the little things we love about our garden now that its full grown.

We found this little guy at Walmart several years ago. We thought he'd feel right at home, we've even found him a few pals along the way! In the winter he hides in the shed out of the cold but he comes out every spring to help keep away the trolls!