The Yard, One Year Later...

...well, a little more than a year later. Remember this posting last year?

Our brother-in-law, Jim, owns a landscaping company and nursery called Savage Plants & Landscape. Not because his plants are savage, but because his surname is Savage. He has a very refined design sensibility and a wonderful crew. They planted some lovely things in our front (back) yard last summer.

Here is the way it looks around the basketball court, NOW. (Yes, we know that dogwood tree is unhappy, and Jim is going to replace it soon.)

And the walkway to the front door? Here is how it began, last summer.

And here is how it looks today.

I love the way the stones look cozy, with the little plants grown in all around them. Those plants sprouted beautiful, star-shaped blossoms this summer. (They didn't smell pretty, but they looked good!)

I wish you could have seen the clematis in its prime, growing on that metal screen. It was covered with brilliant purple blossoms.

We added the jasmine plants at the bottom, which are going to grow up the screen, hide the propane tank, and smell delightful.

I am thrilled with the vinca minor; it's a fast-grower, and its shiny leaves and purple flowers brighten what was once a plain, brown hillside.

I haven't even minded weeding it.

The vine maples are happy; the rhododendrons, fuchsias, ferns and grasses are happy. We're happy, too. It looks great, and it has a purpose:  when the rainy season begins, our plants will be drinking lots of water as it flows downhill...and that will keep our basement dry!