A Look Back for Comparison

Hi Peeps! I've been invited to give a presentation on the evolution of my garden. In preparation, I've been digging through old photos. I found the only three outdoor photos that I took while touring the house before we moved in. (Why didn't I take more? Darn it anyway.) The previous owners were not gardeners but the yard had good "bones" and lots of possibilities. And I was a lot younger. 

This photo is of the south side of the house. You can see lots of lovely dandelions blooming
in a sad excuse for a lawn. August, 1997

August 2014, the lawn is long gone and so is the deck, replaced with a concrete patio in 2013. 

Here is another photo, looking north. 

And this photo is taken on the replacement patio looking down into the southern portion of the garden. 

The second "Before" photo, looking south shows the wood deck in the distance and cement patio closer.
The steps I showed in the previous "before" photo are just past the railing by that black thing.
If you focus on the white-trimmed door it will help you get perspective on the next photo. 

See the white-trimmed door way... back there? I guess it's obvious that I like plants and stuff.
The tree is a Japanese maple seedling from the A. p. 'Sango Kaku' planted in the front yard.
This guy is well over twenty feet tall now and the shade it provides is fantastic.
To see a plant transform from something so tiny you can hold it in one hand
to something that towers overhead is nothing short of amazing.  

This photo was taken much father out, looking south.
If all the plants weren't there you'd be able to see the patio. 

In this photo you can see the patio through the shrubs. 

Here is a photo I took last June. It's farther south than the previous one. The patio is more obvious.

Here is the third photo. It's of the north end of the house.
The two Rhododendrons, one on each end are still here but I've limbed them up.
The other plants have been replaced with a wood deck. 

This photo gives you an idea. 

Another shot...

Again, looking north. 

Here, we're almost to the north end of the yard. 

And here we're looking south. It gives you an idea how long and narrow the yard is.  

This time of year is nice for looking back at all the leafy goodness of summers gone by. Hurry up spring.