Periodically we like to see the results of our hard work in before and after photos and thought we'd share these. I was looking through some old photos and found a great "before" photo and so I decided to stand in the same spot and get a new 'after'.
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| Backyard before |
Here is the backyard before.
Those trees and shrubs and vines went almost all the way through to the other side. There were a few open spots but I when I got the mower, I would start mowing a little wider each time, clearing more and more. At times I would get out the shears and hacksaw and clear by hand as many of the vines as possible. When we were finally left with just a few junk trees, we hired a guy to safely cut them down.
For a while, it was just mud and dirt. And tire ruts. We decided I would just mow it over and over for a season (or two), sprinkled out some grass seed one early Spring and eventually the ruts filled in, the grass returned and it became a regular yard!
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| Backyard after |
This is what it looks like now.
That's why we decided this year that it was finally the right time to put in the fruit trees and here it is.
2 Pear trees
2 Plum trees
2 Apple trees
2 Peach trees
They are doing great. I mentioned that we lost the two apple trees but we believe that was from the Winter, they just never came out of their dormancy. It's possible they didn't have enough water (my fault) and one was infested with ants in its black container. One of them has already been replaced (update tomorrow). The others are all growing nicely, so we're happy about that. Reluctantly, I pinched off blooms so we can let them concentrate on root development.
Patience grasshopper!
Also, we would be remiss if we didn't say Happy Father's Day to all of you out there who are fathers or to your own fathers. We have lost both of ours, but they live on in everything we do to honor their memories!
I'll catch up on comments tonight. Hope your weekend went well!
wow, what a difference between the before and after. That was almost scary-looking-thicket in back of your house. Your new orchard area looks so neat and tidy. All your hard work has yielded great results!
ReplyDeleteLOL it was kinda scary at times, especially at night, ha. Hard work does yield results. That's one reason we are doing this like we are, getting all the "hard" stuff done now so in the future it's just maintenance.
DeleteWow, what a difference was exactly what I was going to type. I spent a spring break clearing out a place about that big, working for ten days all day every day. It was a chore. My elderly neighbor's daughter said she could never see me, just my yellow loppers out there all the time. Thankfully, there were no trees to cut! You have changed your place so much. If I had your Zen machine and someone to cook dinner, my labors would have felt a lot less like punishment...lol.
ReplyDeleteYou can say it again, it is a difference, ha. Yep I had to do this a couple days at a time over a year or two (not working rainy, oppressively hot, or freezing weekends, ha). I hear ya!!!
DeleteI love before and after pictures! Y'all should be very proud of the success you have had thus far. It looks great!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'm going to try to find some more older pictures to take "afters" of. We like seeing them too, ha. Thanks again!
DeleteWow!!!! What a lot of work, but it has now paid off, and wait till the benefits roll in.
ReplyDeleteHey there! Thank you!!! It was work but yep, hoping for some benefits in a few years for sure.
DeleteA Bigly improvement.
ReplyDeleteI see what you did there, ;-P
DeleteThank you!!!
That is an amazing transformation. What a nice place for your orchard.
ReplyDeleteThat's what we were thinking of. It's close to the house, easy to water, easy to keep an eye on, easy to harvest (fingers crossed). We've got plenty of room elsewhere for "fun places" but this seemed most practical for the orchard.
DeleteWhat a transformation! I am in awe. And slightly envious as well, haha. It is so neat and well manicured. I hope you take tremendous satisfaction from all of the hard work.
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks. It's a process, and takes time, and it's funny how we don't realize it until we see pics and go "wow, we did more than we realized" ha. We're most satisfied when we look at it all need and mowed and edged, ha.
DeleteTonya took my word, AWE. I am in AWE of what you guys have done. I would see all that mess and think there is no way to get past that. And even after it was all gone and full of ruts and no grass, I'd still be overwhelmed, You can definitely see into the future potential. GREAT JOB!
ReplyDeleteBryan K
Well thank you for that. Much appreciated, I guess you could say we could see the orchard for the trees, ha. It was a mess getting there but worth it to see now. And SO much more to do. ;-)
DeleteWhat a BIG difference. Goes to show what hard work can do over time and makes a person proud seeing what can get accomplished over a period of time.
ReplyDeleteTop photo; reminds me of the Adam's Family yard surroundings.
Beautiful area now for your fruit trees to grow and flourish.
You deserve a BIG pat on the back for job well done.
LOL, yep, it was definitely creepy. Especially in the Winter (which was when that was taken, a couple ofWinters ago). Thank you much!!!
DeleteWOW! What an amazingly wonderful difference. Gotta love those before and afters.
ReplyDeleteThank you. It's work but the end result is what we have to focus on.
DeleteWowee Zowee! You've done a great job. Rewarding to see progress, not like for me with my continual chores that just have to be done again the next day!
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks for that. It is rewarding and hey, I bet your chores add up to something rewarding in the end, we have to take our victories where we can get them. :-)
Deletewhat a transformation. nothing like before and after pics. your place really looks terrific. i hope you don't get hit with that storm. we have had the hottest, muggiest yucky weather. i hate it!
ReplyDeleteWe don't mind hot, with no humidity but isn't humidity just the WORST? Ugh. It just drains you after an hour or so. Fingers crossed the storm fizzles, though a bit of rain is always welcome on the trees, ha. Thank you for the kind words.
DeleteLots of work but sure looks good!
ReplyDeleteThank you, much appreciated!!!!
DeleteAttah, TWO MEN ! :) I do the same, but with the progression of Google Aerial Imagery. It changes every 2-3 years. I try to envision what it will look like on the next update with myself propagating the willow along the property line, clearing out the dead debris in the creek, Finishing the gazebo, eventually moving the Solar array, the new wood chips garden area etc. You and I must be pretty similar in our enjoyment of seeing/envisioning BEFORE/AFTER. IE. Gauging our work invested.
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY! I love the pictures, it's even fun to try to stand in the same spot and get the 'after', ha. We have noticed a change via Google, though our rural area doesn't get updated as often but we do see progress. AND more work, ha. Once there was a satellite with me in it on the mower! Hard to make out but I saw my car so I knew it had to be a day when I was there mowing and sure enough I found myself on one of the trails.
DeleteSo glad to hear from you. I'll send an email soon and say hello!
What were the two/three large trees you removed to clear it out for the Eventual Orchard?? I believe they look the same to the one you kept on the left?
ReplyDeleteA tree called a "Hackberry". It's considered a trash tree in these parts, though I hate any tree being called trash. These had to go because they were leaning and are notorious for growing tall and straight and then falling over. There were also a couple of mesquites in there there too, small but crazy branches with thorns. We hated to get rid of them but they were just not the right trees for that space. But speaking of, a new area coming soon where we kept them and created a cool area. Pics coming soon.
DeleteYeah y'all have done alot of work to your place. ya know I have been watching since ya got the place! It is looking so pretty and keep it up!
ReplyDeleteYAY! Always nice to hear from you. Thanks for the kind words!!!
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