A Major Back Yard Re-do

Too many projects going on with the various garden areas around my home lately. I’m now tackling some major work and new beds in the back yard which have been so neglected due to many non-gardening related activities. But, spring time has given me a new incentive to make some big and dramatic changes to the back yard.

Most of the back yard towards the right side was a neglected vegetable garden, becoming a jungle area again. Reclaiming this from all the deeply rooted vines, junk trees and shrubs is  going to be a major undertaking that I’ll be tacking on later.

The grass area is large and divided into an upper and lower section. I’m planning an elevated center bed with a combination of aged statuary mixed in with colorful bromeliads, succulents and other tropical adornments.

These cement lions below along with some other statuary will be placed into the new island in progress.





After a few days of playing around and moving rocks, the center island bed is coming into place with a classic urn place on top of a lava rock base and filled with crushed lava rocks.








After taking massive breaks from moving the heavy rocks into place, the outer walls are coming into a floral patterned bed.








I decide to place a tall white leaved bromeliad on top of the urn as an accent to the black lava rocks so it would look dramatic…what do you think, does it work?







Here’s a close up detail of the island with the statuary in place.






I think its falling into place pretty well, don’t you agree?  I can’t wait to start putting in all the beautiful plants next. Stay tuned for the fun part coming up in the next post.