Backyard Mini Makeover

So I've been meaning to finish a backyard project, but now it's not looking good that I'll finish it until next spring.  So I'm going to show you all what I've done so far, and if I get it finished - I'll show you that!

Okay, here we go.  When I moved into my house, the backyard was gorgeous and big...except for one empty area under a tree in the backyard.  It was just an area of dirt that ferns grew in.  Well as tree limbs fell down during the last two years or once we cut down a few lilac bushes from the backyard - I would pile these up on the dirt area.  So in other words, this became my dumping area for all my odd and end limbs and compost in the backyard. 

Then this year the weeds took over the area and it looked like this...

Or a closer look would be this...

So the first thing I did was to work my way through this pile.  I pulled up all the weeds.  I sawed up the larger pieces to use for firewood later and burned all the smaller pieces in my fire pit.

Afterwards this is what the area looked like.  (I know...that retaining wall needs replaced...that might be a next year project that you'll see a blog about!)

Now it was looking better, but still needed more work.  Next I raked the entire area and gathered all the little sticks and piled them into an old swimming pool of Neko's that had to be retired due to a hole in it from last year.

When I was done I have quite the pile for my fire pit this fall.

And the area looked pretty good!

Next I went out and purchased landscaping fabric to cover the area.  I used wire to make half-circle shaped thingys to secure the fabric into the ground.  My thumb was so sore after this step from pushing the wire into the ground.  It was not fun.  But it looks so good when it was done!

Now I just need to put the edging in (see those black circles by the bottom of the tree?) and I hope to get that done next week when it warms up since the edging needs to warm up in the sun supposedly.  And then I've been working on hauling rock over from my neighbor, Shirley's, yard.  She has rocks that she wants gone and said I could have them if I help her dig them up.  I think I've hauled about a half a dozen over so far and got the area about 1/3 covered maybe?  That's why I'm saying that I'm not sure this project will get done until next spring. :)

Here are a few more pictures of the area cleaned up...

And guess what got added!!!

That's right...I moved my bench to this area to see if I like it there...the verdict is still out, but I love looking out to this nice cleaned up area instead of the weed mess!