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Last fall, I shared how our back yard was getting a complete overhaul. And then I kind of left you hanging and haven’t given you an update since. Sorry!

A large backyard almost completely shaded by trees
This is the listing photo of the backyard. It was a jungle out there!

So let’s recap, shall we?

Since moving into our house, we removed 25 trees. Of course, removing the trees was just the first step to getting a beautiful back yard. Once the trees were gone, we were left with unusable soil, lots of moss, even more rocks, barely any grass and lots of tree roots. Oh, and a yard that was so hilly and un-level that it wasn’t safe my toddler to run around in.

A hilly backyard after rain, with puddles in various sections

A backyard with a large, sunny, grassy area in the middle and trees along the border, along with a few toddler toys

After removing one very large flower bed in the middle of the garden, the landscapers got to work on grading the land. Because of the way the property is, there will always be a slope from right to left but as long as it was a gradual slope, we were OK with that.

The backyard with all the grass removed

A backyard with a border of plants around it and a wide open space with dirt and a few trees

We also created a bed along the entire perimeter of the yard and filled with various trees, plants and shrubs that will not only provide privacy but give interest and color during different seasons.

Finally, once the entire yard was leveled and new loam was put down, we had irrigation installed and both the back and front yard sprayed with hydroseed.

large backyard landscaping ideas

I think it’s fair the say that it’s a huge improvement on the before!

large backyard landscaping ideas

There’s a huge variety of trees and plants in this perimeter bed including Dogwoods, Rose of Sharon, Cedars, Blue Spruces, Limelight Hydrangeas, Lavender and so many more than I’ve already forgotten the names of. I will write another post detailing all everything that was planted though once I can gather together all that info.

large backyard landscaping inspiration

I wish the Rhododendruns would stay in bloom all summer. They are so spectacular!

Beautiful Rhododendron in a large backyard landscape

I can’t wait to take updated pictures once all the flowers (especially the hydrangeas!) are in the bloom over the next month or so!

The reason I wanted to share this with you is to give you some ideas and inspiration for your own yard. No matter how awful the before picture is, any yard can be saved! Our  yard is really large (we’re only three-quarters of an acre) but you’d never know it before because it felt so choppy. Now we feel like we have our own personal football field :-) Next stop, a swing set for the kiddos – delivery date: June 21st! They are so excited and I’m excited to share it with you all!

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2 Comments

  1. CBA Outdoors says:

    From disorderly to a masterpiece! I am amazed at how this was done perfectly. The greens did the trick in giving life to the once dry spot. Also, having a massive dirt pit of Ashley here, you can make a compost out of it. Maybe add some flowers around as I did before.

  2. Ashley Schmidt says:

    Thanks for sharing this – it was so helpful! We just cleared our half acre backyard that was completely overgrown with English ivy and 30+ trees. Now that we have a massive dirt pit, we’re trying to figure out where to go from here. Hydroseeding sounds like the way to go!