Before & after: A 1-year-old garden

October 21, 2009


AFTER. I can’t bear to lead with a “before” pic, so here’s the “after” first.

BEFORE. The uppermost raised bed was the first space I cleaned out and replanted, right after we moved in. I needed a home for the ‘Whale’s Tongue’ (Agave ovatifolia), a monster of an agave I removed from my old garden.
Inspired by Danger Garden’s before-and-after series, and to acknowledge a year’s progress in my new garden, I went out yesterday and tried to replicate photos I took a year ago, before I started digging.
I left my 8-year-old former garden a year ago this month when we moved to our new house, which came with nice hardscaping in the form of limestone-terraced beds stepping down from the back of the house to the pool. At this stage in my gardening life, I would have chosen a more-contemporary look if I’d started this garden from scratch. But you play the hand you’re dealt, and this sloping, wooded lot with rugged limestone walls, a curvy pool, and casual, woodsy flavor required something different. Not a cottage garden, like my old one. Not a clean-lined contemporary garden. Not a purist native garden. I’m still debating what to call the style I’m working toward, but perhaps it could be described as architectural naturalism. Is that a paradox? Maybe.
Enough back-story. Follow along with me as I review a year’s worth of beginnings in my new garden.

BEFORE. I’d begun the digging-out process in the long raised bed but left the roses.

AFTER. Now even the roses are gone, replaced by plants and container plantings with year-round appeal.

BEFORE. This spot begged for a bed behind the stone wall.

AFTER. After a raid on my old garden, I had just the focal-point plant for it: a large softleaf yucca. The reconstructed bottle tree acts as a focal point too.

BEFORE. From the lower garden, looking back up at the raised beds, this is the view right after we moved in.

AFTER. It’s much cleaner now. Aside from some agaves that are only going to get bigger, I’ve stuck with smaller plants than the shrub lantana, rosemary, and roses I pulled out. The redesigned fence is also visible. Eventually I’ll extend the fence down to the bottom of the garden, providing better privacy and hiding the neighbor’s photinia hedge. Another long-term goal is a cedar pergola over the seating area on the upper patio.

BEFORE. Looking to the right, the raised beds stair-step down toward the other side of the yard.

AFTER. I’ve cleaned up the Texas persimmon tree, pulled out an elaeagnus, and started transitioning from a sunny bed to a shadier one.

BEFORE. The path from the back deck to the pool.

AFTER. I extended the planting area to the end of the retaining wall. We recently strung our party lights, yea! I still want to add a disappearing fountain water feature here, in place of the ground-level bird bath. And I plan to replace the stepping-stones-in-grass path with a stone or paver path.

BEFORE. Same scene, different angle. Before, the bed was too small, and its stone edging ran into the trunk of a crepe myrtle.

AFTER. A more-generous planting area, and the crepe myrtle is now clearly inside the bed, not straddling it. Farther back, you glimpse the ‘Macho Mocha’ mangave in a stock-tank planter and the bottle tree in the distance.

BEFORE. Yet another view shows the bed’s original dimensions.

AFTER. More space. The plantings—mostly abutilon, bamboo muhly, and groundcovers that haven’t filled in—are still a work-in-progress. I’m having trouble here with an armadillo that keeps digging under my fence to uproot the plants in this section, looking for worms and grubs. I’ve had to replant several times.

BEFORE. A small lawn occupied the middle level of the yard when we moved in. In the lower garden, several feet below the live oaks, we set up the kids’ eyesore trampoline. An existing bed barely contained the oaks; like the crepe myrtle, their trunks were half in, half out of the bed.

DURING. A new circle garden takes shape with stones salvaged from the existing beds and lower garden. At first I envisioned a circular lawn.

AFTER. But then I thought it would be cool to have a giant circular stock-tank pond in that space. The surrounding planting beds have been enlarged and replanted. I still plan to lay a paver path around the pond and replace the leftover grass paths with gravel or mulch. Also, I want to add airy metal garden arches, unplanted I think, over the four entry points into the circle garden. Now if I could just win the lottery…

BEFORE. This is the view from the other end of the yard. A wooden deck that came with the house is on the right.

AFTER. Now there’s a curving bed in front of the deck, and the pond occupies what used to be lawn.

BEFORE. Looking the other way, up the sloping side yard, the limestone boulders seemed wasted, just sitting in the lawn. Plus they were a pain to mow around.

AFTER. Now the boulders are the centerpiece of a sunny, xeric bed. Much is going on over here right now. I’m extending the beds along the new fence, replacing an overgrown abelia hedge along the house, creating a dry stream, and planting a Zen-like combo of Opuntia and Mexican feathergrass. And all these silly, leftover grass paths must come out. The fun continues!
I’m happy with my progress so far, but a year is a very short time in a garden, and there is ever so much I want to do. Still, I’m glad to have a start on a new garden. I guess at a year old it can’t really be called a new-baby garden anymore. Next up, the terrible twos. Brace yourself.
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

0 responses to “Before & after: A 1-year-old garden”

  1. kat says:

    Check out this true Monster of an agave! http://www.flickr.com/photos/43739773@N04/4027434287/
    Love the before-and-afters. Such inpsiration! Thanks as always, kat
    Yes, those American agaves are gigantic. But having moved this one all on my own, I can honestly say it’s a monster too. 😉 —Pam

  2. What a great tour through your garden. But now that it approaches the terrible two’s as you called it, don’t you think you need to name it? Any ideas come to mind yet?
    I had a feeling you’d be asking me that, Carol. No, a name hasn’t occurred to me yet. Maybe I’ll have to wait until the front yard is a garden too. I could call it October Dreams Gardens, but, well, someone already ran with that idea. 😉 —Pam

  3. Lisa at Greenbow says:

    This poor child needs a name. It isn’t “new baby” any more. Your garden is really fleshing out so well. It looks like someone loves their garden here now. Such remarkable progress. I remember you digging out that circle in that horrid heat. UGH… Keep on truckin…
    I will, Lisa. Though I’ll try to do more of my truckin in cooler weather. —Pam

  4. Looks to me like you have accomplished about three years’ worth of transformation, given my more gradual approach. Whew! What would happen if you really did win the lottery? Thanks for the great peek into your progress.
    Thanks for your comment, Ricki. If I won the lottery I’d have all the hardscaping I want done in one fell swoop. It’s hard work to do it oneself, and some things are really beyond my technical capabilities. Ah, now that’s a pleasant fantasy. —Pam

  5. Janet says:

    You have had a very busy year. I am amazed at how much you were able to change (for the better!!) in one year. Your garden is more lush, probably easier to maintain –both cutting grass and water needs. Well done! A+
    That is one of my goals, Janet. While this year the garden required regular watering because of the drought and the fact that it was brand-new, I hope to see a reduction in my water bill next summer. —Pam

  6. Lola says:

    Your new garden is fantastic Pam. You really have accomplished a lot in a short year. I will be glad to see the front when you get to work on it.
    Me too, Lola! Thanks for your kind comment. —Pam

  7. Iris says:

    What a lovely, thoughtful, and fitting transformation, Pam. I hope you’re taking a few minutes to sit back and admire your hard work!
    Thanks, Iris. Yes, I am sitting back today and enjoying the rain. Isn’t it wonderful? —Pam

  8. elephant's eye says:

    What a difference to that whole bed, after you pruned the persimmon tree. Is crepe myrtle, Pride of India? Saw one in an open garden, which the Ungardener admired. But we’ve inherited that. Still have to follow your lead revealing the beauty of old branches on established trees.
    I actually considered removing the Texas persimmon at first. Luckily I had the sense to prune it first, and I fell in love with its form and white trunks once I could see them. As for the crepe myrtle, this is Lagerstroemia indica, which is ubiquitous in the American south, not Lagerstroemia speciosa, or Pride of India. —Pam

  9. Leslie says:

    I just love what you’ve done Pam. Everything makes so much sense and feels so nice. I can’t wait to see the ‘terrific twos’!
    Thanks, Leslie. I look forward to the “creeping” a new-baby garden learns to do in its second year. After that, leaping. —Pam

  10. Jenny says:

    I guess when you are one year old you are now longer the “new baby garden” ! You have achieved so much in a short time and it all looks wonderful. So when do you think we are going to get the hands on tour? Soon I hope, because we are all ready for it.
    I’d love for you to come over for a little tour, Jenny. —Pam

  11. Gail says:

    Pam, It’s true most of us have to play the hand we’re dealt…and you’ve won the pot! This makeover may be the best I’ve seen working with existing hardscape. gail
    Thanks for the encouragement, Gail. I loved having a blank slate in my old garden, but I really can’t complain about the hardscaping in my new garden. The former owners did a nice job. —Pam

  12. chrisf says:

    This is what I’ve been waiting to see! Thanks Pam
    Thank you for following the slow progress of my new garden, Chris. —Pam

  13. Les says:

    You have made some good decisions and things look much better. I really enjoyed getting more of the big picture of your garden that macros and close ups don’t give.
    Thanks, Les. I agree about the usefulness of big-picture shots. —Pam

  14. LU says:

    You have managed to put the bones in seeing the big picture. Great job. I am wondering if you have pictures of your last home garden here. Would love to see your last venture.
    Thanks for your comment, LU. Yes, I included a link to images of my former garden in the first long paragraph of this post, but here it is again: my old front-yard garden. —Pam

  15. Mamaholt says:

    WOWZA! Your yard is incredible! I mean garden. You did all that in ONE YEAR? That is really just amazing. I’m gonna try and get a Before & After thing happening too. It’s just SO rewarding to see the progress!
    Thanks, Mamaholt, for your very kind comment. I’ve been busy, it’s true, but of course much of the hardscaping the defines the beds was already in place. I just fleshed out the garden beds, ripped out a lot of lawn, and planted a ton of stuff from my old garden, plus some new plants and freebies acquired this year. I was driven to create new beds by the sight of forlorn transplants from the old garden sitting on the patio and wanting to put down roots again. —Pam

  16. Pam, you have done an incredible job! I didn’t realize you did so much until I saw it “all put together.” I was so in love with your former garden, but wow–I am loving this garden you have created over this past year. Great job!!
    Thanks so much, Linda. I understand about the old garden. I really loved it too, and I’m glad it lives on at Digging. But I’m having a lot of fun starting over as well. —Pam

  17. Hello,
    I really like what you have done with the landscape. You have a good eye for design and have added a lot of texture with the different shapes and colors of plants that you have included.
    I love Agave ovatifolia. We grow that here as well. I have seen ponds made out of galvanized steel before, but not one as nice as yours. Your landscape is just beautiful.
    Thanks very much, Noelle. I am really enjoying my stock-tank pond since it’s about three times as large as the one I had in my former garden. More water, more fun! —Pam

  18. Robin says:

    Pam, you have done an amazing amount of gardening in a year! It looks wonderful!
    Thank you, Robin. —Pam

  19. I’m still waiting to even have some after pictures. I’m in a brand new house with a 1.5 acre yard that six deer consider their own. I’ve been making beds since July and am trying to get my fence finished around a gardening area. And I’m still keeping up with several hundred plants in pots. I’ll be blogging about my progress and hopefully will have some after pictures by this spring. Wish I had your hardscape. I saved some rocks and have them in the garden but not where they will eventually end up. And we’ll have to move lots of dirt to fill in the lakes over the septic and propane tanks. We also have a berm five feet high by maybe 60 feet long which we’ll move most of eventually. Of course, it is in the best place for wildflowers and grasses.
    Starting a new garden from scratch, as you’re doing, is a big undertaking. It seems like it’s all about moving dirt, stones, and wood for the first several years. But you’ll have “after” pictures sooner than you think. Good luck with everything! —Pam

  20. chuck b. says:

    Wow, it’s been a year already! Looks like you’ve made short work of all the challenges you laid out when you introduced us to the new garden. I’m esp. impressed that you did so much w/out taking out any trees. Bravo!
    Time flies, Chuck. I don’t know if I’ve made short work of anything, but I’ve gotten started on many of the problem areas at least. We did have to take out one tree to put in the trampoline, but it wasn’t a very big one. —Pam

  21. WOW…in a year? You are truly amazing! I think my fav pictures are the before and after with the trampoline and the stock tank pond. You really took an eyesore and made it blend and look like it belonged. I also love what you have done with the limestone boulders and the way you enlarged the beds to include the “trees”…do you think they were once within the borders or the person who planted them just didn’t “get it”? Thank you for the before and after post! I really enjoyed it!
    Thanks, Loree. This was a good exercise for me because most of the time I look at the garden and see only what still needs to be done. Before-and-after comparisons help me see that I’ve made some progress toward my vision.
    As for the trees, I don’t believe that any of the trees on my lot were planted except the crepe myrtle and maybe the Texas persimmon. My neighbor, who’s lived here since the neighborhood was built in the early 1970s, confirms that this was a live-oak forest, and the developer built the houses around the trees. That clump of live oaks in the trampoline picture are growing up out of a limestone escarpment; they weren’t planted but grew from fallen acorns. In the front yard, which is flatter than the back, there are several large berms with clusters of live oaks. My neighbor says the trees were original to the lot, and the developer dug out around them to pour the driveway, etc. The resulting berms are a little weird-looking but part of the topography of my new neighborhood.
    But to answer your question about the edging of the trees in the back yard, I think they were trying to solve the problem of mowing around groups of trees as expeditiously as possible. So they ran a border of stones around the perimeter of the trees and saved on stones by using the tree trunks as part of the border. It makes sense, but the trees look a whole lot better inside the beds instead of on the edges. —Pam

  22. You’ve made an amazing amount of progress in only one year! You’ve really redefined the areas and put pizzazz and design in your garden. Congratulations!
    Cameron
    Thanks for your kind words, Cameron. I’m working on it. —Pam

  23. Thanks for sharing, you’re work is such a great primer on how to revive a boring landscape into a beautiful, functional garden. All your hard work is really paying off.
    Thanks so much, MMD. I’m having fun with shade gardening now, as you do. Large trees are new for me. —Pam

  24. Wow, what a huge amount of progress in just one year — it looks like several years’ worth to me (or at least compared to my backyard)! I love how you treated the huge limestone. Congrats; give yourself a pat on the back.
    Anna
    Thanks, friend. Your backyard has so much potential, Anna, and I love what you and Mark have done with it so far—your generously sized patio and your pond. Rome wasn’t built in a day, right? At least that’s what I keep telling myself. —Pam

  25. You’re getting me inspired! What a beautiful garden you have Pam. Thank you so much for giving us a peek. 🙂
    Thanks for your kind words, Jackie. —Pam

  26. linda says:

    It really is quite amazing all you’ve accomplished in the short space of a year. It looks really beautiful Pam.
    Thanks so much, Linda. —Pam

  27. Jean says:

    That’s really great progress for just a year. I’m especially struck by the difference that was made when you moved the fence back and revealed that beautiful live oak. And I’m sure you’ve muttered to yourself numerous times, wondering why someone would make the edging of beds run right into tree trunks! You’re very inspirational to me but I think I need to find a young strong back! 🙂
    Thanks, Jean. Yes, moving that fence back to expose the live oak was one of the first things I did, and it made a huge difference. Sometimes it’s the little things that count most. —Pam

  28. eliz says:

    Wow. I love it. The rustic furniture, the whitish stone, the stock tanks. It seems more developed in some ways even though it is new, than your previous garden. The blue of the pool is such a complement as well. Very well done.
    I can’t take credit for the pool or the stone walls, of course, but thanks, Elizabeth. I’m enjoying both of those features; they’re partly what sold us on the house. I had to go back through the photos when you mentioned that this garden looks more developed than my old one, to see if I agreed. I think the extensive hardscaping, necessitated by the dramatic changes in elevation, may account for that, don’t you? —Pam

  29. Jennifer says:

    Absolutely stunning!
    You’re too kind, Jennifer. Thanks. —Pam

  30. Diana says:

    You’ve made such a wonderful difference in your garden in that short time, Pam. It’s a beautiful and serene space.
    Thanks, Diana. I even just sat and enjoyed it at times this summer. —Pam

  31. kerri says:

    You’ve made amazing progress during this past year, Pam, and transformed your backyard into a beautiful and interesting garden. It must give you a great feeling of satisfaction. I can’t imagine working in the awful heat of the summer you’ve just come through. Congratulations on a job very well done! My smart alec husband wants to know what you and your hubby did in your spare time? 🙂
    I’m laughing at your last question, Kerri. Well, you know what I did with all my spare time last year. My husband is not involved with the garden at all unless I beg, beg, beg for help with something, like setting up the stock-tank pond’s foundation. He has his own obsessions, which revolve around marathons and triathlons. —Pam

  32. kat says:

    I just read your post about moving the whale’s tongue agave. Much respect to you! It sounds like a beast and it looks wonderful in its new home.
    It seems to be quite at home in its new digs, Kat. If it had died after all that work of moving it, I don’t know what I’d have done. —Pam

  33. I’m am astounded at what you’ve done in just one year! It has been great watching you re-invent the space. You’re a very talented designer!
    Thanks, Linda, for the always kind encouragement. —Pam

  34. Congrats. I have sure enjoyed reading and seeing the progress over the last year.
    Thank you for following along, CIMS. I appreciate your visits. —Pam

  35. It’s a pleasure to see the way you took the good things that already existed on that interesting sloped terrain and turned them into an inspired garden. Pam, the area with the emerging boulders looks fantastic! I love the way the silver-grays, blues and violets thread through the garden as both hardscape and plants – very complementary to the colors of the house, walls and pool. The Twos probably won’t be terrible at all!
    Annie at the Transplantable Rose
    Thanks, Annie. The boulder area is still being reworked (well, so is the whole garden) with the additions along the new fence. But I know it won’t feel finished until I replace the grass paths with gravel ones. Someday! —Pam

  36. Pam, it looks really great, and although I’ve followed its progress all year, it was thrilling to see the photos next to each other. Good job! An agave update. My big agave is doing fine. The two from Plant Delights showed up with a bit of rot on the lower leaves (?) I planted them in mostly gravel, but they are still having issues. Brought them indoors & it looks like one of them has finally stopped. It did shrink a bit. The other, well, it continues sledding downhill. I keep telling myself this is an experiment, and that failures keep us humble. I’m feeling very humble. Ha!~~Dee
    Dee, it sounds like the agave trouble isn’t based on anything you’re doing wrong. Maybe they were unhealthy to begin with? I assume you’re hardly watering them at this point, since it’s the cool season. A dry, well-drained winter is what they’ll want. Yea for the big, tough agave! —Pam

  37. Sockbug says:

    Thanks for posting the larger scale photos. I enjoy all your pictures, but it’s especially nice to see the yard from a larger perspective. Still trying to talk my hubby into a stock tank pond…
    You’d be surprised how easy it is to maintain, and I get so much enjoyment out of mine. Good luck convincing your hubby to see the light. —Pam

  38. Town Mouse says:

    very cool! and i love that turquoise pot near the pool. sometimes a little thing can make such a difference.
    Thanks. I’ve always liked colorful glazed pots, TM. They work so well with desert or xeric plants, like the aloe in this one. —Pam

  39. Pam you have done a wonderful job maximizing the use of the space and bringing in life and vibrance to a formerly kind of dull back yard. Bringing the oak into the room by moving the fence is almost brilliant.
    No one else will do it so I am going to offer some minor critiques. You can smack me the next time you see me if you want. The blank brick wall where you took out that awful rose arbor thing is calling for height. The stock tank planter and blue pot are a good start, but it still needs a real vertical element. At first you think a tall plant, but on second thought a piece of art mounted on the wall or even a free standing sculpture to juxtapose with the bottle tree might be even better. There’s that lottery thing again.
    The other thing is I don’t like the idea of airy metal arbors at the four path entry points around the stock tank pond. I find most of them too narrow and confining. Moving tools through them could be more of a pain with the restricted elbow room. Plus they would block the view over towards the pool and make the space look smaller possibly, even unplanted. Another idea might be a single structure four post arbor with the lintel pieces spanning the whole space between the posts. The top could be completely open for the pond to get sun. The posts and lintels over the space would create the gateway effect you may be after. Just a thought.
    Brave Christopher, I don’t feel like smacking you at all. You have a great sense of design, and I welcome your input. You are absolutely right about the blank brick wall. I’ve mused over many different solutions since I took out the rose trellis. My short-term solution is indeed a plant. You can’t see it now, but there’s a Tecoma stans, or yellow bells, behind the blue pots next to the stock tank, and it’ll be 6 to 8 feet tall by next summer. I will see how that sits with me next year. But I’ve also considered a piece of art, either instead of or in addition to the plant.
    I hear what you’re saying about the arbors, and it’s a consideration I’ve mused over. I’ve even toyed with the lintel solution but decided it wasn’t the look I wanted. I’m still sold on the arbors because I do want this to feel like a separate room in the larger context of the garden. Doorways invite you to enter and make you feel as if you’ve come to a special place. That’s what I want this to feel like. Being able to see all the way over to the pool, except for a glimpse, isn’t something I particularly want. And I’ve found that subdividing a space with walls or doors makes it feel larger rather than smaller. Still waiting to win the lottery, though, to be able to test my vision against reality.
    Thanks for your creative input, Christopher. This is what is so great about blogging—being able to pick the brains of so many talented gardeners. —Pam

  40. Sujata says:

    Hello Pam. Love what you have done with your garden. Can imagine the labour that must have gone into that transformation. Mine is also a somewhat before and after story(more before less after!) so I can truly appreciate what you have achieved.
    Thanks for visiting, Sujata. Your garden must have really gone through the wringer during your house remodel. I’ll be back soon for a longer read of your gardening adventures. —Pam

  41. Pam says:

    That whale’s tongue agave! I remember when you moved it – and it is still just stunning (and I’m totally envious of those limestone boulders). Your ‘new’ garden looks just beautiful.
    Thanks, Pam. Bringing over big, established plants from my old garden, like the agave and yucca, imparted a feeling of age to my new garden. It was totally worth the trouble of digging them up. —Pam

  42. Frances says:

    You have accomplished so much, Pam, it is really coming along as you put your personal stamp on the space. I am interested in your saying you would go contemporary in style if it was a blank space. I would love to see what you would do with it in that style. 🙂
    Frances
    Thanks, Frances. I may yet go with something more contemporary in the front-yard entry garden. I must wait on that area until we re-roof, which probably will be within the next couple of years. At that time, we’re going to remodel the entry porch, and it would be a good time to redo the existing sidewalk as well. Once that’s done I’ll be itching to make a garden there. —Pam

  43. Cindy, MCOK says:

    Pam, you’ve made giant strides in bringing up the baby garden this year! I can’t wait to see what you do in the terrific twos 🙂
    Baby’s starting to crawl, Cindy. Thanks for the encouragement for the terrible terrific twos. —Pam

  44. Kathleen says:

    Hi Pam. For some reason, I read your blog in bursts ~ catching up on lots of posts at once then leave totally inspired. I love what you’ve created in one years time. Putting in that gorgeous stock pond would satisfy me but you’ve done so much more. I love the way you’ve worked with the elements in your yard instead of against them. It’s truly a lesson. The limestone is a perfect example of that. It looks so “natural” in the bed now instead of sticking out like it did before. It will be fun to see the changes over the next year. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all win the lottery and be able to fulfill our garden fantasies?? I think having time to mull over the possibilities and to plan is good too tho.
    Thanks so much for your nice comment about my daughter. I’m glad your daughter fared better with the flu. If you have to catch it, a mild experience is definitely better. Have a great fall.
    Thanks for your kind comments, Kathleen. You are right that winning the lottery and doing everything we want quickly would be grand, but slow and thoughtful is better in the long run. I shall endeavor to remain patient! —Pam

  45. Layanee says:

    Now I need a nap! You have accomplished so much in one year. This is a great tour and one of my favorite on your tour schedule. I can see one of those cattle trellis thingys against the back wall of the house. What a change from a yard to a garden. So, how much did you use the pool this year and how many months of the year can you use it?
    Layanee, once school was out the kids and I were in the pool nearly every day this summer, and sometimes twice a day. We can use it from late April to early October, but the first and last months the water is pretty chilly. —Pam

  46. Chookie says:

    I’ve been going over and over this post, enjoying it so much. It’s a treat to see the before-and-after like this!
    I’m glad you liked the before-and-after, Chookie. I always enjoy them on other blogs too. I’m already looking forward to next year and seeing how the garden has continued to grow and evolve. —Pam

  47. Bonnie says:

    Pam, fantastic look back. Great job!
    Thanks, Bonnie. —Pam

  48. Has it only been a year? The before and after shots show exactly why a garden journal is so vital. That’s a lot of work to have accomplished in so short of time. You’ve probably done more in one year than I’ve done in ten…I’m so slow and plodding. Quite the transformation.
    I keep telling myself that Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I’m impatient, MSS. I envy those gardeners whose partners also love to work in the garden; they seem to get things done so much faster. —Pam