It’s yard tour time again. Each year we take a few video tours of our home so we can look back and watch how it changes over time. We’ve also started recording the exterior and yard, and this year’s outdoor tour makes a strong case for turning the tradition into an annual ritual. Between major projects like the patio and deck and smaller tasks such as transplanting, seeding, and weeding, the yard evolves constantly. That evolution is visible not just because of our work, but because Mother Nature has done her own unpredictable landscaping—especially in the parts of the yard we haven’t touched.
The difference between last year and this year is striking. Take the small planting bed between the two paths: in twelve months it became much denser and taller. The butterfly bush in that bed now reaches nearly twelve feet in height. Photos only hint at the change; the video captures it much better.
From another angle, the transformation is equally dramatic. Where you once saw a clear tree trunk, you now see a thick wall of foliage. That growth has changed sightlines across the backyard and gives the space a much lusher feel.
Standing at the back of the lot and looking toward the house, the low purple shrubs that were once small have filled in significantly. They’re at least three times larger than before, and from certain spots the foundation of the house is no longer visible. This helps explain some questions we’ve received about the little bump-out on the back of the house: that nook exists to keep the back elevation balanced. The placement and size of windows throughout that section are deliberate, so the bump-out and its smaller window work together with the larger living-room window to preserve proportion on that wall.
If you look back even further, to early spring last year, the contrast becomes even more apparent. Shrubs that were modest a year ago are now full and blooming. For reference, the three large trees in the background help align the before and after perspectives, but the overall impression is one of substantial growth and bloom.
Our side yard has also taken on the woodland look we hoped for. Naturalizing that area was intentional—we wanted it to feel woodsy and charming, similar to the perimeter of our first home. The result is a much bushier side boundary with a few newly planted river birches beginning to establish themselves. Over time those trees should complete the transition to a more wooded edge.
We started documenting the side lot from a side view this year, and the wild grasses down there are unexpectedly pretty. They add texture and a relaxed, natural character to that strip of the property.
From the corner of the front lawn, the transformations are just as visible. The little hedge that once surrounded part of the yard is now replaced by more open plantings that reveal more of the house and create a tidier curb appearance. The front yard itself has seen a big improvement: we seeded the lawn, removed many of the small hedge fences that hid the house from the street, and added upgraded patio furniture and landscaping around the patio.
The patio makeover is one of our favorite projects. What started as an unfinished slab and a basic seating area has been transformed into a landscaped, comfortable outdoor room. New furniture and carefully chosen plants make the space feel like a true extension of the house.
We recorded a video last year that shows the yard before many of these changes took hold. The new video highlights how much progress we’ve made: the patio landscaping, the improved front lawn, the removed hedges, and the small surprises we added along the way. Fair warning: our handheld video tours are energetic to the point of dizzying—so if you’re prone to motion sickness, watch with caution.
We’re glad to have documented the yard’s summer 2012 state on video, and we’re already curious about next year. Will we tame the backyard jungle to create a play lawn for Burger and Clara while naturalizing the perimeter into a private, wooded area? Will there be more patio furniture or even a deck? Perhaps the carport will be converted to a garage. Tracking these changes year to year is satisfying and useful—plus it’s fun to watch the property mature.
Do you document outdoor upgrades? Walking around with a camera to capture how the yard looks on a particular day is a great habit. We wish we had done it at our first house. Live and learn—and keep the annual yard tour going.