When it comes to our jungle-like backyard, we last left off after transplanting and digging up one giant 15′ garden bed and leveling it in hopes of growing lush green grass. We’re back with another backyard update — yes, we spent the weekend getting muddy, and no, I still don’t have Madonna arms (maybe a third day of bushwhacking will do the trick). Like any other project in the house, this yard work is a do-it-in-phases job, especially since each stage leaves you pleasantly sore. There’s something satisfying about digging in the yard for a few hours while the little one naps and Burger supervises lazily from the windowsill: you can see a clear change when the work is done.
In our second phase of backyard clearing, we tackled another 15′ wide planting bed, removing roughly half of the path-blocking liriope that had grown so aggressively it made walking the path in shorts a scratchy chore. In some spots the path was squeezed down to about three inches wide by the overgrown plants — unwalkable. After our afternoon of work we gained about 6–8 inches of walking space on each side, for a total of roughly a foot to a foot and a half of reclaiming the path. That’s a dramatic improvement in accessibility and comfort.
All the liriope we removed went to the side yard, where it already thrives in a large, naturalized swath. It looks great there — wild and free — so we’re happy to let that area keep growing out densely while we open up the formal backyard paths.
Digging up liriope takes effort. John started by cutting back and trimming the second 15′ bed, then dug out sections of liriope with a shovel, using firm pressure to uproot as many roots as possible so it won’t pop back up in spring. Meanwhile I finished tidying the planting bed edges and then we tag-teamed the removal. We worked from opposite ends and met in the middle so we could make the most of the nap window — Clara was due to wake in about an hour and a half, and we wanted to at least clear one side so the path would be usable. We even had time to collect some soil from bare spots at the edge of the property and rake it into the holes left by the plants, so there weren’t any big pits to trip over.
The visual change from the side patio is the most striking. Where your view used to stop ten feet ahead at a towering planting bed, now your eye continues all the way back to the pretty maple on the opposite side of the yard. It finally reads like a backyard instead of a bushfest. We still have a few more rows of liriope to remove and the trimmed 15′ bed needs leveling and prepping for grass seed, but the progress in one afternoon was very encouraging.
It’s hard to convey yard orientation in photos when there are so many similar trees and shrubs, but the view just beyond the patio now feels wider and more open. A simple sketch we made previously helps show where the brick paths run and where the two 15′ beds used to be. That drawing is a bit out of date — it doesn’t show the new deck that fills the alley between the original house and the 70s addition — but it still helps visualize the layout.
If all goes according to plan, one more round of bushwhacking should remove the remainder of the path-encroaching liriope, level the remaining bed, and allow us to seed the area. We’re optimistic about turning that dense planting area into a swath of grass so the kiddo and the dog have room to run. We love the woodsy lot behind our house, but we’re suckers for a clear patch of lawn in front of the woods: a manageable yard to enjoy that still feels wild and private beyond it.
Our fondness for a grassy play space goes back to our first house’s backyard, where the lawn was a springtime dream. While this yard will be about half as deep once seeded and grown in, it will still provide plenty of space to play with less mowing and raking — win-win.
All in all, it was a productive weekend. There’s a real joy in reclaiming your yard one phase at a time, especially when the weather is just right — not too hot, not too cold. What did you do this weekend? Anyone else out in the yard hoping for a long kid nap to get more done?