Hey, after they do your yard, they can come do mine. My back yard is a completely blank slate. Just dirt and rock. On a slope, no less!

They've done some amazing transformations, but I don't think the homeowners get to have much input, which wouldn't work for me ... too much of a control freak to turn it completely over to someone else. Plus, I think most of those folks are not handymen or gardeners. Since I'm the gardener, and DH is the handyman, we've got the bases covered : )

Kvenkat, my place was nothing but dirt and rock when we moved in 5 years ago, but each year we set goals for one or two projects, and I love how it's all come together. Plus, it's our vision, not someone else's.

Bonnie

I enjoy Yard Crashers too, but they do seem to emphasize hardscape over landscape. I'd let them come to my place only if I could tell them what NOT to do. I want my yard to be a yard, not an outdoor version of my house!

b2alicia - I love that show, too! They are very creative, and I have seen some shows where the yard was not too overtaken by the outdoor room effect (although I agree a lot of times it's the other way around). But they sure give one a lot of ideas (just too bad I don't have a bunch of money laying around to use for what ever I want, and for projects such as this ;^)!).

I took a look at the page linked from their homepage for making a dry creek bed - nice! http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-install-a-dry-creek-bed/index.html (the video doesn't actually show how they installed the bed, but the finished yard looks pretty cool!).

I'd love to have them do my yard as well! I bet if you had some garden areas already, they'd be sure to incorporate that in the design.

Marj

I 've noticed, too, that many of the projects don't have much green space.

And I've wondered about it. I was thinking that it might be for water conservation, and for avoiding fertilizers, and insecticides, etc....I've heard that people are being encouraged to cut back on grass lawns because they are such water guzzlers.

I do like the idea that they always include a water feature, and a fire feature, and something with rocks. :)

Bonnie,

Do you have any before and after pictures of your yard?
I'd love to see them!

Betty - did you see this morning's Yard Crashers?! It was a 'mountain retreat' - I loved it! They left room for a vege garden (small, but still), too.

Check it out: http://www.diynetwork.com/videos/mountain-retreat-in-the-city/72673.html

Amazing, Marj! I sure did! and I heard him remind the crew to move all the mulch away from the veggie beds, because the veggies don't like it. I'd forgotten that!

This was the episode in Atlanta where he sick on the 1st day and slept on the couch, right?

That's the one! Yeah, I perked up my ears when he mentioned no mulch by the veges, too.

Hope you don't regret asking for pictures, b2alicia! I loooove to share pictures : )

We hired a contractor to put in a sprinkler system, sod, and the backyard fence. He also laid the edging for the beds. Immediately after he was done, I wished I had made the beds wider, but the sprinkler system and sod were already in, and it would have been an extra expense to change. I've been digging up sod ever since ...

Here you can see the pergola that my husband built for me. There are grapevines planted that should eventually cover the top of it.

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The herb bed, before it was an herb bed:

I've also made an island bed in the southwest corner of the yard, but I don't have any good after pictures yet. Still working on getting the right combinations in that bed.

DH also built a huge sand box and playground in the backyard for the kids. It's really nice to sit out on the patio, under the pergola and watch the kids play in the evenings. I'd love to have more space, but I am happy with what we have accomplished with the space we do have.

Bonnie

Oh my, Bonnie!
You've done such a gorgeous job! The colors are wonderful, the arrangements are wonderful!

On your 3rd picture from the top, in the middle of the shot, there are 7 tall standing green poles, with spirals around them. Are the spirals there in order to encourage vines to grow on them? Is that for the grape vines you mentioned? The plants at the base of the poles, are those grape plants?

Absolutely lovely, Bonnie!! I agree with Betty - your color and arrangement choices are really wonderful. You can come design my garden beds anytime ;^)

I like your pergola as well. That is something my husband and I have wanted to do for our front yard. It looks like you used tree logs for the front 2 posts - curious where you got them. Were they trees you cut yourselves, or did you purchase them somewhere? I'm saving your picture for a concept idea for us!!

Marj

Thank you, Alicia and Marj!

Alicia, the T-posts, and plastic spirals were for the tomato plants, which is what you are seeing in that picture. BTW, those spirals were a big waste of money in my opinion. Sticking with just T-posts and the stretchy tie stuff this year. The grapevines are in the backyard, planted at the base of the two large tree logs that hold up the pergola. The vines had just made it to the top by the end of the season last year. I'm hoping they'll start covering the top this summer.

Marj, DH got those logs in Basalt, from a guy that does timbers for custom log homes.

I chose the color scheme, because of the color of our house. I just thought pinks, blues and purples wouldn't go well with it. Plus, I just like bold colors : )

Bonnie

It's always such a treat seeing pictures of your garden, Bonnie!

Ah , I see, Bonnie. Are the other plants in with the tomatoes also vegetables?

A couple of them look like it to me.