DIY Backyard

Since we bought a "new construction" home here in beautiful Colorado, we got a dirt lot instead of an established yard. I did want an existing yard, but we had to compromise somewhere. So, we got a blank slate ready for my creative landscaping genius. First, we had to wait for the snow to melt and warmer weather. Then, we had to wait for the government to send us our tax refund. We started planning just over a month ago (Did I mention that we have an HOA?), and came up with a plan to submit for the "powers that be" approval. Oddly enough, the same day I handed the plans in, we got our first letter in the mail from the aforementioned HOA, stating that our 6 month deadline for finishing our landscaping had expired. Boo! Hiss!
So, we got started...

We rented a "ditch witch" for the sprinkler installation. It was a beast.

Ethan helped out too!

Some of the trench had to be hand dug so I picked up the pick ax. I am totally not just posing for this picture, I still have the calluses to prove it.

We got a load of fill dirt to level out the back somewhat.

The fill dirt in place, one wheel barrel at a time.

Planting the trees, these are the Aspens.

My first raised bed garden.

The diminished front yard pile.

Now we are ready for the rock, mulch and sod. However, we just crunched the numbers last night and it looks like we will need about 30 tons of rock! We have decided to get some estimates from landscapers to finish the rest. It is a little defeating to get this far and have to hand the project over to someone else.