Cottage Backyard Transformation

When the kids and I moved into this cottage rental about 10 months ago, one of my biggest priorities was to make the backyard more welcoming.  The backyard at our old house was fully lanscaped and gorgeous and huge so it was really important to me that the kids have a yard that felt like a yard, despite its postage stamp size.  So, even though the yard consisted of a tiny amount of space, two slabs of cement and a bunch of bark, and even though I'm not known for my green thumb (I have a history of killing cactus), I was smart and enlisted the help of two friends who specialize in this sort of stuff to help me pick out all native, drought resistant plants in the color scheme that I desired (heavy on the red, orange and yellow for the middle and more purple & blue on the fenceline).  THANK YOU Aerin & Jennifer!  Then, I got to planting.  The kids helped with some initial stages.  Even our new neighbor Jay helped us put together the veggie garden which ended up being so amazing!  A few months later my friend Tiffiny came over and we planted a whole bunch of tomato plants on the side of the house.  It's been this incredible group effort to help the yard look the way it looks now.  My little neighborhood Salvadorian worker Miguel did all the heavy duty tilling to prepare the ground and cutting back a significant chunk of the invasive bamboo on the side of the house and leveling the backyard to prepare it for planting.  He was definitely a huge part of this transformation!    The plants were all added slowly according to whatever my budget could accomodate any given month.    The yard gets full sun nearly all day long and the Capitola weather is just absolutely IDEAL for plant growth.   Never too hot or too cold.  Juuuuuuust right.  The plants flourished.  And in the span of 10 months the garden is completely transformed.  It's amazing to me how much it has changed in just under a year.  We've got tomatoes, corn, salad, ollalaberries, melons, chard and artichoke growing in the veggie garden.  I planted an apple tree and and apricot tree which are already producing!  I just planted a teeny little japanese maple tree that I hope does well.  We've got gorgeous vines along the fenceline, lovingly and thoughtfully strung and directed as they grew every month.  A huge variety of colorful and yet completely drought resistant plants in the little patch of dirt next to the shed.  And in the front yard I planted four rose bushes in the unused planter bed which we then have been surrounding the rose bushes with shells that we collect during our daily morning beach walks.  I also installed a chalkboard wall which was just an abandoned free piece of wood that I spray painted with chalkboard paint and which our neighbor affixed onto the shed wall for us.  Ellie and I also created a colorful canvas collage that says "Bloom Where You're Planted" which we placed next to the hammock by the most colorful part of the garden.  Two separate friends generously donated an old basketball hoop and mini fort structure that the kids love.  I am just completely blown away how so many people were able to come together individually in order to collectively create this amazing, warm and welcoming space.  I am so grateful to all my wonderful friends who assisted with this endeavour.  My next big project on the horizon is to use the space behind the shed, which is 6 foot by 20 foot empty space that is too hidden and shaded for growing anything but JUST RIGHT for a chicken coop.......  I just need to check with my neighbors and if they're on board then come this spring we will have chickens too!  Talk about maximizing a tiny plot of land, huh!?    I thought some of you might enjoy looking at some snapshots of the transformation.  I've taken pictures only 3 times during the past 10 months so you can really see the Before, Middle and After very clearly with these shots.  It's pretty wonderful, if you ask me.  Definitely happy with our little yard.  And because the weather has been so incredible we've been eating practically every meal on our outside table.  Heavenly.  :)