Past, present, . . . .

The shaded "past"

Last year at this time I faced the realization that it was time to remove our elderly, drought-stressed, and diseased silver maple tree.  I knew that the loss of the tree would mean major changes in the future design of a large portion of my backyard.  Not only did the tree create a large shaded canopy, its root system consisted of an extremely shallow mat that choked out nearly every other plant in its proximity.  I was dependent on just a few hardy shade lovers and the strategic use of planters.

After a summer of shocking sunshine with a composting tree root system, the plants in that part of the garden recovered with bursting enthusiasm, including a healthy crop of weeds. 

The weedy "before"

When this spring arrived, my former shade garden was a confused mess of weeds.  Where was my garden?  It was time to move forward, embracing the changes that had to be made. 

The "present"

I took a day off from work to clean it up and make some decisions about the future.  What a difference one day made for my back yard!  You can't see them in this photo of the present garden, but there are some new shrubs taking root that will completely change the dynamic, along with some sun loving annuals and perennials for the borders.

I'm eagerly waiting for my future garden to begin to mature.