Backyard Evolution - The beginning

When Mr Nutt and I purchased our home in May 2011, we inherited a modest little backyard but unfortunately, plonked right in the middle, was a giant tree surrounded by lots of pavers & rocks.

When the landscaping was first done it would have looked fantastic, but trees grow and the roots of this one were heading right toward the foundation of the house.  It had to go.

So, shortly after moving in, Mr Nutt got cracking with some good ol' fashioned elbow grease to bring this baby down! (don't get me wrong, I'm a tree hugging hippie, but this tree had to be sacrificed for the greater good)

The late site foreman was ever watchful during the process. How I miss him =(

By the end of the weekend the tree was gone and all that remained was a humongous pile of branches and a stump.

Having the tree gone really opened up the space, just compare the before and after shots.

Anyhoo another laborious weekend later and the raised garden bed was removed and the stump exposed.  Site foreman still sleepily watching on.

We eventually got the stump out and all that was left to do now was to unearth the roots that had worked their way toward the house and remove those too.  A painstaking process, all done by hand might I add - talk about ka-razy!

Stay tuned for more of our backyard evolution, but in the meantime, it's not all dirt and mud in our garden...