Before and After

Just wanted to share a few "before and after" shots, from the day our Realtor showed us the house, until today, August 1. Five years later, what a difference.

BEFORE
AFTER
The hot tub didn't work and we didn't really care to have one anyway, so we gave it to some friends of ours and added the stairs leading to a flagstone patio.









BEFORE
AFTER
We planted an Autumn Blaze maple, left and replaced the ash tree that died with a Siberian Elm (Lacebark Elm), right. We also planted a Chanticleer Pear and Korean Sun Pear in the back yard (along with the evergreens along the fences) and several other large trees in the front yard. In a few years, we should have the leafy shade we want.

11 comments :

Julie said...

What beautiful changes you have brought to your yard. Lovely job.

GardenOfDaisies said...

You have added so much beauty and value to your home with the landscaping. Trees and shrubs do take a few years, but are so worth the wait. I love all that you have done.

Melanie said...

Deborah that is INCREDIBLE!! The changes are marvelous!!! Great work!

Melanie said...

Deborah that is INCREDIBLE!! The changes are marvelous!!! Great work!

Blu-I'd-Blonde said...

What you've done is beautiful. We planted an Autumn Blaze in our backyard about 6 years ago. It shades our house in the late afternoon and must be 30-40 ft. tall already. It's an amazing tree.

Rich and Carolyn Dewey said...

Just lovely! Do you have recommendations of RABBIT-RESISTANT plants??? Those little critters striped our marigolds and have nibbled all the Columbine blossoms. We changed out pink knockout roses for red, but hubby says they have nibbled at some of them, even more mature (4 years!) plants.

Thanks!

Deborah Raney said...

Thanks for the encouraging words, everyone.

Rich and Carolyn: I may get in trouble for this answer, but our solution to the bunny problem is spelled C-A-T-S. ;) We have 3 in our yard. We do see rabbits quite frequently, but apparently they don't stick around long enough to eat anything because we've never had a problem. The GRASSHOPPERS have turned a few sweet potato vine leaves into lace over the years, but no problem with Columbine or any color of carpet rose. Wish I had a better solution.

Debra said...

So pretty! What cozy, lovely changes you have made.

And Deb, guess what? I am finally reading one of your books! (Took me long enough, I know.) It wasn't until a year ago that I really began reading modern fiction, and most of those are cozy, domesticly-detailed types, some of them mysteries.

Anyway, I chose Remember to Forget because of the mention of the repairing of a B&B. Really. Those kinds of domestic details will always lure me to fiction. (You know what a homebody I am.)The book arrived yesterday, I'm on page 79 and I'm loving it! I can barely put it down. Seriously.

So which of your other books would you recommend which have a similar theme? Is this book a beginning of a series? (I'm thinking I read that at Amazon.)

Just thought I'd let you know. I have always thought it was so very cool that I've been in touch with a real-live author these past few years! :) Blessings, Debra

Deborah Raney said...

Debra, I'm tickled to death that you're reading Remember to Forget. Yes, it's the first of the 3 Clayburn Novels. They're all stand-alones so you don't have to read the whole series...each book is complete in itself, but if you like the town and characters, you can visit again via Leaving November and Yesterday's Embers.

I know you like cheerier stories and happy endings, Debra, so you may want to try Playing by Heart (a personal favorite, and has that B&B setting) or Insight. My others have happy (or at least hopeful) endings, but my characters deal with some heavy situations before they get to "happily ever after."

Thanks for letting me know! Enjoy!

Deb~

Debra said...

Hey Deb! Just wanted to drop by again to tell you I finished Remember to Forget in less than 24 hours. Oh, I loved it! I can't wait to read it again this upcoming winter. Thanks so much for writing such a lovely book! I'll be looking for the others you recommended, too. Definitely. :) Thanks again! Blessings, Debra

Deborah Raney said...

Thank you, Debra! So glad to know you enjoyed it to the end. And that you'd consider reading it again is a high compliment in my book. Thank you!