DIY Runs in the Family!

 Today I am featuring my cousin Trish and her husband Trent's landscape improvement project!

 They bought their charming home around 8 years ago
in sunny California and have been improving the inside and more recently the outside.  It's a corner lot that they've given a great deal of personality to!

As with any large project it's always easier if you work together and I think they've done this very successfully!

Our grandfather would have loved these pictures of Trent and Trish doing this hardscaping and would have wanted to help! 

He was one of the original DIY types! 

As we all know each step is a labor of love and it can become rather obsessive! 

  Trish described herself as someone who never liked gardening, but I think we can say she's gotten the gardening bug now!

 Many shrubs and perennials were planted....They've created quite a visual experience as well as a place to relax! The dark mulch enhances the plants and looks very attractive.  With no more lawn that needs to be cut so it's a pretty carefree yard now only requiring some maintenance on their plants and shrubs.

I love the new walk up area they created to their house. The only access before was the driveway with a sidewalk leading to the front door. 

 Now you can meander and walk the crushed stone pathways while enjoying beautiful flowering plants!

Everything is growing beautifully and filling in so well.  I can imagine coming home after a days work and looking forward to seeing this everyday!

 This dry creek adds visual interest to a narrow side by the sidewalk.

 I love this side gate and how the pathway leads you to it.  This created a connection to the backyard that was only accessible before by going through the house or garage.

Speaking of the gate- let's see what's on the other side of this gate!

Their goal was to make this more carefree like the front yard.

And here are the transformation pictures!

 I can imagine evening dinners sitting under their pergola..

I really love how they planted these Italian Cypress and added

more visual interest with the stones!

Considering how small the lot is I'm impressed with their creative use of space!

 They've made this an attractive place to live 

and I'm sure they are enjoying it especially 

since they don't have to come home and 

mow the lawn! 

This is now more "green" as they went
drought tolerant. Their city offers a rebate
to the property owners for doing this in
order to promote less water usage. They
installed a drip irrigation system which
is very cost effective and they definitely
saw a reduction in their water bill!

The biggest maintenance they have now
is deadheading and scouting for weeds!

I think they made this into a sweet 

cottage like setting!

I was so impressed when she shared her pictures with me that I told her I was going to blog about it!  I hope you enjoyed it to and look forward to your comments!

Happy August!!

Liz!