I was going to include a photo of before but honestly, it’s just weeds and gravel in a side yard. It’s ugly, you don’t need proof~
But my plan for it is to un-ugly it and make it a little more pleasant and productive for the bees in the area. To start, I raked out what gravel I could in the general area I wanted to work first since I was trying to get as close to soil as I could. Then I plucked any annoying grass clusters or anything else I didn’t want there. I kept all the dandelions that sprang up along with false strawberries, lil clovers and other wildflowers.
In our first year here, I planted a lilac bush next to the deck and it has grown so much since then. I’m not sure how many more years it needs before it starts blooming but I cannot wait! We also started a couple spots of creeping thyme last year and that’s getting along great. This year, I broke a cardinal sin of gardening: planting mint outside of a pot~ I know I’m going to go to garden hell and I’m giving the next guy or gal who owns this place a headache to deal with but I p much plan on living here the rest of my life so idc~
And now I’m just waiting and watching things grow. I used some leftover potting soil and spread out what I could to give some new seeds a hand in the dirt department. I spread some white and red clover in the new dirt and have been eagerly waiting to see new sprouts pop up. Eventually, the plan is to link the side and back yard with the same creeping path but that won’t be for a few years so I’ll be showering the space with water and pep talks until then~