shutters and perhaps a white door to make it stand out more. Thanks!

would like to "class them up" to look a little more updated. Look at the photos and share your oppinion? I am undecided...and what color?

vexing problem, sometimes it's the blank slate of a new yard. To show you such issues are not insurmountable, I am starting this thread where Hometalk members can show before and after photos from their gardens, and I'll break the ice with two pairs of photos from my own backyard. As the before photos (taken almost exactly three years ago) show, when I bought this neglected little house, the"yard" was nothing but sand and weeds. Today, happily, things look rather different. So start uploading, and let's show folks what can be done!

#beforeandafter

back curtains, protecting countertops and more.

Here are four of our favorite ideas: https://brightnest.com/posts/2x4-four-ways-t...

definition between public spaces in your yard and private spaces add to making your yard much more functional and aesthetically pleasing. Compare your 'outdoor rooms' with those inside your home; it's nice to have clear definition between the foyer, living room kitchen (public in a sense) and home office, den and bedrooms (the private). The in between space we refer to as the "Transition Zone." With in the 'transition zone' there should exist a clear demarcation that you are moving from one space to the next... "The Threshold." The most evident place for the transition from the front/public to the back/private is located in the side yard. Usually a space that is neglected, unused and only occupied when you're mowing the lawn.

The "Classic Cedar Pergola" was designed to create the entrance to the backyard... The Threshold. To assist in the creation of privacy, custom cedar panels were installed to the "Classic Cedar Pergola." From a distance it appears as a fence and the site line to the backyard is interrupted. The clay paver path zig-zags through the pergola establishing a smooth pedestrian flow. Privacy is established. The side yard is no longer a barren wasteland. The overall feeling of space is increased.

The design concept and project were created by Sr. Landscape Designer Glenn! Switzer. Glenn! is a member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. Landscape Structures: Arbors and Pergolas by Switzer's http://www.switzersnursery.com/what-we-do/la...

section of our house, the traffice can be reirected by using the deck(on the right/behind the wood fence) I usually throw down mulch(every year) and it is always gone by the next spring. We have major maple tress that throw down the red things and helicopters not to mention the leaves, this is why the mulch never stays. The area behind the garage faces my neighbors back yard and I wouuld love to have it not be an eye sore for them. The dirt is very hard and the maple trees have roots that love to come to the top of the soil. HELP! What do you think would be a great fix for this area.