Young House Love

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Digging Up A Planting Bed To Plant More Grass

Oh man, we were busy little yard bunnies this Sunday. As in, we probably logged about four hours out there. We started while Clara napped, which ended up being three hours (woot!) and then we each switched off watching Clara while the other finished a few things up. The mission? To have more than a few tiny slivers of grass in our backyard. See how that giant weedy-looking planting bed robs the yard of some great Burger & bean-friendly running-around area? The pictures don’t do it justice, but the planting bed is at least fifteen feet wide and the giant stick-like butterfly bush is around eight or nine feet tall.

Yard Before11

You think I’m kidding, right? So here’s a shot of my 5’2″ self standing in the middle of that giant butterfly bush. Not kneeling. I’m totally standing up.

Yard Before2

Here’s the same planting bed as seen from a different POV (the other side of the yard). Although we love the butterflies that come to visit The Biggest Butterfly Bush in the World (<–not a legally substantiated claim), we thought transplanting it our best bet at reclaiming the yard.

Yard Before3

So the first step was to clip things waaaay back. This doesn’t hurt them (they die all the way back in the fall/winter anyway), but it makes digging it up a lot more manageable because you can actually see the roots without taking a stick to the eye.

Yard Before6

When we got things clipped back we actually learned it wasn’t all one big bush, it was actually a series of smaller bushes that had joined forces to create The Biggest Butterfly Bush in the World. You know, like Transformers, except in bush form. So after we made that discovery, it was pretty simple to dig them out at the roots and transplant them all in the way-back part of our yard (which is a wild & woodsy area that we’d love to make a butterfly haven).

Yard Before5

Then we had to dig out all the little weeds and roots to get the ground flush with the grass around it (so it won’t be all bumpy and raised after we seed it with grass). Oh and while we were digging, lookee what we found:

Yard Before7

It’s a giant tree root, so we think there used to be a giant tree in this insanely giant planting bed, which makes slightly more sense (a big ol’ tree might have matched the enormous bed’s proportions).

Oh and as we were digging things out, John discovered this tiny guy on his shovel (snake warning! If you’re skeeered, don’t scroll!). He was only about as big as a worm, so he wasn’t too intimidating.

Yard Before8

And see all of these border stones that once lined that planting bed’s perimeter? Picture me transporting them all from the backyard to the carport with my own brute strength (and daydreaming about Madonna arms the whole time – but so far, no dice on those). We’ve had some luck selling them for a buck a stone to some sweet neighbors of ours (apparently they’re $3 a pop at garden centers, so they’re happy to grab them for a dollar each), so that’s the plan. Here’s hoping we break even after buying grass seed with our hard-earned border-stone profits. Haha.

Yard Before12

Then we got to work trying to level the dirt, which we did with flat shovels. It looked a little something like this:

Yard Before13

After a good four hours of clipping, digging, transplanting, leveling, hauling, and raking, here’s what we were left with:

Yard Before14

A nice big swatch of space to seed with grass… just as soon as we dig out the other giant butterfly bush on the other side of that liriope-lined path (yes, were that lucky – The Biggest Butterfly Bush in the World apparently comes in pairs). Hence the “Part 1” in the title. Oh well, slowly but surely. Did we mention we also want to dig up all that crazy path-encroaching liriope? I know, that’s a whole lotta digging, but we think it’ll be as dramatic as our front yard makeover if we can actually pull it off. Remember that one?

Front B A

We worked on that on and off throughout the spring, so we’re hoping we can put in some time this fall to overhaul the back yard. It’ll certainly be a while before it’s looking as spiffy as the front, but for now we’re keeping morale up by staring at the then & now shots below and soaking up what a huge difference just removing that one planting bed has made. Woot.

Yard Then Now1

What did you guys do this weekend? Did you get dirty or meet any snakes?

Psst- John’s gearing up for his annual health-a-thon. The name? Aquatober. The game? It’s all explained over on Young House Life.

Comments

  3. Emma (Broke Ass Home) says

    Way to go guys! We are ignoring our yard until next spring. No point messing with it when it is probably going to snow in Michigan in the next 6 weeks. We got some organizing and “fluffing” done over here then took a much needed night off! We also hit 2000 page hits today and I know a lot of people pop over to our site from yours, so I wanted to say, Thanks! Love Ya!

    Reply

  6. Stephanie says

    Wow. You guys just really made me feel like a slacker. :) I spent 95% of my weekend on my couch, ignoring the rain out the window and watching bad TV. It was glorious.

    We did however get a couple open shelves put up in my kitchen. It started with me and my roommate (female) all gung-ho about it and quickly getting bored and distracted. My other roommate then decided to just do it for us. lol He got them up and they look pretty. Now I’m trying to decide what to put on them. :)

    Reply

  7. GinaM says

    Oh My Goodness!!! That little snake is too cute!!! Were you able to determine if he was poisonous? I only ask bc the the baby poisonous snakes are the most dangerous bc they don’t know how to control their venom output and he doesn’t look like your typical variety garden snake!!!! Great work on the weeds!!!

    Reply

    • Leah says

      It looks like a little brown snake, and they are not poisonous. I wouldn’t worry about it.

      I appreciate you not killing the snake! They’re really good for pest control. Since you have Clara and Burger, I do recommend searching to figure out if there are poisonous snakes in your area and how to ID them. Most snakes are pretty darn harmless.

      And if you ever want to pick one up, pick it up right behind the head. That’s the safest way, because they can’t reach around and bite you then.

  9. Bonnie says

    Hi guys, I’m a big fan of your site and usually love what you guys do, but unfortunately butterfly bushes are very invasive and planting them in a wooded area or even nearby it is one of the worst things you can do. They’re a fairly recent introduction to the us, but already they’ve started popping up where they shouldn’t be and outcompeting native species. I implore you guys to consider removing them and all other invasives because they aren’t doing our native species (both plant and animal) any favors. There are tons of natives you can plant to attract butterflies and be ecologically conscious at the same time.

    On another note, it looks pretty great already. Wide open grassy backyards are the way to go with little (human) ones and (canine) ones too :)

    Reply

    • Rachel says

      In the UK, they are called buddleja and whilst they do attract butterflies, they are also pretty much classed as weeds. They grow all over disused land and places like railway sidings. I wouldn’t bother replanting it anywhere – no doubt it self seeded in the first place and will regrow next spring regardless :)

  10. uzma says

    Goshhh….This one guy always remains in my mind while working in my garden , actually stops me to help my hubby ;), u guys r brave to continue work after having a meeting with this baby :). I would be scared of parents coming in search of their kid , lol

    Reply

  11. becca says

    I don’t usually comment but I was amused this morning….I read john’s aquatober post first, and I had already sort of committed to that like two weeks ago (one glass of soda/juice/non water a day til thanksgiving). then I read this post and we definitely were out digging up weeds and rocks in an overgrown patch of our yard this weekend too. then I saw the snake pic and we have one of those snake in our backyard too. I think its a northern brown snake. funny story: first time we found it, my sister totally fell down the hill trying to avoid it as it slithered away. they’re just insectivores though, plenty safe enough!

    Reply

  13. annie says

    Awesome work, y’all! And to answer your inquiry, I did indeed get down-n-dirty this weekend, but less so with actual dirt and more so with shellac primer, paint, and sweat in the process of painting our kitchen and the cabinets. Woo to the too! Only touch-ups left!

    Reply

  15. Carolyn says

    I got a little dirty in the garden this weekend cutting down the giant (10′) sunflowers that have fed the goldfinches all summer. But better than that was a friend helping me for 5 hrs each day to clean up, clean out, and reorganize the basement. I’ve got my mom cave back!

    Reply

  17. Bridget says

    Nice work! We were doing the same this weekend in our yard in Bellevue (Northside). One thing you all might consider is adding a rain garden. These are lowered areas that collect stormwater on your property to help prevent runoff from reaching our local waterways. Our yard isn’t big enough but yours looks like a prime candidate! We’re also considering getting a quote on re-grading our back yard. After years of mis-management by a series of previous owners the soil has created a bowl of sorts with our house in the middle. This shape causes rainwater to run TOWARDS our house and seeping into the basement! Any suggestions on doing something radical like this? We’re ready for a clean slate.

    Reply

  18. stephie2cool says

    I defintely got dirty. I traded pet sitting services with a landscape architect who gave me a planting plan. For my birthday in September I asked my parents if they would buy me the plants for the back yard and help me plant them. I had already stripped the whole back yard a month ago. Yesterday we planted 3 hydrangeas, 5 hostas, 5 day lillies, and 5 painted ferns. The week before we planted 6 encore azaleas, 3 gerdenias, and 3 camellias. Is it sad that all I ask for when wanting presents is some sort of help around the house?

    Reply

  19. Allyn says

    Please don’t get Madonna arms. They’re so scary.
    We found a giant terrifying flesh eating (I’m convinced it wanted to eat me) spider on my car yesterday. Thank goodness my husband is all man and killed him for me. Otherwise, he would have been driving me to work this morning. There’s no way I would have gone near my car otherwise.

    Reply

  20. Chelsea @ Riding Escalators says

    Nice! It was such a perfect weekend to be outdoors, wasn’t it?! I spent all of Sunday stripping our front door in the driveway of 30 layers of paint from the previous owners… goodbye drab white door – hellllllo… awkward beige and leftover bits of green, orange, and blue. {{sigh}} I WILL get this painted at some point. lol

    Reply

  22. Julia says

    Unfortunately the drought has done a serious number on our backyard. Grass in the front is coming back in but I think most of the back is toast. I think we’re going to reseed in the spring, watering the seed is very time consuming (and expensive!) and we are still in a drought so no rain to help!

    Are you going to dig up the liriope?

    Reply

  23. Alivicwil says

    My fiance and I have recently moved into the house his sister bought just before she got married! I don’t think any of the tenants have done ANY gardening in the last 10 years. There’s more lawn (and weeds and burrs) in the rose-beds in the front yard than there was in the entirety of my backyard in my townhouse!

    I’ve weeded two of the beds out the front this week ( http://web.stagram.com/p/286600505022303670_36474946 ) but still have a long way to go ( http://web.stagram.com/p/287165849268997784_36474946 ).
    (NFI if you’ll be able to load those pics!)

    Reply

  25. Jamie says

    This weekend, I sealed my nightstands. It is agonizing (AGONIZING) to wait the full week for them to cure up, but it’s worth it. I tried a product similar to the Safecoat you always use (Vermont Natural Coatings?) and I can’t wait to see how it stacks up. It’s winning already against the conventional stuff in that it doesn’t stink and is low VOC.

    Reply

  26. Ellen says

    No yard work for us, it rained all weekend. Instead, we continued baby-proofing! The little dude is crawling everywhere, so it’s very much needed!

    Reply

  27. Tom M says

    I hate myself for saying this, but I think you meant Voltron, not Transformers. I will now go hide my head in geek shame.

    Reply

  28. Kate says

    I love yard progress! We spent all Spring re-landscaping our front yard, and the back and side yards are taunting me now. I’m beginning to realize that my mentality of “If I can’t do it all right now, I just won’t do anything at all” is a bit dangerous. The areas are completely taken over by ivy and other non-desireables now. Looking back there makes me kind of twitchy, haha.

    Reply

  29. LavandulaLady says

    You guys are such an inspiration to me; this makes me want to tackle our sad, neglected yard. But yesterday, I recovered the cushions on my 25 yr old rocking chair… woot! It’s not perfect, but it LOOKS ever so much better. What a great feeling to accomplish that big project.

    Reply

  30. Janette@The2Seasons says

    We worked on a to-do list, too. I made pillows, and we are in the process of converting a former television armoire that was in the bedroom at our last digs into a shoe closet for the mudroom in our new digs.

    Reply

  31. Kristen says

    I just did a little weeding this weekend. It was almost 80 degrees in Northern MN so it was a must to be outside! I am thinking about putting some landscape fabric down to prevent weeds from coming up. What is your opinion on that stuff? (off topic I know!) Oh and it have an ugly bush tree thing in our yard I have been asking the hubs to remove all summer and it is still there! This makes me motivated…maybe to call professionals?!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We’ve tried it and sometimes we’re happy with it but sometimes weeds grow right on top of it anyway (we have weeds in our stone driveway, so those suckers seem to sprout up everywhere) so we’re not sure how well it prevents that.

      xo
      s

  34. Kate says

    I loved this post! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked in the back yard and decided the project was too big to get started. I love how you guys break off little chunks and just get going on it!

    One other thing, I know they’re pretty and wildlife attractors, but butterfly bushes are considered invasive here in the Pacific Northwest. Not sure if they’re on the invasive list in Virginia but I thought I’d throw that out there before you went to the trouble of replanting the other!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks for the tip! I’m not sure about them here! Anyone know? They’re easy enough to dig out at this new smaller size if they give us trouble though…

      xo
      s

    • Lisa in Seattle says

      Your Dept. of Conservation and Recreation has a good website with a link to the list of invasive species for your area. Butterfly bush is not on it. It is often surprising that what is considered invasive in one region is not in another. *However*, it can take decades for a fast-growing colonizer such as BB to become a problem, and suddenly you’re looking at the problem we have with it in the PNW. That thing shouldn’t even be called “butterfly bush” – it is a misleading name. Sure, it has nectar, but it doesn’t provide any real benefits to offset its aggressive growth. Now there is a plant called butterfly *weed* that is actually beneficial in a butterfly garden. And speaking of which, if you do decide to make a butterfly garden, you’ll want it in a *sunny* location well protected from wind. Do some research to find out what species are seen in your area, and be sure to provide plants to act as food for caterpillars, shelter, and nectar for adults. I don’t have a warm, sunny place and have to be content with a bee garden instead.

  36. Amber says

    I know you’ve done this several times, but do you have any suggestions/tips for digging up bushes and transplanting them without killing them? I’m convinced whoever did our landscaping was blind, and the bush placement around our house makes no sense. I could use the bushes in other places, like you guys do, but I’m afraid I’d kill them all and it wouldn’t be worth the trouble. We’re in Raleigh, NC, so I feel like our climate is similar enough I might have a shot? What do you think?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We just dig around something (maybe 8? around the roots on all sides?) and just get it out and pop it into a similarly sized hole somewhere else with some compost or garden soil. It’s key not to dig the hole too deep (you want the dirt line to hit the base of the bush in exactly the same place as before) and just to water them while they get established. We don’t have a perfect record (we lose things sometimes) but it works more than it doesn’t work so it’s worth the trouble for free bushes!

      xo
      s

  38. Maureen says

    This month will be all about our exterior as well. Finally some cooler weather to work with! I have a ton of things I have been wanting to transplant, but have been really hesitant about it. Have you ever posted about your method? It seems to have worked for you, so I would rather hear it from you than look it up, not knowing whose method to trust.

    Reply

    • Tanya says

      I actually really like the liriope around the magnolia – its kind of a natural border.

      I agree it needs to be removed in the backyard to open it up though.

  40. Meaghan says

    Looking awesome! That is a ton of work! I too spent my weekend doing physical yard labor (and dreaming of Madonna arms!). My husband and I have been tearing out our patio so we spent this weekend also digging up sod and leveling dirt – as well as shoveling and leveling rock and forming the new patio. Let’s just say I was totally with Clara on the 3 hour nap yesterday! Updates are coming on our blog. We love your blog and all the inspiration. Keep it up!

    Reply

  41. Liz E. says

    I love butterfly bushes! I had (yup, past tense) a really pretty one that I decided to transplant earlier this summer. When we were having a major heat wave. Right before leaving for vacation. Needless to day the poor thing didn’t make it. I have vowed to get another one sometime and treat it with more respect!

    Reply

  42. Rebecca says

    This is when I’m glad we have a tiny little subdivision yard, but your efforts will totally be worth it in the end and then I’ll be jealous!

    Love the new picture of Clara and Burger in the header and John’s purple shirt!

    Reply

  43. Starr @ The Kiefer Cottage says

    We moved rocks and pulled up stuff last weekend, and then seeded grass last week. This past weekend we culled some furniture and added bookcases. And this week will be pulling up the tomatoes and prepping the beds for spring. My husband keeps asking when the work stops, and I keep saying “never”.

    Reply

  45. Cara D says

    I am so jealous of your huge wooded yard. Not jealous of the yard work though. I love the outdoors but do not like yard work.

    Reply

  46. Jenny says

    We recently planted grass seed in our backyard too!! We had to bring in new topsoil and fertilizer, then put peat moss on top (we were told that would help hold in the moisture). It’s worth it when you see those grass strands start to come up, but yard work is def. my least favorite part of homeownership!

    Reply

  47. Jennifer A. says

    Nice Work!!! I feel your pain on the clearing – 80% of our property was “let go” and turned itself into a shrub/weed infested forest! We are slowly making headway. but not this weekend. This weekend I delved into my Pintrest boards and did a bunch of pinned projects! only Fun stuff for me this weekend! Keep up the good work!

    Reply

  48. Sarah E. says

    Looks so much better! We transplanted our butterfly bush, too! How funny! We pruned it down to the ground then dug it up and moved it to the backyard (it was originally in the front garden bed).

    Yesterday, my fiance and I ran our first marathon! The Wineglass Marathon, from Bath to Corning in Central NY. We had a blast and we’re so happy it’s over. :)

    Reply

  49. Melissa@HomeBaked says

    I was with you in spirit! My friend came over on Saturday and we clocked four hours digging up day lilies, evil invasive purple loosestrife, and other weeds and various things. Making room for a veggie garden in the spring! (I also discovered that a couple ibuprofen at bedtime really helped with the aches and pains.)

    Reply

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