a 'Yarden' Before & After

While we were visiting back east, we occasionally visited this blog as a sort of online photo album, to show our friends some glimpses into our California life. We realized, however, that with all those rose close-ups, the garden overviews were few, and the house seldom visible. (The photos are, of course, STRATEGIC). Anyways, I'm going to be trying to provide some larger views of the scene. Here's a view from the back deck this morning, and how it looked 5 years ago. The previous owner here was a huge vegetable gardener, and improved the soil in the back with manure every year for about 40 years. Amazing thick rich topsoil. But only there. The front is rock hard clay.
Looking to the left (below)
And (below) before: (you can use the roof in the neighbors yard in background for orientation). This is a photo from the home's sale flyer. (We cut off that railing, and made steps that go straight down off the deck.)

And the present, again (below), looking to the right, with the art studio we built. (What looks like a 'hex sign' on the building is actually a game wheel piece from off of one of our Burning Man paintings).