A small, slightly shady backyard in mid-April 2011

The area was very low and accumulated as much as a foot of water after a rain. The perimeter was home to Buckthorn and a host to other weeds.

It is now mid-November of 2011. The owners and I transformed this yard into a dream-come-true for them.

Just the right amount of decorative and functional features, such as the beautiful shed and fence, highlight this yard.

This beautiful useful shed has a 10' by 10' footprint. The hardest part of the "shed project" was determing its location and its angle relative to the patio. By now you surely know I do not like straight lines and right angles.

This shed was created by Douglas Stralka -- a skilled craftsman.

His website can be found at:

Christina and Constantine love Toby. They always treat him, and us as well, with delightful Greek pastries and goodies. She would talk to him like he was part of her family which he eventually became.

A semi-circular limestone wall around the base of a tree is interrupted by an overturned urn. The cascade of assorted rocks gives the impression of flowing water (to the more imaginative among us).

A fountain conceived and designed by Christina stands near another one of her creations -- a decorative planted birdbath. A garden is an excellent medium for allowing folks to express their artistry and imagination.

Chris Hopp is very artistic and original. He created the mushrooms and fountain seen on the left and the birdbath planter on the right. He also made the urn and bench that Christina and Constantine are sitting on in as seen in previous photographs. His website can be found at:

To prevent the yard from flooding in the future we incorporated about 10 cubic yards of topsoil, mainly berming up the perimeter to keep the neighbors' water out of their yard and on their own property.