When we bought our house, it was in a state. The place hadn’t really been maintained in what appeared to be many years, and the backyard is where it showed the most.

This is part of our 100 Things in 2018 challenge. Make sure to click on the photos!

Here’s what it looked like back there. The landscaping is seriously overgrown, and because our hill is made out of clay, it was a squelchy mud pit 90% of the year. We did the best we could when we moved in, but we knew something more drastic had to be done.

A neighbor recommended Luong’s Landscaping, and we couldn’t be happier that she did. Here’s the end result. The “grass” is artificial turf, which will never need mowing and doesn’t get muddy (a significant amount of money went into a new drainage system), but doesn’t feel like cheap plastic either. They installed a retaining wall, which enlarged the useful area by about 6 feet, and built a pergola and fire pit so we’d get more use out of it. It truly feels like the second living room now.