Backyardigans: Part 1

Now that our front yard is looking decent, Tal and I are turning our attention to our back and side yards. They're a mess. Due to lack of maintenance over the last few years, many of our trees and bushes are dead, dying, or overgrown.

In 2000, our house was the model home in our neighborhood. Ten years later, the model home went into foreclosure...and our yard became an eyesore in our neighborhood.  When Tal and I bought our home 1.5 years ago, we were fully prepared to put in some sweat equity in exchange for the bargain sale price.
 

Over the next couple months, our primary goal is to clean up our backyard, which is going to be a big job. Tal and I need to pull weeds, dig up dead bushes, and trim any trees that are touching our house. 

We don't plan to spend much money...except to dump our landscape waste at the yard landfill each weekend:

On Saturday, Tal and I cut down the 2 evergreen bushes and 1 magnolia tree that were dead/dying in the picture below:

Tal and I are going to give them a chance to grow over the next few months and then decide if we should remove them and plant new shrubs:

Tal and I are hoping our yard will be more attractive in next 3-5 years!