Cheaper than Therapy

Lynn in Hudsonville, MI

What once started out as just a plain yard has, over the last 12 years, become a hobby for my husband and myself. The goal each year is to have less grass to mow. Maybe we will get there some day.

Back Yard Deck Fence Flower Close-ups Garden Hardscape Large (5,000 - 10,000 sq ft.) Lawn Medium (1,000 - 5,000 sq ft.) Patio Pond Side Yard Small (Under 1,000 sq ft.) Stone / Rock Water Garden Water-Wise

1 of 30: Leopard frog in late spring

2 of 30: Larger pond in back yard

3 of 30: Clematis by the side of the house

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7 of 30: New bat house placed this summer ('10) on chimney. Hope to see bats use it next summer.

8 of 30: Antique bottles I bought at an antique show. Wrapped wire around the neck and then tied rafia around it.

9 of 30: Come spring, the chickadees are the first to nest in the bird houses. Later come the wrens.

10 of 30: Wrens like the condos.

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12 of 30: Flea market find. Stapled landscape fabric to the bottom and plugged in chicks and hens.

13 of 30: View of the back of the house. Pergola covered with Concord grape vines.

14 of 30: Thus the butterfly in butterfly bush.

15 of 30: Fenced in garden area to keep the rabbits out.

16 of 30: I harvested potatoes for the first time from my small garden.

17 of 30: Deck area

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19 of 30: This variety of Black-eyed Susan (?) self seeded itself in my yard. It seems to be more resistant to Japanese beetles. I love the way it grows in different spots in the yard every year.

20 of 30: Side entrance filling in nicely with perennials.

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25 of 30: My husband made rain barrels and placed them around the corners of the house. Watering the plants is no longer a chore.

26 of 30: All the rain barrels are covered with a fine nylon screen to keep mosquito problems down.

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30 of 30: East back corner of the yard

Comments / Questions

Did you make your birdhouses?

I love frogs! Check out my pond and frogs!

Hey Lynn awesome Love your frog and the bridge the fish great job. Enter the contest so I can vote for you.

Beautiful ponds. I especially like the stonework margins.

Yours is another garden that should be higher up on the inspiration list! You definitely have my vote. (I'm beginning to think people who are voting are not doing it based on merit -- I'm seeing too many votes going to yards not nearly as lovely as yours.)

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