Several Fires Burning

I haven't posted in awhile, but we've been plenty busy with backyard projects.   We seem to have several projects going at once-- always something I vow not to do.  Alas, nothing is completed yet, and the backyard looks more torn up than ever.  But I do feel that we're making progress (albeit slowly).

I've been concentrating on this area in our patio. 

It was dominated by the over-sized banana tree and the ubiquitous agapanthus you seem to find in every yard around here.  I actually like agapanthus in moderation, but I've already pulled out a dozen, or so, scattered throughout the yard and there are still so many left.  It was quite a chore pulling up the incredible amount of agapanthus roots.

So we went from lushness to tada...a big mess.

I know it looks a little barren, but I'm not going to miss the banana tree, which after the first frost turns into a bunch of dead withered leaves. (Apparently you aren't supposed to cut these off until after any chance of frost has passed, so you're stuck with them.)  For half the year the tree looks hideous and the other half it attracts bees and makes a sticky mess.  We also discovered it was starting to grow underneath our siding. 

I've finished the initial clean-up and now the real fun begins. 

There's nothing more exciting than a blank expanse of quality soil.  I can't wait to get my fingers dirty.