kathrot's Perennial garden

this garden began in september 2004, when i moved into the house – i rent the first floor apartment from a good friend who’s given me carte blanche with the landscaping. when i began the process, the backyard was full of 3 foot high perennial weeds, including the dreaded japanese knotweed. there was an old bookcase, decaying garbage, and random chair and tables completely overgrown.
i started by digging out all the weeds – what seems like several times over. i eventually cleared a small space for some perennials, and decided to smother the rest of the yard with black plastic. retrospectively i should have sheet mulched it, but i was just beginning to garden and didn’t know about it.
if you’re so inclined, you can check out the garden’s progression in this flickr set.
fast forward through a few iterations of the perennial bed i put in, and add about 50 plants, and we arrive to today!