Homeowner Shares 3-Year Backyard Transformation Proving Hard Work Pays Off

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Although some people buy a home that already has their dream backyard, for others, it's merely a blank slate. If you plan on doing the transformation yourself, it can be a long process. However, the rewards of all your labor can be well worth the effort. One homeowner proved this when she shared a video featuring her stunning before and after backyard makeover, which took three years to complete. It caught the internet's attention and has inspired others to roll up their sleeves, too.

Leah Schaughency from Pennsylvania (@leahschaughency) showed just how plain her yard was prior to starting the lengthy project. It consisted of grass and a minimal amount of trees and plants. Since Leah has a green thumb instead of a magic wand, she brought it to life little by little through hard work and patience. She cut back an overgrown bush and updated the perimeter of the yard with a swirly flower bed that went all around. There was then a great deal of planting. The giant bed was slowly filled with a wide variety of plants and flowers, which, of course, started out small.

Leah understood the work that goes into creating the backyard of your dreams. When creating a garden, it's important to spend lots of time caring for it — including watering, fertilizing, deadheading, and weeding. You can use tall-growing plants and flowers to really transform it, but always doublecheck they're varieties that will thrive in your area. It's obvious Leah gave her yard an abundance of TLC based on the results of the makeover.

What started out as an ordinary yard became one fit for a storybook. All of the flowers and plants grew beautifully big after three years of care. While this homeowner intertwined many different kinds of flowers, it's also possible to select ones based on a color scheme or specific style. A line of stepping stones received an upgrade with a layer of mulch around them, which allowed greenery and flowers to grow around them. Instead of using simple square pavers like Leah, you could also consider taking it up a notch with a set of whimsical garden stepping stones with organic shapes or a variety of materials.

Another major addition in the yard is a white shed with windows, perfect for storage and tons of gardening tools. A fresh coat of paint or a set of shutters can dress up a shed you already have. There are other details as well, such as a lovely feeding station for the birds that help pollinate her garden. She also placed bamboo torches around the yard and hung string lights on the fence to elevate the ambiance at night. Solar lights are another excellent option for lighting, since their main power comes from the sun. You could even incorporate magical-looking options, like these Color Changing Solar Path Lights.

Leah's hard work clearly paid off with how gorgeous her backyard turned out. Unsurprisingly, the internet noticed. One TikTok user commented, "You have transformed your yard into an oasis and I hope you are proud of yourself. Beautifully done." Another wrote, "Thank you for the inspiration! I'm getting ready to start my next big project!!" Perhaps it'll inspire you to create your own dream yard, too.