Into the Wild – A Timelapse & Photo Journey of Our Backyard Transformation (2024)

One year of change in our little patch of land.

When we first stepped into our backyard, it was clear that a lot of work had been put into it over the past 70 years by the original owners. Her flower gardens in particular, were loved by many and showed a deep care for beauty and nature. There were two large brick and stone flower beds, gravel hardscaping, and stepping stones scattered throughout. While it had its own charm, it was not quite the space we envisioned for ourselves. I will admit, I felt a heavy sense of guilt in erasing so much of her hard work. Yet, as we began to make changes, it became clear that we were building on a legacy of love for the land – a foundation to transform the space into something new. We dreamt of a backyard where nature could truly flourish – where native plants would thrive, pollinators like bees and butterflies would be drawn in, birds and other wildlife could gather, and the space could become a peaceful, vibrant sanctuary. In a way, it felt like a beautiful continuation of what she had started, with nature as the ultimate beneficiary. 

Listing photos of the backyard

Early in the process, I had the idea to film a short clip each day – a few seconds of footage to capture the gradual unfolding of our backyard transformation. Each clip would serve as a tiny snapshot of the ongoing process, a way to track how little steps each day would eventually add up to something meaningful.

Of course, things did not go exactly as planned, and I missed a fair number of days. But in the end, I gathered enough footage to stitch together the essence of this past year. And that is what this timelapse captures – the seasons of change, the hard work and messy moments. It reflects the steady rhythm of progress as it builds up over time. It is a visual journey through the little victories – each one, no matter how small, moving us closer to our vision of a peaceful, vibrant sanctuary – a true wildlife habitat where nature can thrive and find a home.

You will see the early messes and muddy footprints, new garden beds taking shape, a pond liner tucked into place, birds arriving, and the grass and clover slowly unfurling into vibrant green, only to be gently embraced by the soft faull of autumn’s foliage. There were a few pauses along the way – some caused by short-lived snowfalls and rainstorms – but even during those moments of stillness, the backyard rested, patiently awaiting the next chapter in its transformation.

This video is a reflection of that beginning – a small but significant step into the wild. It captures the early stages of our journey, but the transformation is far from over. The work ahead is far from finished – there is still landscaping, a lot more planting, and a few projects to tackle – including fixing the pond’s water loss. But each step forward brings us closer to our vision. The path ahead feels filled with promise and possibility, and we are excited to see where it takes us, one small step at a time. The timelapse will continue throughout 2025 (and beyond), as we keep planting, shaping, and refining our little sanctuary, learning, and adapting along the way. It is a journey full of lessons, and a commitment to creating a wildlife habitat – and that is what makes it all worthwhile.

🎥 Watch the timelapse below:

Thanks for watching, and for following along on this journey to turn our little patch of land into a thriving wildlife habitat.

Along with the timelapse, I have also included a few photos that highlight the “before” and “during” stages of our backyard (and front yard) transformation. These images capture the yard as we began the project, the hard work involved, and the changes that took place along the way. They remind us that progress is often a journey of both beautiful and messy moments, each one contributing to the bigger picture. 

Evergreen Tree Garden

This area was definitely overgrown when we first began. We expanded the garden using rocks salvaged from the backyard, only to realize we had far more than we knew what to do with. After strong winds destroyed many of the plants initially placed here, we decided to transform it into a rockery. Going forward, we will be planting mostly low-growing, plants in this space.

Front Yard Gardens

The front flower gardens were already in place, but they needed a bit of sprucing up. We extended the depth of the left garden and added rocks to the right to create a more balanced look. Extra soil came from the flower bed in the backyard, helping to build things up. We also transplanted some Pachysandra and ferns from the back – though the ferns didn’t take, the Pachysandra is starting to thrive. A few native plants have been added as well, and we plan to continue refining this space throughout the year.

South Sidewalk Garden

The poppies in this spot had outgrown the space, and the mulch kept spilling onto the sidewalk. We also needed to clear out some excess gravel, stones, and soil. I made some planter boxes, which hold a good amount of soil, I have planted clematis here last autumn, and will be planting another native species to fill the planter (yet to be determined). The wooden pots are temporary and will be relocated once I find a short, shade-loving plant to grow here. I may also revisit this design if we end up needing this soil elsewhere in the future.

Small South Sidewalk Garden

I do not have a “before” photo of this spot, but it originally held a few dead boxwoods and a layer of mulch. For now, I have planted some native species that were intended for our boulevard garden (I did not get to that project last year) so this space became a temporary home. Eventually, I plan to rework this garden more intentionally and make better use of the existing trellis.

Patio

I built cedar planters for the Virginia creepers and added an archway at the patio step. I cannot wait to see it all covered in green – it is going to add such a lush, inviting feel to the space. (Left photo is a listing photo)

South Fence

The area along the fence was a bit of a disaster for most of the year. It started as a narrow strip of mulch and soil laid over landscape fabric, but as we tackled other backyard projects, it quickly became the catch-all for everything we needed to move out of the way. Finally getting it cleared out and prepped felt like a small victory – and not it is almost ready to become a shade garden.

Vegetable Garden

The garden ended up being the most time-consuming project, completing it mid-June – much later than expected. While we kept the original shape for the most part, we levelled it down to the ground, and added small pathways making the space easier to navigate and maintain.

Backyard

We removed all of the gravel, square stepping stones, and landscape fabric, replacing them with round stepping stones and a mix of clover and grass to create a softer, more natural look to our backyard.

Back Yard Garden

Although I had not planned on tackling this project until later, it ended up being one of the first I completed. We had an abundance of bricks from the garden, and I was not sure what to do with them. Eventually, I decided to use them along the back of the house to contain an existing garden (after moving a pile of rocks and grading the space) I also added a layer of gravel along the drip line against the house.

North Fence

A huge shoutout to Josh for taking on this project! The photo on the left shows the process of removing the dense thimbleberries that had taken over along the side of the house (I don’t have a before photo of this space) Once those were cleared out, we fixed the grade, added gravel along the drip line, and planted a mix of clover and grass. This past autumn, we planted a few trees along the fence line, and our long-term plan is to further transform this space into a woodland shade garden.

Fire Pit

There was only one spot in our backyard that met the requirements for a firepit – it was the minimum distance from both the house and the fence, without being underneath the canopy of our maple tree. I found an abundance of shale stone and used it to create a solid base for the firepit. Around the area, we planted a mix of clover and grass, and we are considering trying to grow moss between the shale pieces on the gravel.

Hammock

This was another one of those “found and need to use it up” projects. We had a collection of large cement slabs by the back gate, garage, and alongside the house. Fortunately, there were enough in good condition to create a platform for our hammock. We also had some wood deck tiles that we had at my parents’ place, and they fit perfectly on the platform to hide the cement.

Back Gate

The back gate had a collection of cement slabs, and I was not a fan. I removed them all and replaced them with smaller round stepping stones I had found scattered throughout the yard, creating a simple path to the garage. I seeded the space with a mix of clover and grass, and plan to add some wildflowers (and possibly some moss) for a softer, more natural feel.

Wildlife Pond

The pond – both the star of the show and, at the moment – the bane of my existence. We are currently in limbo, waiting to see if and when the water level stops dropping so we can pinpoint the source of the leak and fix it before moving forward. Being stuck in the “ugly stage” of a project is never fun, but once we get it sorted, add some plant life in and around it, I know that it is going to be wonderful.

Garage

This was another empty flower bed filled with landscape fabric, mulch, and a path of cement sidewalk stones. I cleared it all out and repurposed the stepping stones that originally led from the patio into the backyard to create a small patio space alongside the garage. We plan to move our bistro table here, plant some Virginia creeper along the walls – which will make it a lovely spot to sit and watch the birds. The area near the door is for a future potting bench.

Alley

The alley side of our garage was in need of a little love too. We cleaned up the area, added fresh soil, and planted marigolds, sunflowers, and a few different wildflowers. While the wildflowers did not come up, the space still felt much brighter and more cheerful with a few blooms. We are planning to add even more this year to keep the colour and charm going.

If this post sparked an idea or made you pause to notice the beauty in your own space, I would be so grateful if you shared it with a friend, on your social media, or saved it for later. Every share helps this little patch of land inspire more backyard birders, native plant gardeners, and nature-lovers.

Thanks for reading! Until next time,
Tracey

INFORMATION

📖 More musings from the yard transformations

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