We love before and afters, and Amy Kirschbaum's has made us speechless.
"Hi! I wanted to share my garden adventure with you. I moved to San Diego a little over a year ago. I am a garden-lover. My mother has been a huge inspiration and help to me as I have tried to turn this sad spot into a tranquil, beautiful place to enjoy a cup of tea. My eight-year-old daughter has a little fairy garden in here and my six-year-old son has a small construction zone near the fountain. It has proven to be a wonderful place to sit and relax and play. It also has perfumed our entire house. The jasmine is in full bloom right now and the smell is delightfully sweet."
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Comments
Amy: I am having a hard time believing this is the same courtyard. I kept flipping back and forth between the pictures. Well done. You transformed a fairly uninteresting paver courtyard with inadequate garden space, to an exciting location with great plantings and a beautiful flagstone pathway. Your space is so inviting. The plants accent and soften the walls of your home. Fabulous.
Thanks Kevin. This is indeed the same courtyard but I realized I should've taken a photo from the same view as the before. I just snapped a quick one below...
Love how this view frames the vertical window in the distance.
Thanks for the extra picture as "proof". Amazing job!
Lovely . . . the lavender and roses look so pretty together!
Hi Amy, you have transformed your stark courtyard into a lovely, relaxing and colourful place of great enjoyment for your family. A fantastic achievement of which you should be very proud. Congratulations.
Great j ob! Big changement! Congratulations
Color, color, Color everywhere, And every drop to drink in...... The ? Navaho rug sings a song too! Would love to see the children's area also. The hard scape is perfect. Did you have workers come in to give a hand or two? Can't imagine going solo on all this.... My son can, But I know I couldn't. It is charming and just beautiful!! Thx for this cup of tea.
Thanks Carol. yes! I had people help me with the hardscape. We actually made a sunken courtyard which also helped with drainage into our garage. Here is my daughter's fairy house. I must warn you though, it is a bit messy since our puppy got into it!
I am trying to figure out why someone would want that private area so stark! You have done a beautiful job in that space. I have only been to San Diego once and I was taken by the health of the roses. The lack of humidity there keeps them pristine. I am so jealous of your ability to have jasmine. I tried bringing some home from Florida but it just doesn't overwinter well. There is nothing like fragrance wafting into your house. Amy, you are a lucky lady!
This transformation is amazing, Amy. What was once a stark, uninviting, see nothing but the 4 walls space (almost had an enclosed parking lot vibe) has been turned into a charming, color and fragrance filled garden. It has pathways, beautiful plants, and interesting accents that invite lingering. Super sincerest congratulations!
Gorgeous!
You must have had a blast designing and planting your wonderful garden areas! Gosh, those roses are luscious!
Nicely done!
I've always been intrigued by the concept of an interior courtyard and you've shown how it should be done. I love the color, variety and charm of your design and can't believe it's only been a year! It is lovely
Wow, what an improvement. Hard angles and edges to soft colorful organic lines. Nicely done. Certainly a wonderful space to enjoy now.
Really lovely. I envy people with courtyard gardens. You've made yours something very special. Congrats.
This is a wonderful change. How fun it must be to have a courtyard garden! Your colors are beautiful against the white walls. Thank you for sharing!
You have created a beautiful and welcoming courtyard... it's lovely!
What a great job. The area not only looks more inviting but must be much cooler as well, with the trees, bushes, and plantings soaking up a lot of the stored and reflected heat.
That *is* a great transformation. Such an improvement. I love the plantings and the stone you've used for the paths. I am trying to figure out if the courtyard is enclosed on all four sides? I've always wanted a home with a center atrium. I've vacationed in San Diego a couple of times and I just loved it. Thanks for tracking your before and after and sharing it.
Thanks Tim. Yes! we were lucky to find a home with such a large, fully enclosed courtyard.
I may need to leave work and go home to cry, I'm so jealous! Really, it's beautiful.
thank you for posting...you gave me just the idea I needed for my garden!
Gosh Amy I wish I had your insight. I thought pavers in the before looked great however, the added planting spaces and the flagstone take it way beyond great. Your roses are stunning and I'm drooling over that lavender. I've just killed my 4th lavender in as many years. Vikki in VA
Amy, there is something so inviting about a courtyard and you've made yours a gardener's dream. My husband and I have always tried to make an area with a courtyard 'feel' in every house that we've owned but yours is a spectacular transformation and I can just imagine how much joy it brings to your family. Thanks for sharing.
Great transformation, beautification, great job!
That is surely a wonderful transformation and you included some of my favorite type of fragrant and blooming plants. It's nice to include some area for your children. I wonder if they'll remember the before when they get tall enough to want to transform the area back into a basketball court???
That's a mighty sweet spot you've got! Great vision. Hope you can enjoy it for many many years to come.
I love courtyards and your transformation of that prison like space is entrancing. Huge amount of work and the planting are just gorgeous - lots of my favorite things. now you have an oasis of beauty and scent. Perfect.
WOW! I want a courtyard! What a great transformation and vision. Applause!
What a fun project! Absolutely beautiful!
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