My MIL is a maniac

A gardening maniac that is. Plants and landscaping not so much me. Basically I haven't planted anything in my yard in 4 years. The things I have put in are long gone and Aaron keeps pulling out more and more stuff that "came" with the house so it's looking bare and/or out of control wild. We have an area in our backyard that I have tried to do something with but everything I pulled out and cut down would come back and it just looked awful. Our other problem is 99% of our front and back yard is shaded almost all day. So I had enough of it and decided to ask my mother-in-law who always has a nice, pretty yard to help. Aaron had declared he wanted to landscape the overgrown area and then include our peony bushes and flag pole which became a huge area. My MIL came over and I figured she could tell me what to keep and I dig everything else up and get the dirt tilled then, she could tell me what to buy plant wise and then come back to tell me where to put the plants. I figured it would take a month or so . . . I know me, and with the kids' interruptions and finding time, everything takes a long time. So she arrived on Monday morning at 9am. We (she) ripped out everything except about 4 or 5 plants, cut a border for the edging, laid down the garden mat, then we went shopping (and McDonald's' lunch to appease the kids who HATE the house store). We got mulch and some plants. Aaron was outvoted on the size of the garden and I am glad we didn't' do all he wanted it would have taken up more of our yard which is really small anyway. By 5:30pm, we (she) put in all the plants and all the mulch was laid. We just set the crescent brick border, Aaron will have to dig that in later. I pulled out all my forgotten garden decorations out and they now have a place in the garden. Aaron couldn't believe how great it looked and what a transformation in one day! Here's the before (well sort of, that's my MIL in the photo. She started ripping out stuff before I had a chance to get a good before photo).

And the after, 8-1/2 hours later:

I really want to thank my MIL, Patti, for all her help and she gave us the plants, mulch, and brick too! I would barely have the plants pulled out if it was left up to me. After all we lived here over 8 years and it took me that long to decide that something needed to be done! Thanks, Patti!