Wow Elena such a gorgeous transformation. I love how beautiful everything turned out. I love your use of evergreens for structure and I am hopping to use more of them in my next garden.

WOW!! Beautiful transformation..

That's amazing! You've designed and created your own rose paradise from an eyesore of a yard. That's testament to your dedication and vision for roses.

Cynthia

Elena, that's just spectacular!

Thank you so much, everyone! The idea was to create a framework of evergreens so that my backyard looks nice even in winter.

Wow!!! You must be a professional garden designer. Or maybe Monte Don came and designed if for you? :-)

I agree with mmmm Elena, I feel you have a great eye for design. Would you share with me your favorite types of evergreens? I am hopping to carry this formula of strong evergreen structure to my new garden

Such a beautiful oasis! I feel like my garden is very much sn evolving work inmprogress and the ”after” finish line keeps moving further away. lol!

Wow, that's quite a transformation!

So beautiful, Elena! I love the different design elements that come through with each gardening style…. Yours is a bit more structured and formal than Dianela’s but not stiff or rigid looking. You have made good use of your space and turned it into a thing of beauty.

I wish I had better photos of my “before”. The after is not quite ready to show but getting very close. We have a friend with a good drone who loves taking photos and I hope to get some good ones next spring.

Judi, thank you! I would love to see your "after" photos—even without the "before." Your space sounds truly unique.

@mmmm12COzone5, interior design is actually one of my hobbies, and I’m quite good at it. For my garden project, I hired a landscape designer who provided some conceptual ideas and sketches—but in the end, I followed my own vision, replanting and rearranging many times. Having all the plants in pots was incredibly helpful—it allowed me to move them around and experiment freely.

Daniela, here are some of my favorite evergreens with links:

• Golden Globe Arborvitae
• Dwarf Japanese Garden Juniper
• Gold Mops Falsecypress
• Pumila Norway Spruce
• Globe Blue Spruce
• Blue Pacific Juniper
• Blue Point Upright Juniper
• Hicks Upright Yew – Note: poisonous to dogs, I like it but don’t have it
• Pumilio Mugo Pine
• Dwarf Alberta Spruce
• Blue Star Juniper
• Blue Rug Juniper
• Fastigiate Japanese Plum Yew – Also toxic to dogs
• Whipcord Western Arborvitae / Red Cedar
• Anna's Magic Ball Arborvitae
• Slowmound Mugo Pine
• Gold Splash Euonymus
• Bird’s Nest Spruce
• Green Mountain Upright Boxwood

And my absolute favorite, which I have in front of my home in dwarf version:
🌿 Wells Special Hinoki Cypress

P.S. I'm also into topiary! 😊

Wow!!! Thanks for documenting and sharing.

Elena,

What a transformation! Bravo! What do you do for an encore? Your garden is a sanctuary, a refuge, a place of exaltation!

Submit those before and after photos in the right places, and people will throng you for help, making you the top professional ornamental horticulturist within a hundred miles around. Your talent needs to be shared. Your garden design concepts will bless so many homes! Think about it! 🤔

Moses.

Elena thank you for sharing. I am going to research each and every one of those evergreens. My main needs will be focused on deer resistance since that will be my main concern

Daniela, here you go!

## ✅ Deer-Resistant

### 🌲 Conifers and Evergreens:

* **Golden Globe Arborvitae** – ⚠️ *Moderately resistant*, but **deer may browse in harsh winters**

* ✅ **Dwarf Japanese Garden Juniper**

* ✅ **Gold Mops Falsecypress**

* ✅ **Pumila Norway Spruce**

* ✅ **Globe Blue Spruce**

* ✅ **Blue Pacific Juniper**

* ✅ **Blue Point Upright Juniper**

* ✅ **Pumilio Mugo Pine**

* ✅ **Dwarf Alberta Spruce**

* ✅ **Blue Star Juniper**

* ✅ **Blue Rug Juniper**

* ✅ **Slowmound Mugo Pine**

* ✅ **Bird’s Nest Spruce**

* ✅ **Green Mountain Upright Boxwood** – *Typically avoided, but young foliage may be sampled*

* ✅ **Wells Special Hinoki Cypress** – *Generally deer-resistant and rarely touched*

### 🌿 Shrubs:

* ✅ **Gold Splash Euonymus** – *Often listed as deer-resistant, though some deer may browse tender growth in spring*

## ⚠️ **Notes:**

* **Hicks Upright Yew** – 🛑 *Toxic to pets and highly attractive to deer* — **not deer-resistant**

* **Fastigiate Japanese Plum Yew** – 🛑 *Toxic to dogs, but deer-resistant*

* **Whipcord Western Arborvitae / Red Cedar** – ⚠️ *May be grazed by deer in winter when food is scarce*

* **Anna’s Magic Ball Arborvitae** – ⚠️ *Same as other arborvitae: deer will eat if hungry enough*

### 🟩 Most Reliable Deer-Resistant Choices (Top Picks):

* Junipers (all varieties listed)

* Spruces (especially blue and dwarf forms)

* Mugo pines

* Falsecypress (like Gold Mops and Hinoki)

* Plum Yew (if no dogs around)

Moses, thank you for your kind words!

Wonderful list Elena! Thank you very much.

Very impressive! I can't get over how much you were able to do in such an unpromising small yard.

Karen, we felt lucky just to have any land in this location—when you see the glass as half full, a lot can be accomplished, and we've already done quite a bit. 😊

Looking great, Magpie!

@Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b), looks great!

Elena - what an amazing transformation!! You even put in a new fence. It's a slice of heaven. :)

Magpie - lovely...especially the flagstones...who doesn't love flagstones? :)

Magpie that looks great and I love how to turned your entire fence into a place for roses and climbers. Love the flagstone walk in the grass also, I think it makes it extra relaxing and romantic.