big dreams, dark corners

In the U.K., the name Monty Don incites girlish giggles from gardeners of all ages (and gender). If you want to see how the British exalt their gardening greats to rock star status, tune in to "Big Dreams, Small Spaces" on Netflix. It's a wonderful look at the trials and triumphs of (mostly) newby gardeners as they make over otherwise uninspiring yards -- from small to microscopic -- with budgets that span from almost nothing to tens of thousands of pounds. All under the gentle guidance of Monty, and without the forced drama of North American-style DIY series.

Admittedly, most people won't find this binge-worthy, but I did. And then I set to work on the dismal, dark rear corner of our yard. I "DoOverDog-ed" it, repurposing several old objects:

And wouldn't you know it, as I worked on it, cracks of light came shining through...

Here's the before:

And here's the after:

If Monty were here, he would ask if I liked it, and then he would say that's all that really matters.