If you follow this blog or my YouTube channel—or if you are a fellow yard lover and HomeDabbler— you know how emotionally invested you become in your outside spaces. I’ve always thought of mine as a living work of art that I get to live inside of.

It’s intensely personal, at least to me. When we moved in to our house more than 15 years ago, there was only one tree in our front yard, a tall pine. Since then, I have planted more than 40 others, and some are now more than a decade old, just beautiful. I also have the biggest river birch I have ever seen in my back yard (clearly, I’m obsessed with trees).

I shoot my videos in my yard as much as possible, first to use as a teaching tool, but also because I just think it’s pretty.

Some of you may know that I live in Panama City, Florida. On October 10, we took a direct hit from the third-strongest hurricane in recorded history. In fact, the eye passed directly over my home.

It was scary as hell. Fortunately, my family and I are okay, at least physically. But my yard was wrecked. It’s why I haven’t posted any videos lately. My whole town has been digging out (side note: if you would like to know what it has been like here in Panama City since the storm, I was fortunate to write an article about it for the Washington Post).

Anyhow, I don’t want to bum you out. We’ll be fine. I have to admit that I’m heartbroken over my yard, though. A big chunk of my life went into it. Nevertheless, I can (and will) build it back again and this time you’ll do it with me.

Below are some before and after pics of where I shot some of my videos, for reference.

I have a pretty clean slate to work with now. So, send your video ideas my way and let’s make another living artwork together.

Kevin