Pictures of the Yard

Here are pics of the (soon to be) backyard oasis of "Casa Ken Albrecht."  As you can see, it's a bit rough.  Nothing but hard-packed desert dirt with some rocks mixed in.  My yard actually has quite a lot of weeds - you'll noticed that many of them have been chopped down.  This is because just prior to starting this blog, I purchased a weedeater (more to follow about the weedeater) and wacked them all down. 

Since I want to turn my yard into an oasis, complete with shade trees, fruit trees, citrus shrubs/trees, raised vegetable gardens and a potted herb collection, I don't want to turn my yard into a toxic environment.  I plan on organically growing my veggies/fruits/citrus/herbs, so I'm researching ways to kill weeds without harming the environment and without creating a harmful backyard environment.

I'm finding highly-concentrated vinegar - does anybody have any suggestions?

This is the view facing south.  The patch of land the grill is on is going to become flagstone, extending from the wall (the one you're looking at) to the edge of the patio (where the pillar is), and from the edge of the patio to the west side (your right) of the house.

This is the view to the east.  You can see the ladder for neighbors pool.  In the corner of the yard (your left) is where I plan on having citrus shrubs, along that wall between me and my neighbor.  Then, two raised vegetable gardens, about 4' x 8' along the northern wall (the one on your left).  Then, underneath the windows you can see on my house, that's where I'll probably have my potted herb garden.

The view to the north.  I'm going to plan two fruit trees along that wall - one apple, the other I haven't decided yet.  They'll also provide a bit of privacy since my neighbors to the north built a monstrous two-story house (you can see the edge of it on the left side), and some shade for the veggie garden.

This is the beautiful wash to my west.  My pictures do not do it justice.  No nosy neighbors there!