Coronavirus has had such a negative impact on so many things, I thought it would be great if something good came of it, too. My partner, Leon, and I are staying at home as much as possible. We have been talking about my plan to cover up much of the lawn with dirt and wood chips and plant it with native plants. He seemed skeptical at first. Lately, though, due to my persistence and excitement, I’ve converted him.
In my ideal world, the existing brick retaining wall that makes up what I call the Douglas Fir Bed needed to be adjusted so that the new garden could meld more seamlessly with existing plantings. That Douglas fir is a major native tree in its own right. I estimate it is seven or more feet around the trunk near the base and at least seventy feet tall. It is probably as old as this house, which is 72 years. Douglas firs are known to host 121 species of butterflies and moths! So, this tree will provide a wonderful cornerstone to my native plant garden.
Reworking the bricks surrounding the Douglas fir tree. Madrona seedling in the upper right. 
The Douglas fir is to the right of Leon, just to the right/behind the Madrona. 
About one half of the brick wall had to be removed. 
Here is the lawn desert that will turn into a native mega food web. 
Another view of the area to be transitioned. Native plantings will be about 1,000 square feet.
I imagine that the brickwork can be completed next weekend. I will order additional bricks to be delivered to complete the border. I also plan to have fifteen yards of soil delivered to transition the raised existing bed to the street-level rest of the garden. We will have wood chips delivered soon, as well.
I will always remember when this pandemic hit because there will be something beautiful that sprang from all the chaos and fear.