A Dirty Rotten Mess

Just a few weeks ago my back yard and front porch looked a fright.  I was shamed into putting work into it after I saw my neighbor pouring grass seed onto the bald spots in my lawn.  He lives in the other half of my duplex and has his own side of the yard, but mine was the more decrepit share of our property for a time. 

In the last couple weeks I treated myself to some lavender plants, daisies, coreopsis, and seeds for violas and poppies.  I also got a tiny succulent plant for my vintage planter.

I had a lot of dead plants in old flowerpots littering my back steps and I composted them, and cleaned up the pots.  I even had a couple dried up things sitting on my kitchen table, but no more. Few things bring down a room like a dead plant.

My garden box is being weeded out so it's not ready for show.  This yard is going to keep me busy as long as I have it. 

Now my porch and back garden look like healthier works in progress and not like Miss Havisham's nursery.  It's not the greatest looking but it's a real improvement.  Though a few days ago I was turning the compost and a rat zoomed out of the weeds next to the bin and into the neighbor's yard.  Should I be worried?