How to Create a Relaxing Garden Retreat

The yard was desolate when we moved in: neglected, weedy, with just some leggy rhododendrons, Norway maples, and a lone purple coneflower still standing. The previous owner, who'd been there for 30 years, hadn't been able to keep up the place. Not only did my husband and I need plantings to bring the yard back to life, we also needed to build in privacy from neighbors on both sides, mask traffic noise, and fence in our dog.