We moved into a new house a little over two years ago.  Our rear yard was construction rubble, our front garden had a lawn of sorts and was (is) mainly crab grass. 

 

We have put in several flower beds (mainly with herbs and a few bulbs), cleared the rubble, dug the back yard (tree roots from an adjacent property were a real problem) and fenced in the back yard.

 

We have had our first few bulbs appear, following a cold and snowy winter: