Backyard Makeover: How I spent my Summer - The Series
Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:27 pm
Okay, I'm not totally done yet, but had to start sharing...
I bought this house last October, and spent the Winter deciding what to do with the backyard. I am someone who likes to spend time outside in the warmer months and the 6x12 foot deck outside the patio doors just wasn't cutting it.
I have always been a deck person. Never had much use for the look of patios. I like wood. I like looking at wood, I like working with wood... you get the idea.
No matter what I came up with, I could not envision a deck on the back of this house. It really was quite bothersome. Nothing made sense in my mind, but I could not for the life of me figure out why. So, after spending waaay too much time trying to figure out a deck I would like, I started playing with the idea of a patio. Within hours I had a good working sketch of what I loved! Again, totally outside my comfort zone.
Around the beginning of May, I started digging and moving around dirt.
My Summer was doomed. (just a quick note: if someone ever suggests to you that a patio with next to no straight borders is a good idea... they are not your friend. Just sayin')
A couple of weeks later... I actually had the retaining wall up. Yes, weeks later, and I only had part of the retaining wall up.
I should pause here and say that up until May 17th of this year, I had never laid a patio stone in my life. Never! I swear.
So, it did take a while to get used to grading the dirt, tamping the gravel, hauling the sand....
But, I did have the project to this point by the end of May.
In one of the next installations, I will explain why pieces like this became part of the grand master plan of the backyard.
What started off as a quick Spring project was slowly taking on a mind of its own. What had I done?
Sorry to do this as installations, but I am hoping that by the time I finish this story, I will have actually finished the project. (putting pressure on myself so it is complete before the snow flies)
I bought this house last October, and spent the Winter deciding what to do with the backyard. I am someone who likes to spend time outside in the warmer months and the 6x12 foot deck outside the patio doors just wasn't cutting it.
I have always been a deck person. Never had much use for the look of patios. I like wood. I like looking at wood, I like working with wood... you get the idea.
No matter what I came up with, I could not envision a deck on the back of this house. It really was quite bothersome. Nothing made sense in my mind, but I could not for the life of me figure out why. So, after spending waaay too much time trying to figure out a deck I would like, I started playing with the idea of a patio. Within hours I had a good working sketch of what I loved! Again, totally outside my comfort zone.
Around the beginning of May, I started digging and moving around dirt.
My Summer was doomed. (just a quick note: if someone ever suggests to you that a patio with next to no straight borders is a good idea... they are not your friend. Just sayin')
A couple of weeks later... I actually had the retaining wall up. Yes, weeks later, and I only had part of the retaining wall up.
I should pause here and say that up until May 17th of this year, I had never laid a patio stone in my life. Never! I swear.
So, it did take a while to get used to grading the dirt, tamping the gravel, hauling the sand....
But, I did have the project to this point by the end of May.
In one of the next installations, I will explain why pieces like this became part of the grand master plan of the backyard.
What started off as a quick Spring project was slowly taking on a mind of its own. What had I done?
Sorry to do this as installations, but I am hoping that by the time I finish this story, I will have actually finished the project. (putting pressure on myself so it is complete before the snow flies)
