We’ve been working away at our backyard over the past few weekends, and we are getting closer and closer to being able to enjoy the space! We’ve done so many small updates, which on their own don’t change the space that much, but overall have made a huge difference so far. Here’s a bit about what we’ve done so far.
This is a look at what our backyard looked like when we moved in. It was almost all garden, which was impossible to keep on top of, and was only really nice to look at. Just like when designing an interior, I loved the idea of space planning the yard to make different usable spaces. Last year we completed our fire pit, and painted the garden shed, and this year we are ready to finish the patio and add in some gardens.
I had always envisioned this patio to have a concrete base. I loved the look it would give, and how affordable it would be. Steve made up a wood form for the concrete pad, and we were able to have the concrete poured on a Saturday morning. That following week we had the patio cut into 4 sections, which I love because it looks like we used 4 oversized slabs. It gives the space such a clean and minimal look, which I can’t wait to contrast with some pretty plants!
Our patio furniture arrived shortly after the concrete was poured. I had been debating about what pieces to get for the space, and found I kept going back to the same set. I loved the light wood, and that it would add a warmer tone against the black metal and concrete. (Here are links to the sofa, chairs, and side table.) It took no time to set up, and it was so fun to see the patio look a little more finished! We are currently storing the cushions in our garden shed, but I’ve ordered slipcovers so once they arrive I can keep the cushions on, and no have to worry about dragging them in and out when we want to use the space. We are also planning to make a coffee table out of reclaimed beams. I’ll share updates once we finalize the details.
Two weekends ago we worked to clean up the backyard. I raked while Steve rolled the grass, and Coco and Jack picked up as many rocks as they could across the lawn. I love when they are excited to work alongside us, and when we can spend the day together working on the same thing. I keep reminding them that it is hard work now, but will be worth it once its warmer and we can enjoy the space. I think they can see my excitement with it. They often come to me with ideas of what we could change or add. I love seeing how their little minds think, and the ideas they come up with! They often get me thinking about how we can make the space better fit our family.
Today we top dressed the grass and seeded it. Last year we sodded our yard, however some of the grass thinned out quite a bit in the shady areas. We used a mix of sun and shade seed, and there is a bunch of rain scheduled for this weekend and early into next week. We are no landscape experts, but hoping that does the trick!
We still need to build the ground up a bit around the concrete slab, and then we are ready to add in some gardens. I’ve been looking at photos of gardens in my spare time, and still have not decided what to plant. I’m pretty set on doing a climbing vine on the metal structure, but apart from that I haven’t been able to finalize anything else. If you have any suggestions I would really love to hear them! Overall, I am looking for it to be fairly low maintenance and have a relaxed and casual feel. Sounds easy enough, right?
I’m really hoping I can find some plants that do well in partial shade and give a similar look to the garden above. I’ll let you know how my search goes!