It seems like we having been working on the backyard renovation for years and truth be told, that is not much of an exaggeration. My husband likes to do as much of any job as he can and this outdoor redo is no exception.
I wish I had taken some before pictures but our backyard area was a typical suburban lot with a small lawn, a pretty fish pond and a few very large trees. When it became necessary for us to remove the trees a few years ago due to some power line issues, the whole micro climate of the backyard changed drastically. The pond was overtaken by algae, the grass developed a fungus and our once shady lot became a full sun wasteland.
We knew major changes would be required in order to restore the backyard to a place we wanted to hang out and entertain so my husband set about planting a row of fast growing fern trees along the perimeter fence, removed the diseased sod, installed a beautiful fountain and added brick planters and gravel pathways.
Needless to say the perennial bed is thriving in full sun and is exploding with flowers like roses, gerbera daisies, larkspur, salvia, cosmos and zinnias just begging to be cut and brought inside.
We are into year three of the project and I would say he has it 90% completed. What a good feeling it is to see it come together. He has worked so hard on it, giving up his precious weekends and enduring many sore muscles and back pain along the way. I have to admit there were times I was not sure of his vision but I think it's come together beautifully.
I am so proud of his determination and tenacity. I think I would have thrown in the towel (or trowel, in this case) long ago but he mustered on and now it just about entertainment ready. In fact, we will be having our girls and their families over for a post 4th of July celebration in a couple of weeks and I cannot wait.
Will you be entertaining out back this 4th of July or dodging the heat indoors? I'm still deciding on a side dish or two to go with our barbecued burgers and hot dogs. Leave me your favorite side in the comments. I'm always up for trying something new.
Have a wonderful holiday my American friends and a lovely weekend to the rest of you.
xo, Patty
If you'd like to see the full backyard renovation, I've linked the full tour from my YouTube channel below.
Shop my favorite gardening tools and supplies here.
I wish I had taken some before pictures but our backyard area was a typical suburban lot with a small lawn, a pretty fish pond and a few very large trees. When it became necessary for us to remove the trees a few years ago due to some power line issues, the whole micro climate of the backyard changed drastically. The pond was overtaken by algae, the grass developed a fungus and our once shady lot became a full sun wasteland.
We knew major changes would be required in order to restore the backyard to a place we wanted to hang out and entertain so my husband set about planting a row of fast growing fern trees along the perimeter fence, removed the diseased sod, installed a beautiful fountain and added brick planters and gravel pathways.
Needless to say the perennial bed is thriving in full sun and is exploding with flowers like roses, gerbera daisies, larkspur, salvia, cosmos and zinnias just begging to be cut and brought inside.
We are into year three of the project and I would say he has it 90% completed. What a good feeling it is to see it come together. He has worked so hard on it, giving up his precious weekends and enduring many sore muscles and back pain along the way. I have to admit there were times I was not sure of his vision but I think it's come together beautifully.
I am so proud of his determination and tenacity. I think I would have thrown in the towel (or trowel, in this case) long ago but he mustered on and now it just about entertainment ready. In fact, we will be having our girls and their families over for a post 4th of July celebration in a couple of weeks and I cannot wait.
Will you be entertaining out back this 4th of July or dodging the heat indoors? I'm still deciding on a side dish or two to go with our barbecued burgers and hot dogs. Leave me your favorite side in the comments. I'm always up for trying something new.
Have a wonderful holiday my American friends and a lovely weekend to the rest of you.
xo, Patty
If you'd like to see the full backyard renovation, I've linked the full tour from my YouTube channel below.
Shop my favorite gardening tools and supplies here.
I love all the pretty and oh so hard to resist seasonal things that show up (three months ahead of time) in Hobby Lobby, the dollar spot at Target and The Dollar Store but I find as the years go by there is only so much holiday decor I can display and store.
So what's a seasonal decorating girl supposed to do? Here are my top five suggestions for keeping your holiday decor festive yet simple.
1. LIMIT WHERE YOU DECORATE - I limit where I add seasonal decor to just a couple of key areas like our large white dining room hutch, the kitchen table centerpiece and a tray arrangement on the buffet.
2. FOR EVERYTHING I PURCHASE I HAVE TO ELIMINATE ONE THING - This one is hard and fast. If something comes in...something else goes out.
3. ONLY ONE STORAGE TOTE PER HOLIDAY - With the exception of Christmas and Thanksgiving, I allow myself to store only what fits in one plastic tote per holiday. I will admit that some holidays have a larger tote than others but if the lid doesn't close, I need to purge.
4. TUCK DECORATIONS INTO EXISTING DISPLAYS - I don't remove everything from our hutch or buffet display when I add my seasonal decor. I find that adding key items like a flag for 4th of July, can give the whole arrangement a festive look.
5. THINK AHEAD ONE SEASON - I always think to what season will follow and use items that will transition into the next. For summer I love sunflowers and fresh fruit so I used them in my Patriotic displays so that when I remove the stars and stripes the areas will simply need to be filled in and not totally changed out.
By sticking to these simple rules I can happily change a few things out for whatever season comes next without breaking the bank or disrupting the entire household with totes and knick knacks out of place for days on end. I save that torture for Thanksgiving and Christmas, at which time the rules go right out the window.
I hope you found this helpful. If you did, let me know in the comments, pin this on pinterest or share it on facebook.
xo, Patty
Here's the link to my Patriotic Dining Room Tour on YouTube. I'd love to have you go over and subscribe and give me a quick hello!
So what's a seasonal decorating girl supposed to do? Here are my top five suggestions for keeping your holiday decor festive yet simple.
1. LIMIT WHERE YOU DECORATE - I limit where I add seasonal decor to just a couple of key areas like our large white dining room hutch, the kitchen table centerpiece and a tray arrangement on the buffet.
2. FOR EVERYTHING I PURCHASE I HAVE TO ELIMINATE ONE THING - This one is hard and fast. If something comes in...something else goes out.
(The star garland is available in my etsy shop.) |
3. ONLY ONE STORAGE TOTE PER HOLIDAY - With the exception of Christmas and Thanksgiving, I allow myself to store only what fits in one plastic tote per holiday. I will admit that some holidays have a larger tote than others but if the lid doesn't close, I need to purge.
4. TUCK DECORATIONS INTO EXISTING DISPLAYS - I don't remove everything from our hutch or buffet display when I add my seasonal decor. I find that adding key items like a flag for 4th of July, can give the whole arrangement a festive look.
5. THINK AHEAD ONE SEASON - I always think to what season will follow and use items that will transition into the next. For summer I love sunflowers and fresh fruit so I used them in my Patriotic displays so that when I remove the stars and stripes the areas will simply need to be filled in and not totally changed out.
By sticking to these simple rules I can happily change a few things out for whatever season comes next without breaking the bank or disrupting the entire household with totes and knick knacks out of place for days on end. I save that torture for Thanksgiving and Christmas, at which time the rules go right out the window.
I hope you found this helpful. If you did, let me know in the comments, pin this on pinterest or share it on facebook.
xo, Patty
Here's the link to my Patriotic Dining Room Tour on YouTube. I'd love to have you go over and subscribe and give me a quick hello!
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