Friday, November 29, 2013

outdoor update: backyard sod + more sprinklers


Hope y'all had a great thanksgiving! I certainly have a lot to be thankful for this year and didn't hesitate spending a good portion of the day counting the many blessings in my life. One of the blessings that made it onto my list….of course, toward the bottom? This beautiful green sod that we laid in the yard this week…

My gosh if this hasn't changed the entire mood of the backyard. From depressing dirt and trenches…

To a lush, manicured, green heaven…

I added the brick path around this side of the yard a few weeks ago (shared that before and after here). But the fresh backyard sod cuddled up against the new brick path makes my heart skip a beat. I'm slowly working my way counter-clockwise around the house until all of the ground/dirt is covered. Whether that's with grass, plants, flowers or concrete, I'm hoping to have the grounds completed in the next 1-2 months. As well as the fencing. The landscape and fencing alone will make a huge impact on this property.

Back to the new backyard sod though. I can't stop admiring it. Yes, something as simple as sod…makes me melt. It's the truth, sadly…or happily. However you choose to see it.

Anyway…more pics and details!

I chose the same sod used under the swing set. It's called Premium 90/10 600 Fescue Blue. To give you an idea of the space I was working with back here, check out my sod order…

Yes, that entire truck load belonged to me! The photo was taken with my cell phone because it arrived the moment I was driving away from the house and didn't have my real camera on hand.

Starting behind the pool, this space will eventually (in the very distant future) be the home of a fire pit. Until then, the dirt needed to be covered. So I chose sod as the answer to that problem. And under all of this backyard sod is new sprinklers as well. This property had not-a-one sprinkler to be found. Amazing that any plant survived. But alas, sprinklers are here now and lay your eyes on this beautiful grass, my friends!….



Now the kids can play in the spa and pool without also playing in the dirt or mud...


Something about the contrast of the blue water, light gray concrete pool deck and green sod…it's so soothing to me...

In addition to the sod going in back here, I created a 3 foot border between the fence and new grass…



This spring, that border will be filled with a variety of bushes, trees and flowers. I'm waiting for that portion of the landscape work until after the wood fencing goes up.

I decided to keep the redwood trees along this back fence line, so a nice rounded border (bendaboard) went in around the tree base, eventually to be filled with flowers…

And I'm picturing a beautiful tree in this corner. Perhaps something that changes color in the fall...


In the left side yard (to the left of the pool) the sod continues around to what will eventually be a side yard with a garden…




The 3 foot border continues outside the pool as well...






You can see here where the left side fence line will be placed...

Although the backyard sod project is crossed off the home to-do list, I always have a new project in the works. Now? I'm working on a plan for the front yard. An exciting plan is coming together and can't wait to see how it turns out in the coming months. Like the swing set area and backyard, this project is going to make a huge impact on this property! The front yard is enormous so here's an idea of what I'm currently working through…




There will not only be a beautiful concrete driveway going in, but also some grass to create additional ground coverage and a basketball / sports area.

Hope you guys are having fun this fall completing your own outdoor home projects! It's a beautiful time of year to get outside and make a difference in your yard. Have a great day!

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

outdoor update: deer fence


let's talk fencing for a minute.

after the first of the year, when 90% of the fences are re-done, we will talk a lot more about fencing. but for the sake of sharing the current fence status over here, i thought i'd share some images for your enjoyment.

with the exception of this fence line (along the left side of the house)….

most of the fencing on this property is falling apart. literally.

this fence that runs one full length along the back belongs to one neighbor. yet there are two different fence styles. both falling apart...


her fence meets up with a third neighbor…and that fence is equally as bad, if not worse...




the final fence, belonging to a 4th neighbor, is in "ehh" shape but the lattice along the top is falling apart and her dogs can easily fit their entire head through a few slats…

that works out nicely with the kids playing in this swing set area on the other side of her fence. not. ha! she agrees this needs to be remedied.

then there's the side gates, which we went ahead and demo'd during the pool renovation process. it was just easier for the trucks to back in and out from this side of the yard anyway. but wow, this side fence / gate was a doozy…


the back fencing will be completed the first week of january so i'll have lots of before and after pics for you guys once that happens. in the meantime, i went ahead and replaced the fence along the front property line because, well, you guessed it….it was awful too! actually, non-existent for the most part…

the front yard of this home faces a beautiful walking trail. the previous owners had this little 4' fence to define the property line...

i love seeing families and people riding bikes or walking dogs on this trail. but there needed to be some sense of security - not only keeping people off our property (which happened more than once), but additionally keeping my kids on our property. we needed a front fence, but i wanted something that didn't obstruct my view of the trail. iron fencing was a thought, but it was expensive given the length i needed out here.

the answer = deer fence!

not only is deer fence a perfect option if you're looking for a fence that doesn't obstruct a view, but it's also an inexpensive option, quick to put up and looks incredible! on monday, in a short 5 hours, the front property line went from this…

to this…

love!!!

posts, framing and a kick plate went up…


then we sprayed the stain...


then the black wire went up. we nailed it to the backside of the fence so as to not see the nails on our side. lots and lots of nails…

5 hours later, a beautiful new fence!…




there are options for color when it comes to the fence wire. i opted for black because it appears to blend better...


now we are secure in front, but you can still enjoy the view…



i love this deer fence!!!

seeing this beautiful new fence gets me excited about the remaining fences in the new year.

have a great day!