We definitely wanna put a patio in where we can grill and relax, but not sure where. Also would like to make the gutter drainage underground so we don't have those things snaking out into the yard. Also would like something along the back walls. Any fun ideas?
by sadelbrid
30 Comments
Make it into a Chinese garden
Great yard! Fill along the fence with a staggered planting of evergreen type mixed with leafy trees.
I’m alwas a fan of hidden spots, and you have the room to create a little hidden grotto type space for sure.
Congrats on your first home! My wife and I bought our first home about two years ago. It’s so nice after living in noisy, tiny apartments for years!
The first thing to do is to relax and enjoy it now that you are moved in. Also, take lots of pictures of all parts of the yard. Save them somewhere and label each one with the date and time (at least whether it was morning, noon or evening – doesn’t have to be exact time) taken and location in the yard. That way, you can look back later and see all the changes. Also, by the end of your first four seasons worth of time in your new house, you’ll have a better idea of what the growing conditions are like around it.
Then, you can look at the pictures by the end of your first year and tell where the shadiest spots are, where the really sunny spots are. Where the driest and wettest spots are.
Somewhere in the papers they gave you when you bought the house, there should be a floor plan of it. If not, find an arial photo of it on Google Maps, blow that up as big as you can and print it out in black and white. That way, you can make notes on it of things you discover around the house like where the compacted soil (if any) is, which way the water drains when it rains, etc. Can also mark things in the yard that you want to keep like where certain trees are and things like that.
Once you’ve spent about a year getting to know your yard and taking notes on it, you can make some good decisions about it. In the meantime, it’s fun to experiment with some things, but don’t do anything that’s expensive or difficult or permanent until you have a better idea of what your yard is like throughout the year.
How bout a waterpark?
Awesome yard.
Great. If it was me. Don’t know how much rain you get but I would deal now with those drains and get them to the back of the yard, that lower area looks promising. Make sure everything is sloping away. That is a job.
I would put stone with those drains around the house. Its tempting to put plants right up against the house but that will invite bugs and rot. Houses are like plants…they need sun to thrive…or in this case dry out.
Don’t know where you are in your life if you have kids etc. just be careful you don’t make yourself a maintenance headache. Complicated gardens often mean lots of money or lots of your time or often both. Right now you go out and mow that lawn…done.
I would figure out how much sun you are getting. Whether you want all those trees. Be aware those trees will suck lots of nutrients from your soil.
I don’t know the yard looks nice to me. I would just clean up those downspouts, get some nice stone around the foundation with drains. Add a drain to the way back of the yard. Get a good mower, some outside furniture to sit in and enjoy your free time.
Live in it for a while. Find out where you walk, where it’s shady, how do you feel in one spot vs another…. this will help you see a picture of your own sanctuary. Id have recommendations, but I don’t have to live there. And ultimately, experiment with stuff.
I’d do a nice deck where the staircase is and then do a nice paver area where the gate is. Add some nice outdoor lighting. Maybe a pergola over the deck and then add some flowers or plants to finish off the space along with your outdoor furniture and BBQ pit. Looks like a nice huge backyard.
BBQ, picnic table , big ice bucket , dancing girls
Do something to get that water draining away from the house. You can see how it’s killing the grass and splashing the dirt up against the house. Just a sign that water is soaking around your foundation and accelerating decay.
I would purchase some inexpensive patio furniture and sit out there first for a bit and see what placement might have the best vibe and shade. instead of a patio maybe a deck that would hide the concrete lower wall.
I’m glad to see that you have a healthy lawn, some healthy trees, and the downspout extenders. I would check the grade on your lot before burying the extenders. I think your indoor house plan will dictate where you should put a patio if you plan to grill. You will want to put the patio close to your kitchen. You might even want to consider either expanding an existing door to a sliding glass door/french doors for easy access to the patio.
Frisbee golf course, that’s huge!
Making gutter drainage underground would cost s fortune if even possible . I would clean gutters and put about at least a 10′ extension on each downspout. If someone local could take a look they might have a different idea . Makes a difference seeing in person . Good luck . You are getting a lot of good advice here .
First. Clean out your gutters they are overflowing and causing splash mud on your house and could cause foundation issues. Visit the garden centers and ask what shrubs do well in shady areas are get them planted asap with some mulch around the house. A patio would make the backyard more friendly to visit.
Dude, you buried the lead! Check out that HUGE backyard. I would do EVERYTHING back there 🙂
Horseshoe or washer toss pit a concrete pad for a table and stuff barbecue area as well
When we moved into our last house, it had a deck on it. I tried having it restored, then tried a few DIY avenues, all to no avail. It was a huge sliver factory that no one used. It was hot and sunny, and we ignored it for a year or 2. I checked some old pictures of the house, and saw there was a concrete pad under the deck.
We ripped it off. Just my girls and I did it. (I’m the mom) My girls were probably 7 and 10. They helped me unscrew the rungs, and collected the screws. I used a crowbar to get off the planks. I told them this was a ‘girl only’ project. Well, as soon as we ripped off that deck, we all started congregating on the pad. It became a great space!
Fast forward. My daughter buys her first house. SHE did almost all of the upgrades and decorating. She did the painting. She installed her own ceiling fan. She painted. She installed the floor. Her motivational speech to her sister was ‘Remember when we did the Girl Only project? I can do it!’ And so she did.
Eventually my husband built a pergola over that pad. I grew grapes on it, just for the foliage. It made that deck one of our favorite spaces! People constantly asked me if the grapes were real? Yes, they were. The great thing was it was almost like the patio was covered, just with the grape leaves.
Don’t be afraid to start a project. Don’t let fear of messing up stop you from trying things with your space. You got this!
Google “my garden zone + perennial” and pick the flowers you like best!
Planting in clumps is best – 3-5 of each plant together.
Garden!
Disc golf basket
Anytime I see pictures of yards this big (they’re generally much smaller here in South Aus, and getting smaller every year), all I can ever think of is:
. If it ain’t a fruit tree, it needs to meet the 🪓
. Food forests mixed in with entertainment areas should always be the way to go
You want the patio off the kitchen, trust and believe. Too far away, and you creat a huge hassle. But if you doo add a patio, you can also consider a screened in porch off the kitchen and a patio off the porch. Or some other arrangement if the two to make it work. Best of luck. Lovely back yard!
Beautiful space to create. I agree with the other comments to take some time a few seasons, just to see how the sun hits. I would add creating a fire pit away from the house of course but not in the middle of your yard, off to one side. Something you can use year round. Great backyard for entertaining yard games, cornhole and barbecues. Congratulations!!
Oh my gosh. So much garden space. So many birdhouses. Congratulations!
Aerate and over seed get some nice think grass growing do that for couples years yard will look amazing
You need to kill that ivy on your trees!! FAST!! Cut them at the base so they die and fall off and keep killing them as they grow, they are smothering your trees and will cause them to die and potentially fall on your house.
Go get the neighborbrite app. It’s free & will blow ur mind with ideas.
I’d probably just start with putting some rocks next to the house where the mud seems to be splattering. Should dress it up a bit
Figure out how many sun hours hit each portion of your yard then check with your local nursery for native perennials and annuals. Of course take into account when the trees are full of leaves and track their shade pattern throughout the year. Maybe some river rock around the perimeter of the house. A screened patio on the left would be nice. Get a nice gazebo with a patio paver floor erected in the middle amongst all those trees for more nighttime entertaining options. Draw it all out on Sketchup.