Our Outdoor Paradise
We bought our house as a spec home in December 2007. The great part about a new home is that its new. The downside is there is NO landscaping to start with. This has its perks, because you get to decide what you want, but it also takes a lot of time and money to get it to look good. So, the Spring after we moved into our house, we got to work implementing a landscaping plan to make the outdoors suit us.
The deck was built with the house, but we knew we needed more space, so we had the patio added. We also began planting trees. This was phase one for the first Spring.
Then, the following Spring we added the seat wall with the landscape lights. I should note, that for the trees and the patio building, we used a professional landscaper. After the wall was in, we began to add more plants and shrubbery around the patio. Bob and I did all of the additional planting. This view also shows what our old patio set looks like before we lost it in a crazy storm in 2012.
Now, with our new patio set and a few more years of growth, the patio and landscape looks a bit different.
It’s amazing to compare the pictures and see what changes over the five years since we moved in.
We bought the chairs and loveseat for the deck the first Summer. It has held up well. We just use the chair covers to keep it protected from the weather. I’ve added side tables and the additional seat/foot stool for some extra comfort. Sitting on the deck is especially nice because we are protected on both sides with the house. It’s a nice retreat on many days.
When we went to find a new patio set last Fall, we decided it would be nice to get an oval shape so that we could increase the seating from 4-6 at the table. We were able to find the set on clearance at Sears. Unfortunately, there was not an umbrella with the set, so I found that one at Target this Spring. I made the pillows for the chairs on the end - check out the details on my blog. These pictures are from the afternoon, and you can see the house begins to shade the deck and patio.
The trees in the distance started out pretty short too, about 6 feet when we planted them. When we first moved in, there were no houses in our view either.
I like the oval table, because I can finally add some decorative accents in the middle. With the round table, there was never room. We also went with no glass this time, we didn’t want to risk the shattered mess that we had after the storm.
And, now some plant and flower pictures because everything is so green and lush right now. Plus, it is a limited window that my little lilac bush is in bloom.
I added the rocks into the landscaping this year around each of the rain spouts and drains. It is working quite well to prevent all the mulch from washing away. The one pictured is a pop-up drain from running the spouting underneath the patio.
I tried different annuals in my flower pots this year. I can’t wait to see how they grow.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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2 of 23 comments
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You did a wonderful job! We are building a new home and you have given me many idea's! On the inside upper corners of your house, what are those round black things set up just below the gutters?
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Elizabeth, those are our outdoor speakers.
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