***Update**** The response to this post has been overwhelming, thank you all! I had no idea that this would be viewed and shared so many times when I originally posted it; my husband and I now like to lovingly refer to our patio as "the most controversial backyard on the internet" :-) If you're seeing this for the first time, you can skip over this part and come back later!
It's been nearly a year since we redid our back patio space, so I thought everyone might like to see an update on how it looks after going through the seasons, and I'll answer a few of the burning questions I keep seeing in the comments section.
- This picture is with literally almost no maintenance over the past year (besides the new plants I just added last week!) When I said we wanted something more manageable and functional, I wasn't kidding...and this totally fit the bill. You can see we never got around to adding more rocks, so some of the pavers are still a bit high (though we are planning to this weekend, I wanted to show a true "1 year later" picture beforehand).
- We do have a concrete patio around the same size that borders this area, which is where we have our table and chairs, and this "makeover" has really made our backyard a lot more serene and low maintenance (which was the ultimate goal)!
- For those who are gravely concerned about the height of the pavers, I'm happy to report that it is incident free; no one has tripped or sprained any ankles this year :-)
- The weeds have been virtually non-existent. The preemptive weedkiller, landscape fabric, sand/mulch, and rock combo has staved them off for one year at least and held up well. There have been a few tiny ones that started to sprout up around the border (in the area with white rocks where we didn't lay the landscape fabric) and thanks to some helpful tips from commenters here, they were easily taken care of with some vinegar and hot water.
- Lots of people have also asked about Snickers the mini-aussie and I'm also happy to report, she still loves the space! She enjoys lounging on the concrete patio and looking at the plants. Not to worry, she still has plenty of space to "do her business" just on the other side of the fence where there is a large grassy area to play!
- We may end up reorganizing the pavers and adding a few more rows this summer, now that we have some extra funds, but all in all it has worked out well so far. Considering our low budget last summer, this was the perfect makeover for us at the time and for anyone thinking of doing this project in your own small backyard, its very durable and can be done in one weekend!
Now back to the original post....yuck, look at that before!
Have a question about this project?
Hi, I think you did a great job, and it looks great. I have been on a budget most of my life, as many naysayers have, and I fully understand. Working with what you have brings out the creativity. My question is about your doggie, Snickers. Do the mini-Aussies have a naturally docked, or short tail!? That part of the picture was "cut off", and weak as it was, the pun was intended. R.C.
Why did you put mulch down under the rock?
It balances the stones from being unlevel
Your area you created is real neat and pretty. Now......do you just look at the beauty? I mean......what are you going to put out on that kind of patio........chairs and a table? I can't understand why you didn't put all the paver's together and make use of it??
Just curious?