Making Plans to Landscape Our Future Backyard

This is the south side of the home. It overlooks a large sod field that was just behind me as I was taking the picture. As you can see, the previous homeowner (my husband’s grandfather) was very interested in birdwatching and as such, had myriad birdhouse stands around the backyard. To ward off squirrels and other unwelcome critters, he cut a piece of metal into a cone and placed it around the base of the pole so they couldn’t climb up!

There is also an old windmill in this area that we do plan to keep. I envision planting flowers around its base and turning it into a central part of our yard. I do, however, think we may move it to one of the sides so we have more room to run and play in the yard. As for the deck, the current deck is original to the home and is comprised of painted lumber. We plan to tear it down and replace it with vinyl planks that are weatherproof and designed to last a long time. After a childhood spent dodging splinters on my parents’ deck, this is one upgrade I am ready to make!

This is a view of the left side of the backyard. Here, though the grass is currently high and full of weeds, we plan to bush-hog the entire field and plant grass to make it an extension of our side property. We plan to add on to the home on this side, so much of the existing left yard will be taken over by the structure itself.

Since those will be our children’s rooms and they’ll be overlooking this field, I want to make it as special as possible for them. I’m envisioning putting in a water feature such as a fountain near the back, toward the woods and I definitely want to hang their homemade rope swing from a branch that they can see from their window.

This is a view of the home from the right side of the front yard. Though those trees look dormant right now, in the spring they will bloom into bright pink Japanese cherry blossoms that will cradle the entire home. They’re one of my favorite things about this place, and my kids love playing beneath their branches, which swing down low like a weeping willow’s.

Currently, dwarf nandinas are planted all along the front of the house. While I appreciate the fact that they’re small and don’t block the view of the front yard, I’m not sure if we’ll be keeping these here or transitioning them to another part of the property. I prefer a shrub with waxy leaves that can be trimmed into a round shape, though I’ll admit these are beautiful in the winter when they turn a fiery red!

As we prepare to make this big move, we are stepping out in faithful confidence that it’s the right direction for our family. As one of our reasons for buying this property is its great outdoor space, we look forward to transforming this yard into one that our family can live, play and grow in.