The best way to store your hose

Do you have trouble figuring out a good way to store your hose?  I'm over at Make & Takes today sharing my best DIY hose stand tip.  Come on over and check it out!

How to Build a Retaining Wall

I'm here with an update on phase 1 of our landscaping redesign.  We've been very busy at the house, and though we aren't quite finished, we've made some great progress.  To refresh your memory, here is a picture of our house before we started.

Our curb appeal was in dire need of a change and change was made indeed.  Here is a picture of the "During" picture.  This is what is looks like now.

We still need to plant some plants on the north (left side standing here) of the house, and split and transplant the hostas near the sidewalk.  We also need to paint the white portion of the door with the little window.  It is looking better already, and this is only giving us more motivation to keep going.

Now for a breakdown on how we built the retaining wall.

We first spray painted lines where we wanted the wall to go.  This helped us  visualize what it would look like before we committed to digging the small trench.  Then we followed these steps:

1. We dug a trench about 5 inches deep and 6 inches wide.  In some areas it was deeper than others as terrain changes in our yard.


2. We added about 2 inches of crushed rock for leveling.  The amount of rock we used depended on the depth of the trench.  Make sure the rock is level before placing blocks on top of it. (For a taller walls- more than 4 blocks- it will require about 4 inches of DRY sand and a cement mixture)
   

   

   
   


3. Lay the first layer of blocks- starting at the lowest point of the wall.  Make sure they are level with a torpedo level.  Some rock may need to be added or taken away.  Then add more blocks on top, staggering them on top of each other.  Add crushed rock to the back side of the wall to prevent settling.  Keep stacking the blocks as high as you want to go.  (If you are building a taller retaining wall- over 4 blocks high, a deeper trench may need to be dug, with some of the blocks buried.  On a smaller wall, your first blocks can be partially buried).

You may need partial blocks when building your wall.  To split a block, use a mallet (or hammer) and a chisel.  First score the block on all sides.  Pound the chisel on the score line on each side until it breaks.  Do this on a hard surface, like your side walk.

Building a retaining wall is not difficult, but it does take time.  I think we put in a full day (8am-10pm) with four of us working side by side.  We love the results so far and can't wait to show you the finale.

Sprucing up the Lawn

This is what we've been working on around our house recently. And I'm sore. And tired. We have started on Phase 1 & Phase 3- a little bit. We built a short retaining wall- only 3-4 blocks high in the front. And then transplanted, and replanted and planted. And picked up rock, and rock, and dirt, and dirt. Not all in that order, but it was quite the process. To keep up with the details and after pictures, stop on over to Fresh Nest. Here is a before picture:

Do you have landscaping plans to finish this year? You might want to check this out too.

Beautiful landscape rendering done by Nicole. Isn't it fabulous?

Landscaping Redesign

Remember my front door?  Well my wonderful and handy husband, Casey installed a nice glass door last night.  Even though it doesn't look quite right yet, it will get there.  On Saturday we  plan to paint the door and the left side of the door with the window black.  I think this will give a great foundation to our front door redesign.  Here is what it currently looks like.

On Saturday we are also having a palette of retaining wall blocks being delivered to our house.  We will be ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work.  Here's the plan... 

This landscape rendering was done by Nicole over at Thrift & Industry.  She is very talented and I just love her beautiful drawings (if you live in the midwest or Portland area she could probably help you out too).  I told her that I needed a simple, easy to maintain yard and she gave me a plan for just that.  We spend a lot of time outside, but prefer to spend it chatting with the neighbors, blowing bubbles, and dipping our feet in the kiddie pool with our wee one.

We plan on doing our landscape design in 3 phases.  I don't have a natural green thumb so this will prevent burnout, and also make it easier on the pocket book. 

We are starting phase 1 on Saturday and will be building a 3 block high edging out front that will wrap around the side and taper off.  I'm pretty sure that will take most of the day so that's all we are shooting for.  {It's also about 104 degrees here with the heat index so we don't want to over do it.} Soon after we build the edging, we will be filling with dirt and planting new plants. 

I will be keeping you updated on the process and doing tutorials along the way.  It's going to be an exciting ride so hold on to your jockeys.

Monday Redesign-Corey, Kris and their Backyard

So this week we've got an outdoor space that needs a makeover!  Corey and Kris need a little help with their backyard:

Here's their answers to my design questions for them:

What are your favorite design store/home décor stores?  They can be brick and mortar stores or online stores.

Lowe's, Hobby Lobby, Target, Sam's

What 3 words would you use to describe yourself?

laid back, simple, organized

What is the most important thing you’d like done with the space?

Create a more inviting backyard.

What are two of your favorite colors?

Tan, Green/Neutral Colors

What are two of your least favorite colors?


Orange, Blue

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

Flowers/Plants: Bright colors-Yellow, Reds, Purples
We would like to keep patio furniture-it is very similar if not the same as the set pictured here.


What are the overall dimensions of your patio space?

Approximately 23' wide and 8' deep.

Ready for their inspiration board?

1. Great fabric that easy pillows can be sew with. I like this pattern because it is classy without screaming "I'm an outdoor fabric!"  Also, with just one yard you can make enough pillows to accent the chairs!  Standard decorator fabric is between 54'-60" wide.  So one yard of this fabric gives you a piece that's 54" wide by 36" long.

2. Rustic wood shelves-Make these yourself with some reclaimed wood planks.  Just add brackets and you've got a shelf!  Add them to either side of the large window for a little symmetrical balance.

3. Potted plants/herbs for shelves. Neutral with the green would be great to bring a little color to the space.  Add these to your rustic wood shelves.


4. Metal art above rustic wood shelves.

5. Outdoor furniture that you've already got.

6. Large mat to create a welcoming atmosphere.

As far as the landscaping is concerned,  I would most definitely add some curves around your patio area!   This will also extend your patio and make it feel wider than 8'.  By adding to the outside instead of putting planters around the edge you have preserved the narrow patio space for your lovely patio furniture and leave plenty of room for entertaining.

This will soften up all the right angles everywhere.   Use a mixture of evergreen and decidious plants.  That way you'll have greenery year round.  See your local landscape/nursery store for plants that will work well for your planting zone and area of the country!

Thanks for letting me design your backyard space!