A summertime weekend project: our backyard
Back in May, I shared the plans for our fence and back garden update.
Scroll down for an ‘after’ view of this angle!
And a few weeks later, we finally tackled both and are SO happy with the results!
Since we split our time between our apartment and our house, we wanted to make the yard as easy as possible for us to maintain while not living there full-time. We completed one section last summer and decided to take on another this year.
Last year, with the help of Brendan’s mom and aunt, we cleaned up the main garden that surrounds the fire pit and the west side yard. This year, we decided to tackle the back portion that was overgrown with weeds. I think the previous owners had planned to do something but never got around to it. It had random bricks and wooden structures for climbing plants, but nothing cohesive. We wanted to clean it up, tie it in to the rest of the yard, and have a portion of the garden that we selected the plants for ourselves.
“Each summer, we pick away at the yard, investing in updates that not only make the year-round maintenance easier, but also make the property feel a bit more ‘us’ and a little less wild-child.”
Here are some ‘before’ photos:
For the weekend project, we bought 16 rolls of filter cloth, ordered 12 yards of pro mulch, and picked up a few plants (cordylines, ornamental grasses, hostas, and some other things that I thought would look nice.) We removed bricks, wood structures, and dead plants, rolled out the filter cloth, and got to work.
We lost track of how may wheelbarrow trips were made uphill, but I’d say it was somewhere around 80.
It was all worth it, though! It really makes the lush green surroundings stand out more, it makes the backyard feel more cohesive, and it tidied up the messy weed section of the yard (less work for us).
Here is a before and after of one view of the garden. Goodbye weeds!
Next phase:
We kept a little section at the back open for the future Asian-inspired ‘contemplation garden’. Pulling from my Chinese heritage (as well as from Japanese zen gardens), my current plan is to have a rock garden with a flagstone paver pathway, a moon gate arch, a water feature, a wood bench, and some bamboo plants. The location has one of my favourite views of our backyard, is partially shaded and secluded, and perfect for a place of contemplation.
FRONT FENCE:
The weekend after we worked on the back garden, we started on the fence along the front of the property. Our house is on a busy road, so replacing the wire mesh fence with a wood privacy fence was a nice update not only for curb appeal, but for acoustics and privacy. We decided on a horizontal shadow box fence with each panel on alternating sides of the post. This style suits our home and property, adds visual depth to the fence, and allows wind to breeze through easily. There were already fence posts in the ground, so all we had to do was install the horizontal cedar slats, rebuild the arbor, put in a new gate, and seal it. Here are a few photos to give you an idea of the change:
Before.
After!
Our property is still a work in progress, but we are so happy with the changes we’ve made and that’s what really matters, right? Yes, we want to make some updates inside the house, too, but summer weather iss perfect for outdoor projects, and a big reason we bought this little gem in the first place was for the yard so it’s just as important. :)
Hello! Catherine here.
I’m a Vancouver-based interior designer and love all things creative! I’ll be sharing things that inspire me, posting design tips and DIY projects, chatting about all kinds of topics, and hopefully inspiring some people to make little changes at home to create an environment that is functional, beautiful, and a perfect reflection of you!
