Y A R D
the before and after below show the dramatic difference from an overgrown hill of weeds, to a three tiered resort style backyard, with lower patio, lawn, bocce court, boathouse and cabana and this last year we added a softub that has been used all year long. see more afters, and then before and during below.
see the before pictures below. when we moved in the yard was a hill of untamed weeds (with some surprise piles of hidden cement underneath), as the house had sat empty for 14 years! boathouses are no longer able to be built on our lake, so we were lucky to have one grandfathered in with the property. after a few months of living and considering what to do, we began the process to get our yard summer and resort ready.
getting machinery in was a challenge, but some small equipment was able to fit. the main effort was to terrace the yard, since a five foot drop requires a fence, we opted for two under five feet drops so the fence could be later removed if desired (it has been great for small children as we have rules not to go below it without adults present.) the second terrace became a bocce or cornhole court that has gotten plenty of use all year long. playing bocce under the lights with music and boats is always a welcomed night spent in the yard.
when getting bids, so many ugly retaining walls were proposed. the most critical decision was the stone, and the finished product turned out gorgeous, the rest was topped off with a decomposed granite, giving us a beach feeling but still providing the drainage needed in the pacific northwest.
for our low voltage yard lighting, i really wanted a lantern style light that would come on every night on a timer. i could not find anything like this, so i made my own, i had low voltage wires run under the gravel, then purchased lanterns at target, drilled holes in the bottom, wired in some lights, and then took apart some plastic candles, and put the plastic cover over the top. i love the look that was created and the serve as just the yard lighting i wanted. ceramic pots hold a winter hearty blueberry and greenery.
the cabana and softub were added at later stages, so some photos include them and some don’t. see more about the cabana.
our downstairs patio has been the home to countless summer meals and lounging when shade is needed. when we first moved in, the fence was breaking down, grass was full of crab grass, and the wood was in need of a little freshening up. After painting the house, re-doing the yard, and getting in new fencing, we finally painted the under decking wood black during covid - (when house projects were getting done left and right) and what a difference it made! the bbq area was made by creating a cement board surround, using a leftover cabinet we had from indoors and lifting itoff the ground to prevent too much damage, and replacing the top with a granite.
rug,
once our new fencing was put in on the east side of the house, the stone retaining wall started to look out of place. since my desire to cover it was purely aesthetic, my husband said, no way jose - do it yourself! so i dug the holes, poured the cement, and built the fence by myself and my sweet friend who volunteered to help me on one of our hottest summer days, but covering the wall made me happy and provides a sort of railing for people walking the gravel. later we added a row of stone below to stop the gravel from spilling into the yard. this area of the yard is where our septic tanks are located, so nothing permanent can be put in this area, it houses a kids play area.
