May 2010

When we were looking for a house, one of our top priorities was a large, sunny backyard for growing vegetables, having barbecues, and just hanging out. We did find what we were looking for, but as we were coming from an apartment, we had no outdoor furniture – and we would need to start our own veggie garden. Then, soon after moving in the weather began to change, and it hasn’t been until recently that we’ve been able to get out there again! This weekend we really got our hands dirty (and my back sore!), but it was all worth it because I really feel we are now on our way to having a backyard we can enjoy hanging out in…

It is a nice open, sunny space with a lawn and a brick patio in the far corner. Aside from the grill, we had zero furniture out here, there was a fried patch in the middle of the lawn, and no privacy along one side of the yard. We are still far from “done” (in fact, I doubt we ever will be!) but we have been working hard and I am very pleased with what we have managed to get done so far! Let’s have a little tour…

Over here, in the sunniest corner of the yard, we built a tiny (4×4 foot) raised vegetable bed using a relatively inexpensive kit from Home Depot. Our original plan was to build four 4×4 beds, but B sensibly talked me into starting with one. I am only about five weeks away from giving birth, after all! Ha! And actually, I am amazed at what we were able to fit in such a small space: shelling peas, a hot pepper, butter lettuce, blue lake beans, radishes, carrots, oregano, cilantro, and marigolds (for natural pest control). And it looks pretty darn cute if I don’t say so myself. And remember that dead patch of lawn? Well, Benny cleverly made a little “toupee” of sod cut from where the raised bed went in, and patched up the brown bits!

And here we have a very cheap option for creating a bit of privacy: a 6 foot high, 16 foot long roll of reed fencing cost us only $24 bucks – so much less than the trellises I was originally thinking of! I think it looks a little funny now, but once we do a bit of planting along the base of the fence and the plants begin to climb up it, I think it will fit in quite nicely.

And if you come with me over here, we can relax with a glass of lemonade at my new little seating area! I love this corner because although it is very sunny in this pic, it is positioned beneath two trees so it is well-shaded throughout the afternoon – which makes it the perfect spot for reading a book or having a leisurely outdoor lunch. The furniture is the Malaro table and bench from Ikea, and I am quite smitten with them. We didn’t get the chairs because I thought they were uncomfortable, so we are still on the lookout for a few little cafe chairs to round out the set, and I haven’t finished planting the borders around the patio…but it’s a good start, don’t you think?

{images: Laura Gaskill}

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