Ok, so a lot of people (myself included) found the original exterior tour of our yard a little hard to follow. Our first house was simple enough that we could describe the front, back and sides and call it a day—like in this older post, which even included a little sketch:
This house is much more complicated. Although both lots are roughly the same size (almost an acre), this one is less long and narrow and more fat and square-ish. It also has quirks, like a narrow alley between the original section and the addition in back (more on that later)…
There are parts of the property that don’t immediately look like they belong to us—like this slice of land on the left that seems outside the house boundary but is actually ours…
…and there are little brick paths that meander through the back and side yards, adding character and connection between spaces.
To make sense of it all (or to confuse everyone more—you decide), I sketched our lot, scanned it and colored it in with Photoshop. It’s not to the same scale as our first sketch since this property feels so much bigger. Oops.
We also made a video walkthrough that should help you follow the flow of the lot. It works well on mute if you just want visuals, but it’s also entertaining with audio thanks to some excited birds in the background.
Our backyard has changed a lot in the past few months. When we moved in, the back portion of the lot looked very brown and bare…
…but now it’s much greener and feels a lot more private thanks to trees and ornamental grasses filling in. It’s not completely screened yet, but the improvement is dramatic:
We still plan to add some fast-growing evergreen plantings in key spots to boost privacy—this house is close to neighboring homes on both sides and can even be seen from the back. That said, the new growth has already created some nice leafy screens, and it feels less exposed. There’s a lot left to do outdoors, but like with our previous home, we’re going to take our time and see how the landscape evolves. It’ll be the satisfying kind of work that leaves you dirty and pleasantly tired.
What about you—have you been working on any outdoor projects? Any dream outdoor features you hope to add someday? Personally, I’d love a deck for outdoor dining and an elaborate treehouse for our kid. Someday…