Our New House: Outdoors, The Before

The front of the house really needed nothing major. Some attention to the existing shrubs and new flowers in the flagstone planter that lines the front walkway and we were good to go. And, how awesome are those Japanese Maples? We love them.


The backyard, however, was another story... What you can't see in the photos are the hundreds of beer bottle caps, cigarette butts and and ant traps that I spent forever picking up (and am still finding!) The area above had been used as a special type of garden that apparently required lots of scary rusty wire to keep everything secure. Those wine barrel planters were disintegrating and rotten, and the cinderblock shed had a leaky roof (although was otherwise in great shape).


Here you can see the patio looking into the family room. The only real item of note here is that group of white wires at the upper corner of the window--that's where the outdoor television was! Also the backdoor just to left of the window had a peephole. Because everyone needs a peephole to the backyard--especially one that is more secure than Fort Knox.


This was perhaps the most special corner of the yard... Not only a doughboy pool (which was removed before Henry ever had a chance to see it!), but a very clever deck made from rotten, termite-infested stumps with plywood on top and covered in nasty brown astroturf.


And, who doesn't love a palm tree?


And more rotten stumps?


This area here leads from one of the two driveways out front right back to the area where the hillbilly pool once stood. Eventually, this will be a shop for Josh. Since the yard is an L-shape (the house is rectangular and sits on the front left portion of the lot if you are facing it from the street), we can use this whole side for a shop/garage/access area and still have a huge section for the lawn, patio and garden. Perfect!

And, now you have seen it all in its "before" state and we can move on to the fun part and I can start showing you how we went from Point A to Point B.