Now the back garden is finally almost complete with just a few finishing touches to add I can finally start planning what I want to do with the side garden which has been massively neglected. When we bought the house we were told there had previously been planning permission to build a house in the side garden so there is plenty of place for us to play with and I have actually had a few ideas in mind for it for a while now, in fact most ideas have stuck for 3 years so I think it is about time we got stuck in and sorting this area out and actually using it for a change. 

One of the big changes to this area is going to be us removing the garage, this has been in a state of disrepair since we purchased the house so it has been a long time coming for it removing. Once this is gone we can extend our driveway a little bit more if we wish but I think we are also going create a little decking area that is fenced off just so we can sit and relax while the nephew plays in the garden if we wish. The driveway will be getting redone at a separate point but if for now we can just have a nice area to extend the side garden and have some seating that would be great. We could get a nice seating set that stays up here so the nephew can play and have us in close proximity without us just stood watching him hopefully this will create a nice relaxing atmosphere all round. It is just going to be nice not having to look at the awful old garage every time we step out of the house. 

The side garden is definitely in a stage of disrepair and needs a lot of work doing to it, there are concrete flags in random areas that I want to lift up and get rid of. This will just be safer and also means it will all be be grass which is perfect for what I will be using the garden for. As you all know I love my football so this area is going to be my training area with plenty of equipment for me to practice with, it will also help me when it comes to reviewing products etc for my football blog as I don't have to go to fields anymore I can just head out into the garden. To do this though I want all the garden to be grass to limit injuries and the surface will need to be leveled and either grass seed put down or be re-turfed to create a level area for me to practice and for the nephew to play. 

There are also plenty of random fence posts dotted around the garden which are all rotting so I want to rip them out, they aren't needed as we have hedges enclosing the garden however, in the future I would really love to replace the hedges with a fence to provide us with more privacy but that is still in discussion as I try to convince Liam this is a good plan seen as I really just don't like the hedge. There is also a little tree at the top of the garden that is going to be removed completely as it is just totally random. 

This garden is going to be for sports and playing really so the old brick BBQ is also going to be ripped out and who knows the bricks might end up being repurposed. The placement of the BBQ is just so random and we are never going to use it so there is definitely no point in having it, plus I don't fancy me or the nephew running into it. There are going to be no plants in this garden so I can finally get rid of the flowerbed at the side of the garage which again is going to create more space for us and just tidy it up a whole lot more as nothing is going to be overgrown and we won't have to keep cutting back the rhubarb either which I can't stand. I think it is going to surprise me with how much space we gain from having this removed alongside the garage as I think it is just going to open up the area a whole lot more. 

Once these steps have been done and the decking area has been created it is just going to be a case of giving it a good tidy up to make it look a lot nice than it is, I think once we have done all this it is really going to bring the area to life a whole lot more and is going to help me get out in the garden for working out too which will be fantastic. 

Currently I have a few toys for the nephew to go into the area and a football training aid and goal for myself but I am sure I will end up getting more football bits to add once the garden is on its way to being complete. I have also taken a liking to basketball quite a bit lately so I am hoping that I can get a basketball hoop somewhere in the garden so I can just take myself outside and shoot some hoops whenever I like, I have seen a few online I have been tempted to pick up so maybe soon I can actually get one and play whenever I like. Fingers crossed I can also add a punch bag into this garden too as again I have wanted one for a while but have had nowhere to put one, I have recently started box fit classes and I have loved the punch bag work so to add on to use at anytime would be brilliant and they aren't too expensive either.

The side garden is definitely going to be a place for sports and playing and I can see me and my nephew and possibly even Liam having hours of fun out there in the nicer weather and who knows if I like it that much I could even end up out there if it was raining. Having this side garden is going to be great as it means our back garden is going to be just for relaxing, having gatherings and just having a nice time with a few drinks which should keep it looking nicer for longer and if the side garden is just for sports it doesn't really matter if it looks worse for wear at the end of summer as it can always get better when we aren't using it as often and it wont have cost us too much in the first place.

I am really hoping that we can make a good start on this over the summer because it would be nice to actually spend some time out there for a change and I think between me and Liam we could end up getting a fair bit done. Plus it would be nice for my nephew to have a nice big space to play in whilst we have BBQ's. Lets hope before the end of summer I am showing you some progress as this space needs to reach its potential and is going to be a great space for me to work on content for my football blog too. Would you add anything to this garden?