At long last we are starting to see a lot of progress within the back garden. When we moved in over 3 years ago now it was quite simply a mess, it was overgrown with weeds and if it rained it was just one big muddy puddle it desperately needed something doing with it as you could tell it had been neglected for a long time.
The back garden is a lot bigger than it looks and is actually a sun trap for the majority of the day so working out what to do with it to make the most out of the space and get the most out of the sun was actually quite difficult however, Liam was good to me and basically gave me free reign over what could actually be done in this space and I am pretty pleased with how it is looking so far.
First up my dad came round most weekends of the late spring & summer in 2019 to build us some decking, we were originally going to get a professional in to do this but the costs were shocking so my dad volunteered and he cracked on through all weathers to get the decking in place, I was sent out for the day with my mum to keep me out of the way and Liam helped when he wasn't working. It amazed me just how big the decking space was and how much we could fit on there as I thought it would actually be a bit narrow but it is perfect and if we have people round everyone can fit onto the decking nicely. My. dad had to create a bit of a hatch to make sure the water company can access the meter and the manhole was raised but it all flows with the decking really well.
My dad also put in a fence for us to give us a bit more privacy as we only really had a small wall between us and our neighbour. I didn't want standard fence panels so he ended up building a nice fence with wood panels which alternate between thicknesses and it looks absolutely amazing going down the full length of the garden. We finally caved and got an outside tap fitted too just to make watering the plants etc much easier than us having to run in and out of the house all the time. It will also make washing the car so much easier too although it is rare we actually do that these days. My auntie and uncle very kindly bought us a corner sofa set too which is gorgeous and we had our eye on them for ages so to be treated to one was great as it has helped us get closer to completing the garden without having to spend a fortune.
The decking was done in 2019 but that was all we got done due to the weather and other reasons. We then got saving again and with the help from family in 2020 we managed to get the bottom part of the garden done and it well and truly transformed the whole area. For the bottom garden we have gone for an artificial grass just like my parents got as it means we can use it all year round if we want to plus it looks great and we don't have to worry about cutting the grass around here either so that is certainly an added bonus. We left a border around the edge which we filled with some light stone chippings which are all the way around and just brighten up the bottom area a little bit. Around the edge we also have some flame style lights from B&M which were just £10 a box and give off some great light and the flame effect is gorgeous. We also have various plant pots and ornaments around the edge which my grandad kindly made for us.
At either side of the decking steps we also have planters which some solar topiary trees in either side closest to the steps just to light them up on an evening which looks amazing. Other than that though we haven't got anything else in the planters yet as we don't know what to put in them as we aren't used to gardening. So that is basically the garden so far however, we have previously considered getting a projector as we have a big blank wall which is our neighbours garage area, at first I wasn't that bothered but now I am actually really tempted to purchase a projector as I think movie nights out there could be great but I need to run that through Liam first.
We have actually made the garden two levels now with just a small step down between them which is fantastic as it gives it two sorts of vibes I believe, the top which is the decking is for eating, drinking and socialising whereas the bottom is for whatever you like currently although it might get some seating down there soon.
There is certainly plenty we still need to do within the back garden to make it perfect for us and I am really hoping we can get it all done by the end of this summer or at least by the start of next summer so we can get the full potential out of the garden. So here is what still needs doing:
- Finish the edging on the top of the planter.
- Find something to fill the planter with (we have no clue about plants so this should be fun).
- Put the little fence topper caps on the decking posts.
- Decide if we want to stain the decking and fence and what colour if we do want to.
- Get a new dining set.
- Work out where each piece of furniture is going to live.
- Decide if we are just cleaning the shed or painting it too.
- Get some nice solar lights for the fence to add more light to the decking section.
So there you go that is what it is looking like now and the bits we want to get done as soon as possible. Let's hope that next time I am posting about the back garden it is about it being complete and exactly how we want it. I can see us spending a whole lot of time in the back garden once it is complete and I can't wait to have people around for drinks and BBQ's as I am hoping this will be the perfect space for that.
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