14 years ago

Please, Please help!!! We purchased a little fixer upper-I see lots of potential in my yard-but needs a lot of work. I would like a PRIVATE place to relax, unwind and be able to invite family and friends. What can I do or where to I start with this yard!!?????

Featured Answer

Christine W

14 years ago

What fun! I love projects like this. First off. Budget. What do you have to spend? Are you doing it in one shot or as you go. What state to do you live in because that will help you decide on some landscaping choices. Some bullets.

-Get rid of the Washingtonian Palm
-If those green corrugated panels are yours tear them down
-Clean out the yard of all the toys and stuff.
-Consider painting the brick wall or attaching trellises over most of it and plant a fast growing vine that will fill in and hide the brick. Or go vertical garden (see photo)
-Leave the area over the concrete pad bare of the trellis and go find a nice, large wrought iron, Copper or mexican pottery to hang there. (Home Goods sells great cheap outdoor art) or even a fountain.
-consider making the concret pad your outdoor kitchen. You can put/build a grill and a simple countertop with bar stool height chairs so you can cook and some guests sit out there with you.
-Create a simple Pergola for that area or just add large umbrella's to protect from the sun.

Options for where the dining table is
Along the redwood fence create a shade loving garden
Paint the underside of the patio a bright white or yellow
Hang more festive small lanterns in various colors
Buy a few large colorful pots and place plantings in them
If you can swing it you can add a large colorful outdoor rug for under the table to spice up the outdoor
I am not sure what the fence to the street is. Is it your driveway or just a barrier fence between you and the rest of the community. I would either plant large evergreens in pots to hide that view or if you can swing it and it ok with the community you live in, replace the fence or add a second fence for privacy. If you add the second fence you can run electric lights for that part of the yard and place lawn chairs out there. OR YOU CAN PUT UP THE SECOND FENCE AND PUT THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN ALONG IT.

I like grass but yours needs care. If you can get in to taking ca

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Comments (11)

Rebecca
14 years ago
On your patio ceiling I was thinking once you had this part covered using tin ceiling tiles? That may look kind of cool. I would put a small fountain underneath your kitchen window there and find a trailing flowery type of plant to go along your fence to the right. Bougunville, or trumpet vine. Or you could put planter boxes along the fence. (grow veggies). You could re paint your concrete patio. They have different concret colors now days. Is that a step there going down onto patio? That may look cute with a mexican type of tile if your into that? Along the sides. maybe some nice smelling tree plants on the corners of your patio. Such as: Lavender, Jasmine, Roses, Honeysuckle. Very strong nice smells. In reply to your top picture above this one: I use to have Palm trees in my yard and they are messy! Piegons enjoy palm trees. If I were you I would either relocate the tree, or have a landscape developer come buy it from you. Maybe I would buy a prettier tree that blooms in spring and put it in front of that telephone pole you have in corner of home. I would clear out all that space you have up against the fence, it looks like you may have kids? I would make a play area for my child in that space, since your patio is over on other side of yard. Make one side for adult entertainment area with a fire pit/ seaing area.... other side for kids w/ grass.
Rebecca
14 years ago
seating area. oops what do you think?
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angariel
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you for your suggestions Rebecca! Removing the palm tree is definitely in my plans, as well as the hideous green plastic! Planning on adding trellis to give us the privacy on both sides of the cement wall. I thought the same about a corner tree - even ordered a Pink Dogwood-should be arriving soon- but i just realized that there is a cement base in that corner! Im thinking maybe a container garden? Im researching to see if I can plant the tree in a large container-but wonder how big it needs to be for it to survive and allow it to grow enough to provide some privacy. Need to hurry cuz tree is on its way! Love your idea about the fountain under the kitchen window-hadnt thought of that! Also like the tile and cement painting idea. Thank you for your suggestions!!!!
mmonika
14 years ago
last modified: 14 years ago
First, camouflage the cinder block fence. I would stucco over it, which would give you a a flat surface. Painting will not cover up the joints between blocks, so its still cinder block but in a different color :-(
Second, remove the broken green corrugated plastic, or bake a cake and negotiate with your neighbor for it's removal (if its not yours). You could do a nice extension on the cinder block with short metal rails or some lattice, or decorative something!
If you did stucco cinder blocks and the palm tree you can do a whole Mediterranean theme. Play up terracotta pots, fiery red plants, succulent plants?
Your lawn looks in pretty bad shape, find out whether it is due to insufficient sunlight or just too much wear and tear. If its too shady, either get proper shade grass OR just get rid of it all together, creating different mini-spaces for everyone to enjoy.
You really need to figure out HOW you plan on using this space, and then put in all the hardspacing ( paths, patios).

For your covered patio, I would just paint all the wood structure white. Your outside, you want things to be light and bright! Put in more lanterns and a large fan for a very oasis kind of look. You could even do outdoor fabric curtains at each of the posts.
I wouldn't advise, just yet on painting the concrete. It never lasts and once it starts to peel, its just a nightmare. How about first trying outdoor rugs, and all the other decorative stuff to see whether the floors are even an issue anymore.
Sheila Schmitz
14 years ago
last modified: 14 years ago
As a quick fix for this spring/summer, you might set out a few garden umbrellas; their height could instantly mask some of the wall and other houses and give you some privacy and cozitude while your screen trees grow. :)
Rebecca
14 years ago
last modified: 14 years ago
If you plant any trees up against that wall Popular and evergreen trees grow very quicky and they are tall. Great privacy wall idea. They have short roots as well. Also did someone suggest bamboo plants? They are great for privacy as well, but I really dont know if I would grow them personally for they actually do multiply. But if you put them in a huge round wooden tub planters you may be A okay. One more thing. You could get about six wood pallets, put 3 in a row and stack the other 3 on top of each one sitting on ground. You could nail them together somehow..Paint them your fave color and add a cushioned or leather soft seat on top. in expensive seating there! Also working with old bricks and a somewhat flat log you could make seating for in a garden this way as well. Paint the bricks if you wish, and log. lay a cushioned seat on top! Whola~
Rebecca
14 years ago
There are solar lights that you can buy without having to deal with electricity. I believe I added them in my ideabook if you wish to take look.
mousemaker
14 years ago
love the palm tree. i hope you keep it. it's beautiful.
i agree that you should decide how you really want to use this space, and then everything will be easier. i know there are tons of sources online, but sometimes it's nice to check at the library for garden books and ideas. there might be things you hadn't thought of or elements you want..and you might consider native plants and environments for certain birds and butterflies.
PRO
Glenna Partridge Garden Design
14 years ago
Start with a well thought out plan. Invest in your structural planting first (around the perimeter of your back garden) like the larger trees, shrubs, and perennials. Decide whether you want a lawn or you would prefer the lower maintenance of a patio / hardscape.

Ask yourself a few questions to help you decide how to phase in your garden:

How much time you want to spend on maintenance of your space? Will you be doing the maintenance or will you be hiring someone to take care of the garden.

What kind of activities will you be doing in your garden? Do you need a space for children to play on the grass or would you rather have paved areas with no maintenance.

What style of garden is attractive to you? Colours?

Budget?

This site is great for starting an ideabook to help you with narrowing down your choices. Maybe you can post your ideabook and that will help us get a feel for your style and I can get more specific with some advice.
Sharon Cameron
14 years ago
Hi, you might give some more thought as to how you want to use your yard/garden. Is it for small children? Do you like gardening or are you more of a low maint yard person?
Do you want different areas within your garden, eg veggie patch, reading spot, BBQ area?
One of the first things that popped into my mind was to render/sandbag the brick fence and give it an injection of colour and TLC.
Ate you planning on staying in this home for a while or renovating for profit? All things I would give some thoughts to before any big money gets spent! Have fun and keep us updated please!

Christine W

Comments (11)

Rebecca

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