My biggest backyard renovation regrets
How to (Fail) At Home
You may remember my 2024 ambitious backyard overhaul. And, if you’re new here, you might be interested in our upstairs bath remodel, which turned into a four floor reno from basement to attic. Now I understand where the phrase everything but the kitchen sink comes in. I share it in two parts, the demo and the coming together.
How to At Home
I do know what possessed me to tackle such a huge job as a full-on hardscape renovation of my backyard without any experience with landscape design and only a preliminary understanding of gardening and it was not very practical, but extremely emotional. I needed grounding, by literally getting my hands dirty and callused every day, a room of my own, alb…
Back to the yard: A tree removal prompted this renovation, that we did (almost) entirely ourselves (sans concrete breakup/ removal). I moved dirt, rock, and flagstone pavers. I researched, hauled, drove, scouted, and sourced. Mr. Drake dug a trench for electrical and built the pergola. All so that I could have a place of my own. Reclaim “outside” for myself. A sacred place of belonging and rest in an oasis.
And it turned out great. We have a really special place to hang out, have fires, and just enjoy being outside, something that fuels who I am. But there are three things that I wish I’d done differently plus one main culprit who’s ruining my yard:
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