I have an ugly back yard.
Really, really ugly.
It’s about 75 feet wide and about 50 feet deep and I don’t think anyone has actually done anything positive to the backyard in a good ten years. The entire yard is surrounded by a rickety fence which is lined with piles of rotting wood and leaves left by the previous homeowner. The green stuff on the ground is only about 50% actual “grass” of at least three different varieties while the rest of it is just various weeds and ground covering that happens to be the same shade. The ground is lumpy and uneven and practically unsafe to walk on in spots and the patio slab of concrete is about as unattractive as a slab of concrete can be.
My Ugly Backyard
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My ugly backyard with my own personal crater can be seen in this satellite photo.
And I have a 25 foot crater in it. When you pull it up one one of those many different satellite mapping services that allow you to see a bird’s eye view of your town or neighborhood you can always find my yard pretty quickly because it’s the one with a large brown circle in it. That circle is all dirt, sand and stone where grass should really be.
Yes, my yard is pretty awful at the moment. Take a look at the panoramic photo of what my backyard looks like at the moment:
Image may be NSFW.
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A 180 degree look at my back yard made by stitching together six digital photos.
The previous owners had a rather large above ground pool in the backyard, complete with a sand and stone base and edging. At some point in the distant past the pool disappeared, but the sand and the stone remained to slowly sink over time and be overtaken by vegetation which I can only describe as hideous in both appearance and how difficult it is to kill.
I’ve lived in this house for nearly two years now and I have yet to tackle a single issue in my backyard, but this summer I’m going to change all that. My wife and I have planned to throw a little birthday party for my son’s first birthday at the end of September, which gives me about five months to get the yard in a presentable shape for family and friends.
Backyard Makeover Ideas
My list of things to do isn’t long, but there are some big projects:
- Remove stone and sand from the crater with a dirt sifter that leaves the soil behind.
- Even out ground with a rake, possibly adding more topsoil if needed.
- Plant new grass seed.
- Replace the wooden fence.
- Create barrier along back fence line.
- Make the area a little more enjoyable and a lot less embarrassing.
I’m taking a big, potentially dangerous leap here partially because it really is a lot of work, but mostly because my wife also reads this blog from time to time, and she’ll be sure to remind me of everything I said I was going to do.
It may take a lot of time before I’m able to completely makeover my backyard, but I’m hoping to be in my house for the next 30 years, so I think I have plenty of time.
