Our New Patio Unveiled

Our patio has been done for about a month now but we've just finished up the landscaping in the backyard. We've been absolutely loving the outdoor living space and have been entertaining and dining outside whenever possible. I gave a preview of what the construction looked like in this post, but I didn't share any true "before" pics.

A view from the "upper yard" looking at the sad, sad lawn.

Another view from above, capturing the space where the new patio will live. (Ignore the spray paint project going on!)

Panoramic shot from the old stoop.

Another shot from the old stoop.

I'm going to let the after pics speak for themselves. We love it!

Looking out at the patio from the new stoop.

View from the corner, where our grill sits now, with the lovely green "upper lawn" and landscaping that will grow to cover the green fencing.

Panorama from the stoop.

The game changer! New steps in the retaining wall that connect the upper and lower yards.

A big table for entertaining was a must-have for us.

Comfy seating and fireplace (we usually put the fireplace where the table is when we use it.)

New, wide stairs!

Lawn with a few trees we kept, plus new landscaping.

Wider shot of the trees. The back two are calling out for a hammock I think.

  We chose stained and stamped concrete plus Unilock for the wall work. We're super happy with everything so far and can't wait to enjoy this patio for years to come!

One final panorama before and after, because I'm a sucker for a good transformation shot!

Green thumb? We'll see...

"Aren't those going to die in like two weeks?" - Scott

The hope is that, no, the flowers I've planted around our house will not die in two weeks. But it's a fear! In all fairness, Scott was actually just confirming that the flowers planted outside are not like a dozen cut roses that will look pretty but then hit the trash 10 days later. I assured him that the annuals I planted SHOULD bloom all summer long.

I asked a million questions of my mom who accompanied me to purchase some perennials for our front walk way. With her guidance, hopefully these babies last! I'd love nothing more than to plant these once and have them come back each year. I chose a combo of pink and purple flowers that should widen up as summer goes on. I'm happy with them so far...they haven't grown that much yet but they are looking good. (Please excuse the sidewalk crack!)

I purchased this planter bench a few months ago and it sat, unpainted, on our porch for a bit. Last weekend, I got around to color matching some exterior paint to our trim, slapping it on and then planting these little beauties. They should grow 12-18 inches high and widen up.

   

Finally, to finish up the front yard, I sprayed an old planter with Oil Rubbed Bronze paint and sealed it. This freebie came from my grandma's house and it is about 100 pounds of pure concrete. It was kind of beat up with some chips and stains on the formerly white color. I made sure to use a spray paint that is suitable for masonry (Rustoleum Universal). With it's new, trendy look, it will house some annual flowers in the summer and fall - I'm thinking mums come fall. It's perfect for the tiny space between the walkway and the house...the plant that was planted here previously died and I think it's because of the small growing area.

Growing up, my mom planted petunias every year on our deck. I tried my hand at one small pot of petunias last year but unfortunately Rocco (who was a very curious puppy at the time) ended up causing some serious harm to it. This year I purchased three gorgeous planters at Homegoods and am giving petunias another shot. The planters remind me of Crate & Barrel and I love that the white will let the trailing flowers really pop. I planted Wave Petunias because, according to mom, they are hard to kill - they love heat and hold up well.

This fall I hope to plant some tulip bulbs so we have early spring flowers that take little to no work! What are you planting this summer?

Under Construction

This is what our yard looked like when we moved in. Actually, this picture is after we cut down about 10 dead trees.

Fairly pretty with fall colors but super overgrown with invasive trees, trees growing into other trees, broken branches, boulders, snarls or thorny bushes and tree roots. Not usable at all. We own this. We pay taxes on this! We want to be able to use it!

Here's what it looked like when I got home last night! This is after day 1 of landscaping and patio installation.

And, of course I did this:

More to come!!

Happy Spring

Well, it's the first day of spring and it's a balmy 17. But it feels like 2.

Delightful.

This is classic Chicago weather.  Everyone knows spring doesn't really arrive in Chicago until nearly May. But every year we hold out hope that we won't need winter coats over our spring skirts and dresses at Easter.

The "pending spring" has us thinking about yardwork, spring cleaning and home improvement. Home Depot has increased the amount of emails they send to me...and they are tempting me in with patio furniture and manicured lawns.

This is our year to get the outside in order. When we moved in last year, we cut down a few dead trees and branches and watered the grass. That was pretty much it. We focused on the inside for most of last summer and accomplished a lot. We have big plans this year. We're installing a patio and clearing our back lawn from the overgrown brush, boulders and dead trees. We're going to create a backyard oasis. I can't wait to be enjoying grilled fare with a chilled wine in my hand. And, I'm going to dream about that all day today to get me through the cold.

Happy first day of spring!