Yay!! We are FINALLY tackling our backyard! This is a project we have wanted to do since we first moved in so I am very excited to start this. It’s already starting to warm back up here in AZ, so I’m hoping we can get a lot of this project done before it gets too hot. My son loves being outside and right now we can’t take him out there to play. Why, you ask? Well, let me tell you. Have you ever heard of goatheads? If you live in Arizona, then you probably have. They are little stickers that come from weeds and they are freaking sharp! See picture below of what goatheads look like and the weeds they come from. Unfortunately, last spring our backyard got a little overrun by weeds and when my husband started pulling them, he realized that the goatheads were everywhere. And by everywhere, I mean everywhereeeeee.
So now we can’t take our son outside to play in the backyard. This means, it’s time for a backyard makeover! Essentially our plan is to clear out all of the existing rock, pull out the fake grass, and remove all of the existing brick and pavers. Once everything is cleared out we will level the yard. When we moved in there were two huge boulders right in the middle of the backyard. My husband moved those out of the way, but there are little mounds still there, and the whole backyard is really uneven. This is what our yard currently looks like:
Ok, here’s our plan. The space where the astroturf (fake grass) is now will be expanded to be a big square. Then there will be brick outlining it, with about a foot and a half space between the brick and the fence. That space between will be filled with mulch or bark and we will probably put in a few plants. Then the entire rest of the backyard will be pavers. Between the patio and the fence there will be a fire pit with seating and in the corner where the pond is now, we are thinking of doing an above ground pond instead. I hate that our A/C unit is right there by the patio, so we are thinking of building some kind of little fence around it so that it’s not such an eyesore, and hopefully that will help with the noise as well. It’s extremely loud when it’s on.
So what are your thoughts on real versus fake grass? Living in Arizona, I feel like it’s hard to keep grass green here. It will be nice to get some good quality fake grass and not have to worry about it. It’s definitely more pricey than seeding or getting sod, but it’s a one-and-done thing. Once we get it, we don’t have to worry about upkeep like watering or over-seeding. We started to clear out the rock today. Yes, we spent Valentine’s Day shoveling rock. That’s what happens when you’ve been together for 12 years. Honestly we’ve never been big on celebrating Valentine’s Day. Anyways, I can’t wait to take you guys along on this project!
The Manoff House 