Outdoor Projects

**Author's note:  This was originally written in September, but I forgot about it for a long time.  I finished editing it just yesterday!  Also, sorry for the state of the photographs.  I'm not sure why they're so hazy.


If you remember from this post, we have a lot of work we want to complete around the house.  We decided to tackle all the small stuff at our own pace and made a list of big ticket items we want to take care of in the next year.  The big items are new flooring for the downstairs, a new water heater, and a new washer/dryer set.  It's good to have goals.

As for the small stuff, we've been chipping away at the outdoor tasks while it's still nice out.  We figured once it got cold/wet/rainy/snowy we'd be more inclined to paint, but it's really hard to be inside when it's 75 degrees and sunny.

The first task was to take down the awful arborvitae and yew bush that lived outside of our house.  I hated them.  With some help from the family on both sides (and a chainsaw), those two plants were history/firewood.  Gilbert loved this.

Everyone loves using the chainsaw!

I also wanted to start tackling all of the weeds we had let grow.  It was a mess!  I took the chainsaw back there as well and hacked away.  A lot of these plants will be replaced by nice, easy maintenance plants (hostas and such).

This does not look good.  We have a lot ahead of us out here.

We are going to lay new mulch and clean out weeds and old plants.  We'll be putting in new low maintenance plants in the summer. 

Gilbert Looks on from his shady spot.

Pulling out the branches.

A kitty castle made of branches!

We also wanted to add a fire place out back, and found this little guy at home depot.  We have no furniture out there, so this is good for now.

The addition of a fire pit out back, although we still need/want furniture.

My garden is mostly in, but I decided I wanted to try grapes too.  I got them planted and they grew fairly well, but will need somewhere to climb since they are vines.  This went up in a matter of about an hour.

I want to grow grapes and they need something to grow up, so John and his dad put in a lattice for them to climb up.

It's sort of a mess right now, but we are getting there.  We have the next two months to come up with a plan for the front yard.

Can't wait to get the new plants and trees in!