It has taken me forever to get around to cleaning up the rest of the backyard and improving it. At last, this weekend, we moved some things around and did a little cleaning. I really need to get all this done so we can enjoy the yard for summer and fall. The outside is starting to feel like inside with shelving and seating.
We mainly worked on the patio and I found it looking better already. The fence wall below formerly had a bunch of junk and the trash cans against it. It may not be too exciting, but I love the way it is looking.
I think the fern blends right in with my painting, don't you? The trunk on the left is filled with blankets and extra lights for when we entertain. The small shelves mounted above it have various natural things like rocks, shells and a succulent.
The green shelf is not quite complete yet, but looks pretty good for now. The shelf on the right has rocks and things from various hikes displayed on it.
We finally decided where the fire pit would go. The "seat" you see hear is actually my friend Chris Patton's first reclaimed wood table. He made us a new one so this one is now outside. Last year we were in the North Bay and a coffee shop had these giant coffee bags for something like $2 each. We put pillows inside and voila! Outdoor seating. The elephant hanging you see in the foreground was something I found in a Capitola gift shop a few weeks ago for $14. I liked the combination of mirrored shapes and the tin elephants. Elephants are good luck too.
The cats seem pretty happy with the space...or maybe they don't really care.
We are still planning on doing a lot more California Native landscaping and getting rid of a lot of the lawn. One thing at a time. If you look closely, you can see the first little aloe plant we planted directly in the lawn. I think this may be how we'll phase out the lawn. Just get a plant, dig out the lawn, repeat. I've never really done things the normal way anyway.
From the 100 Day Project
I'd like the house to look a little more like this. I just have to be patient.
On the to do list:
- New hammock
- Tented reading nook
- California Native drought resistant landscaping in the front and much of the back
- More cacti
