Our New Fence, Garden Courtyard and Backyard with After/Before Photos

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

My husband and I are experienced DIYers and have many of our projects posted on Houzz. We did all this ourselves, other than some help with the fence and deck. We recently finished landscaping our fenced in courtyard area and putting down a boardwalk and patio and thought we would post the changes. This is what I get to see now out of my kitchen window. I have very few before pics as it was so sad back here. This was a completely unused space. There was a strange, irregular shaped patio with patio blocks that had become an overgrown mess, tree stumps from overgrown plum trees and alot of dead grass. I wanted to see color, life and imagine a woodland oasis while I was looking out the window doing dishes, and have a safe, secured space for our small dogs. We added some of our own garden artwork, some nice garden decor finds and I think we managed to make all our goals happen. We still plan to add a fountain we will build, but that is likely next years project.

dollar store bird houses I turned into these

We made some "land fish" for our dry creek bed

Before- courtyard is the left hand side of this pic above- yes, this really is the same house.

Our backyard before pic. We took down a giant blue spruce that was planted too close to the house and blocked windows, took out an overgrown neglected garden, gave that shed new life and added a flagstone patio from reclaimed stone we had on the property.

Featured Answer

RenoGirl
Original Author

3 years ago

I appreciate all the nice comments about our space. To answer a few questions: The land fish are made of wood- I drew out the fish on left over fence cut end boards, my husband cut them out, routered the edges and sanded them down a bit. Then I painted, sanded, stained and sealed in that order to give them their look and protect them outdoors. My husband sadly has no brothers lol. Hes an absolute gem though, and is handy enough with my creativity ideas that we make an awesome team. We live on the edge of greenspace and walking trails not far from the wilderness in Alberta Canada, and we get alot of wildlife (moose, deer, fox, skunk, coyotes and an occasional bear) so we wanted our yard to reflect the area and wildlife we usually see- so we used alot of stone, wood and nature themed art. I do realize we've used a fair amount of wood for the deck, fence, patio and boardwalk- but everything with owning a house comes with maintenance. We needed to stay within what we could afford and what we could build on our own. Cheers!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (39)

pudgeder
3 years ago
WOW!! What a fabulous transformation!!
houssaon
3 years ago
Very pretty!
Related Discussions
Our new back yard path
Q
Comments (18)
Sharon I can't find the pictures of your path. I just started my adventure into gardening last year with vegetables. I was dared by my husband and that was all I needed. With the help of my dear fiend, (a master gardner and mentor) I cut down the necessary trees the next day and had the veggies & planted within the next 3days..so much for challenges in my family. I just made new beds and paths for my new perineal garden....a work in progress since it is just me and limited funds. For my paths, I called my tree man and asked if he would bring tree clipping from his jobs. To my surprise I ended up with 3 huge loads that I made my paths, saving the rest to season. Maybe not the best material for a path, but it was free and it fades into my landscape nicely. Now I am adding plants as I can afford. Love this site.
...See More
Wire fence for backyard of 1920 Bungalow
Q
Comments (117)
As mentioned, we've been working hard to get this back for customers, and we're getting close to stocking it soon in the single loop. One upgrade will be to use a thicker wire than the old double loop fencing produced state side the last 150 years. Some of the pictures posted in this forum show the irregular weaving, which probably resulted from using thin 11-gauge wire on the old fence. For folks with an eye on quality, we think the 8 gauge wire single loop fencing makes a better pattern and elegant design possibilities for a premium bungalow style. We'll be shipping from the central United States. Call us at 866.514.2733 about your project.
...See More
FYI New rules for backyard water gardens
Q
Comments (11)
This country is so into an over abundance of laws in all areas of modern life. It is becoming impossible to be a law abiding person. We can't keep track of them all. I just learned that it was $150 fine for not turning ones brights off accidently. This concept of changing to a white list was supposed to be for nurseries shipping in and out between Canada and the USA. All natives were not on the white list. So there was to be no trade of native between countries. What was weird about that white list was that Whole plant families were Xed off of the White list for no reason at all and only 12th of known plants were on it. It had only the normal trade type plants and nothing very unusual. I took Sally Waszowskis book on gardening with Texas natives and over 2/3 of the plants mentioned were not on the list. I looked and many invasives were on the list. It was crazy. I am amazed that this concept of White list versus Blacklist is becoming the norm. One gets lost in the detail and can not focus on the true problem plants. I am really concerned that I won't be allowed to grow my natives. It was not originally to be turned on the populous but be a import export vehicle. A way to control the professional growers. I agree, it seems so arbitrary , so draconian and unenforceable. We are now all possible criminals. Guilty till proven innocent. That Ruella (chi Chi ) is a monster. I got hit in the I eye by some seeds. I won't be sad to see that one go. Some plants should have warning labels. The fact that we make plants illegal that are inhabitants of this world shows how nuts we have gotten.
...See More
Adult step kids ripped out our backyard hedge!
Q
Comments (9)
Things are better today. DH is feeling better today, yesterday was a "bad" day, today is a "good" day. We were told that would be the case for the next three to six months. My daughter came over and cleaned house, that's a regular thing on saturdays anyway, and she did a few extra chores as directed by my DH, so he is not only feeling better, but he's feeling more in control of his life. His eldest son called to check on him (he wasn't involved in the yard cleaning) and chat a bit, DH called his middle son and they talked, cheered him up considerably. He called my son last evening and asked him to bring my two little grandaughters over for a short visit tomorrow afternoon. DH's oldest grandaughter came by to give her Grandpa a big hug and a visit. We still haven't heard a thing from the 'drama queens' and that's ok, the last thing he needs is any more 'drama' in his life right now. I hope they stay away as long as possible. DH has decided to let it all go, he says it is their problem now, not his. He's getting a ton of support from people who love and respect him. I'm going along with whatever he wants, plus I won't allow anyone to walk on me ever again. I'll be 'nice' but I'll stand my ground. Thank you all for your good advice and for letting me vent a bit. It has really helped. And thank you for the good wishes on my sweetheart's recovery and rehabilitation. We're looking forward to quite a few more good years of gardening together.
...See More
ladybug A 9a Houston area
3 years ago
Wow! Very pretty!
JustDoIt
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Very nice. Does your husband have a brother with the same skills?
arcy_gw
3 years ago
Very nice. It is good you enjoy DIY--all that wood--keeping it up properly will keep you busy for years to come.
Melissa R
3 years ago
looks fantastic!
suedonim75
3 years ago
Great job!
Lisa Dipiro
3 years ago
omg gorgeous... inspiration !!
tannatonk23_fl_z9a
3 years ago
Fantastic! You have a great eye. Love all the whimsy and especially the land fish and bird houses. I’m sure you have a huge smile on your face every time you see this beautiful space you’ve made. Time for you to enjoy the fruits of your labor. And I’m envious of your large rocks. Those are hard to come by in my area.
kriii
3 years ago
Incredible! Enjoy your lovely yard!
salex
3 years ago
This is lovely and interesting! I especially love the flagstone patio, with the fire pit at the edge (because everyone wants to enjoy the view, right?). The land fish are my favorite. Are they made of wood?
ptreckel
3 years ago
Fabulous! And I especially love your personal touches! You have every right to be proud of your work.
Elaine Ricci
3 years ago
What a whimsical and welcoming space! I love it! Kudos!
teresale2013
3 years ago
This is extremely nice and inviting!!

Enjoy!!
rustynail
3 years ago
Wow, just beautiful! You and your husband did a fine job!
nickel_kg
3 years ago
Wow, fabulous!
Cece
3 years ago
A beautiful labor of love!
PRO
FrameMyMirror
3 years ago
It's gorgeous! Great job!
J Inhof
3 years ago
So much talent and energy! Much impressed!
mudpiesnfireflies
3 years ago
Love the dry creek bed with the wooden fish, nice touch!
knicetime
3 years ago
I love everything you did! I’m gonna keep looking at these pics for inspiration too. Thank you for sharing 🌿
rredpenn
3 years ago
So very pretty! I love your land fish too, and must make some for myself... :) Congrats on a very successful transformation and thank you for sharing so much eye candy with us! We appreciate it and share your smiles!
ashtonchic
3 years ago
Unique and fun! Obviously a labor of love.
likewhatyoudo
3 years ago
Love all the whimsy! Great flagstone sitting are too.
PRO
Norwood Architects
3 years ago
It is a vast improvement over what was there for sure.
Leasa Brown
3 years ago
Great use of color and movement. I love that you painted the house blue.
Bluebell66
3 years ago
Wow, it's really nice!I love everything about it. Well done.
Bluebell66
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
What is the plant in the first photo, to the right of the herons?
IdaClaire
3 years ago
This is just all kinds of wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing what you've done ... you've completely transformed your outdoor space into one that must be so enjoyable to spend time in now! Your work is quite an inspiration to those of us who are still engaged in our own "works in progress" in the garden.
Anna (6B/7A in MD)
3 years ago
This is a super fun result! You must really love looking at this everyday. Thanks for sharing.
PRO
PRM Custom Builders
3 years ago
What a fantastic use of space and stylish!
RenoGirl
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Bluebell66 thats a Karl Foerster feather reed grass when it was just getting going- I put some very life like metal lilies on stakes in it till it gained some ground. Little bit of sneaky artwork to add some color before things flower. They are so realistic they fool butterflies, bees, bugs and all my friends lol. The yellow ones are metal as well.
northlandyogi_mi5a
3 years ago
Wonderful design and craftsmanship! I'm curious how you made the flagstone from reclaimed stone you had.
Architectural Notice
3 years ago
Very nice. I especially like all the pops of blue and the "land fish".
RenoGirl
Original Author
3 years ago
yogi_mi5a The flagstone patio was made from flagstone my husband had thrown behind the shed when he replaced a front walkway years ago with pavers. He gave away a bunch of it and we had some left over (probably not the nicest pieces which had been picked thru when he gave it away- but thankfully there was enough to do a flagstone patio and some flagstone stairs for a small hill. I like to reuse whenever I can!
Christie Gilmore
2 years ago
I am in awe of your beautiful backyard!!! I would love to have something like this for our backyard!! The flowing soft lines, the pops of color, the wood, the places for birds and nature. Great job!
PRO
OTM Designs & Remodeling Inc.
2 years ago
Looks great, what a huge transformation!
PRO
Norwood Architects
2 years ago
Your yard looks good. Especially like your new fencing.

Our New Fence, Garden Courtyard and Backyard with After/Before Photos

RenoGirlOriginal Author

Comments (39)

Related Discussions

RenoGirlOriginal Author

RenoGirlOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

RenoGirl
Original Author

RenoGirl
Original Author

RenoGirl
Original Author