So, while I've got the inside of the cottage all up and running and feeling like home, the backyard is my nemesis. It's just a really drab, small space. Our old backyard was so humungous and lush and green and gorgeous that it's a bit hard for me to stomach looking out at this. It just really brings me down. The kids had a huge play structure there so that's a bit of a bummer too but THANKFULLY my friend Patti gifted us this old basketball hoop and it has been such a hit with both Gavin and Ellie. Before they flat out refused to go in the backyard ("Mom, it's just too ugly and so boring and way too small to do ANYTHING mom!" At least now they will go out there and shoot some hoops so that is great when they are feeling cramped from the tight quarters inside.
The problem with the yard is mostly ME. I do NOT have a green thumb and I have to keep the water bill WAY down so I need some major help. I don't even have any gardening tools! HA! Also, most of the backyard is consumed by those two cement slabs or that big leaky shed sooooooo, kinda tricky. There is that one patch of bark/dirt/weeds that could potentially have a raised planter bed for a vegetable garden there but that's down the road when I can get that all done.
I'd really like some quick growing vines to climb up the fenceline but every vine I planted at the old house died so my track record isn't so good in that department....
Basically, unlike the inside where I was able to immediately envision what I wanted to do with the space and how I wanted to lay things out and use it and the color scheme and the vibe etc.. all that just instantly and easily came to me, but with the yard I just stare at it with NO ideas and get increasingly depressed at how drab it is. No color, no life, no joy. It's just really depressing. And I'm still finding old petrified dog poop everywhere back there which doesn't help me grown any more attached to it or help me encourage the kids to go hang out anywhere besides the cement slab, let me tell ya....
So, my plea to my green-thumbed friends out there... IDEAS?! Suggestions? Advice? Guidance? I need a real, tangible, DETAILED plan on what to do back there! I'm a complete loss....
The first few pictures show the bakcyard from the front angle as you come out from the back door/kitchen and then looking back towards the house from the opposite end by the rear fence (the outdoor shower is a HUGE hit with the kids!!!) and then the shed thing and then the little side yard. It's REALLY small. I get depressed without color in my life so I need color!!! But I need low water useage. The weather here is very mild, no dramatic highs or lows. Lots of moisture in the morning, decent amount of fog, but then sunshine in the afternoon.
Thank you in advance to any of you who have ideas!!!
Kooper is like the Where's Waldo of dogs in this thing! HA! :)
