Backyard update
In May, we reduced our blank backyard lot to a new clean slate. Just three threes and a little bamboo growing on the side. Then I built a deck, we seeded a small lawn, and laid some edging where paths would eventually go.
Then it lay dormant for a couple months. Two weeks ago I started thinking about finishing the landscaping in phases, going clockwise around the yard until it was complete. I started on the far left sideyard and worked like a madman until it was done in a matter of days. Then I got a play structure set up and planned a garden for Fiona next to it (she likes flowers, I just need to mound some soil and load it with perennials).
Yesterday, during our combing of area nurseries, we found a huge landscaping nursery that specialized in large trees. The best specimens tended to get kind of expensive (around $500 for a 25' tall tree) but we were considering putting in one mature tree using a large tree service, and those typically go for $1500 or more. We have a south facing backyard that can bake in the sun so it'd be nice to get something substantial and mature in the back to provide some shade and privacy in a new yard.
We scored doubly so by noticing the nursery was having a end of season 30% off everything sale. So we picked out a bunch of trees we were interested in, went home and cross referenced Google + Sunset's Western Landscaping Book + The Northwest Gardener's Book of Lists.
We narrowed down our trees to three candidates, and today we found four specimens. The largest is a Sawtooth Oak, about 25-30' in height, with a 3.5 inch trunk and a nice shape already. It's a fast growing oak that birds will love for the acorns. The price tag said $389, but I think we paid $250 after the discount. We got two birches and a flowering plum tree. All told, we purchased four trees that vary in height from about ten to about thirty feet. Once in our backyard, it should fill out the space nicely and give us some badly needed shade and structure.
I'm putting them in the ground on Thursday, and working like mad to finish the last planting beds before I mulch the whole thing, sculpt the lawn into an organic shape, and call the backyard almost complete (just need to add some small plants, flowers, and bushes to finish it. I'll have plenty of after photos, but for now, enjoy a before photo and a mockup.
Going from left to right, the huge oak will be near the center, the plum will be over by the deck, the multi-trunked birch will be along the path, and another birch will screen a neighbor.
I love the leaf-shaped pencil tip in Photoshop CS2. It makes these things really easy to sketch out.
Comments
I looked at a lot of play structures, but never found anything that fit a smallish (10'x15') space. Everything is built to monster proportions. We almost went with something from Lowes that we could modify to make smaller, but eventually I spent some amazon gift cert on this plastic/metal one. It's small and fits the space well. It'll work until she's five or so, by which time we can go with something bigger.
What's all the brown in the drawing, mulch? If so, why so much, rather than grass?
We had all grass in our last backyard up here and it was a pain. It takes a lot of water and effort to keep nice, it looks pretty boring to have a single uniform color, and we found ourselves cutting farther into our grass as time went on to add plants and decking. So for this yard, we figured a usable amount of lawn (it's about 30'x30') would be enough to play on and lounge around with, without being a hassle to water, weed, and mow all the time.
The rest of the brown won't just be featureless mulch, it'll look like the sideyard, with many plantings throughout.
Ah! Ok, then I approve. :)