When your yard is a construction zone

8/3/2017

A veritable tangle of things existed in this backyard space before we started on it, including a beat up old shed that was removed, and a whole lot of weeds. We decided to create an oasis for the family, including the kids, who needed some fun spaces and places for hiding, jumping on, and gathering.

Complete with two hugelkultur log beds, a new fence, gate, and bike wheel arbor repurposing an existing arbor structure, an inlaid flagstone patio, stone steps, log steps, and of course, a greywater sink to top it all off. This project was messy! We had piles upon piles of things, trash, materials, tools, and logs. The client, ever patient and excited, was thrilled with the result.

We'll be back in the fall to put in some plants and we look forward to seeing how the space develops over the years! Take a look below for some featured elements in this newly awesome garden space.

A work in progress for sure. We added a small retaining wall at the back that will support the new fence and gate while creating one parking spot in the back alleyway.

We put in two hugelkultur raised beds complete with plumbing for a greywater sink that allow the owner to wash veggies and water veggies all at the same time!

We added steps into the yard and a sweet under deck flagstone patio.

Joe

8/9/2017 09:40:52 am

Hey! These are my neighbors. You guys did a great job. I love walking down the alley, and seeing the bike arbor. I've got some good ideas for my yard, when we get to it. I just bought the house so we've got lots of structural and interior work to do first.

random note, but i'm looking for concrete reuse options. Any ideas? I've got some path ways, steps, and flower beds against the house that we are demoing this week. Id rather not throw this in a landfill...

Susan MacLaren link

8/14/2017 12:37:07 pm

Hey Joe - Thanks! The bike arbor is a great addition, and will at some point be a source of color for the alley as well, once it gets planted out.

As for the concrete reuse options, it depends on what ideas you have for your yard. For your neighbors space, most of the materials we used in the landscape were reused and sourced right from their own backyard. It's a great way to save money on materials, and a great way to reuse what already exists in your yard, which also saves on the cost of hauling it away.

One idea is to break up the concrete and reuse it to create raised beds or pathways in other areas of your yard. We cut up and sculpted a large pad of concrete for one client and used the material to create an awesome winding pathway with tiered raised beds.

It just means you have to set it aside and store the concrete until you are ready to implement it back into your garden space. Not a hard choice to make since it saves you on labor and cost in the long run.

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