Backyard Makeover - August 2012 - December 2014

Before I continue blogging about our home reno projects for 2015, I'd like to share some of the improvements we've done since moving into our clustered sanctuary. When we moved in 2012, we had four dogs, so we needed to tackle the outdoors first to make sure they have a place to roam and do their "deeds". One major drawback of buying a brand new home is the lack of backyard landscaping. There's no place for both humans and canines to enjoy the outdoors. So, we called our friend Julio to help us out.

The first order of business-- the backyard patio. We hired Julio to create a stamped backyard concrete in a color that complements the exterior paint of our home. It's somewhat beige/tan in color. Then, we told him to lay down some grass for our little maltese dog. He then added a secondary gate for the sideyard so that the three bigger dogs cannot just invade the backyard when they do their dirty deeds. My husband added gravel and pavers on the sideyard to serve as their dog run. All of these were done within the first couple of weeks of our move.

After a couple of summers, the grass in the backyard had dried up due in part to faulty sprinklers and the summer heat! To top it off, the drought that had been plaguing California for the past couple of years had us thinking of replacing the grass with gravel. So, in October 2014, we had the grass replaced with gravel and the opposite sideyard and borders covered with gorilla hair. My husband and I then went to Lowes to buy some planters so that we can add ornamental drought tolerant plants. The goal is to have a low-maintenance garden.

Bare backyard July 10, 2012
I apologize for not being able to find a photo of the grass while still green and when it turned brown. Ah, for now, please use your imagination. :(

October 2014. We had green sod, but they died. We replaced the sod with gravel and gorilla hair.

Nov. 4, 2014. Added potted plants.