What was once a small, neglected space behind our house has become one of the most loved areas of our home. I truly feel like we added an additional room! I am sitting in one of the comfy adirondeck chairs as I type this. The neglected space (ugh I hate wasted square footage) is now a cozy garden retreat where we relax, read, work and watch our garden grow! (I linked everything I could – scroll to bottom of this post for the links).
Here is what it looked like before. A mix of brick pavers from the previous owners and a random piece of fake grass for the dog, a gate to keep the dog out of the other space which was a mess with old tiles and bikes.
This DIY project started with a vision: take a neglected area and turn it into something purposeful and peaceful. We began by leveling a portion of the area to match our existing backyard, keeping one slightly elevated section where the old brick pavers already lived.
In the area level with our backyard, we laid pebbles and a walking path of new large 24”x24” pavers. We bought ours locally but I linked similar pavers from lowes at the end of this post. We purchased and placed 3 raised self watering cedar planters along the wall. We planted tomatoes, herbs, flowers and various lettuces. Along the other wall, I planted various drought tolerant plants and put two Adirondack chairs for lounging. We literally can watch our garden grow. It is thriving!
In the existing upper level of pavers, we gave them new life with a fresh coat of paint — an instant charm booster. I bought samples of paint (way cheaper than a quart) of two Farrow and Ball colors color matched to Benjamin Moore. The colors are “Mouses Back” and “Stony Ground.” I created a checkerboard look and LOVE it.
We purchased a cute and affordable shed for extra storage (it definitely took both of us to put it together and several hours). It sits in the corner of the upper patio with room for two more Adirondack chairs. To soften the hardscaping and hide our AC units, we layered in lush greenery and potted plants. Here are the names of my plants: I planted rice plants in the ground, the potted magenta flowering succulent is an ice plant, the potted succulent with the long purple flowers is Calandrinia, lavender is planted between the chairs on the patio and the vine growing in the large planter is a pink trumpet vine.
For a finishing touch, I hung some strong lights for some ambient lighting and my husband bought me cute garden tags that add a lot of character.
This transformation didn’t require a professional crew, just some creativity, sweat equity, and a weekend (or two or three). It’s proof that even the smallest, overlooked spaces can become a sanctuary with a little imagination. WE ARE OBSESSED. I am so happy we did this project!!!
SHOP THE LOOK HERE:
xx,
Kristin