Or running through the sprinklers with nothing but your skivvies on. Whose kid is that anyway?
We've had some beautiful weather lately (it hit 70 yesterday) and Ben requested a refreshing sprinkler romp. Of course, being a water baby myself, I obliged and didn't feel too bad about his lack of modesty since none of our neighbors are home during the day. Once he started hitting his golf ball out of our yard and through the two adjoining lawns, I thought it might be time to get clothed. The April showers have official started and everything is perking up around here. Grass is green, trees are budding, and daffodils and hyacinths are poking their little heads up through the dirt. Aahh, what a glorious season!
On the spring theme, I am dying to plant a garden. After being the recipient of our neighbor's homegrown tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers last year, my urge to cultivate a tiny patch of earth has kicked into high gear. Maybe it's just my nesting instinct manifesting itself in an odd way since I have no decorating skills and therefore cannot throw my efforts into creating a cute nursery. Andy and I are discussing the merits of where to locate a possible garden in our postage stamp yard. My vote is to dig up a thin row of dirt along the south side of our house (pictured above) while Andy wants to either build a box garden and put it on a patio that we're hoping to pour (see below) or leave beds to line the patio and plant the garden there. I have a friend whose family swears by the merits of southern sun, so I think that would be the best place. Plus, when we decide to sell the house, we can always just plant flowers in the existing bed.
After two summers of barely using our backyard because there is nowhere to sit, we've decided that we'd like to pour a simple cement patio. Just enough for a table and some chairs and a grill (hooray!), with some space left over for a kiddie pool so we don't have to kill the grass. The only thing is I'm not sure if it's a possibility with our budget. Of course we'd love to have a gorgeous deck or paver patio, but that's not in the cards. Have you done your own patio or know anyone who does? Any ideas on what such a project would cost? We might end up doing most of the labor ourselves. However it turns out, I have visions of spending afternoons eating lunch with friends while we watch the kids run through the sprinklers and grilling out on glorious summer evenings.
On the spring theme, I am dying to plant a garden. After being the recipient of our neighbor's homegrown tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers last year, my urge to cultivate a tiny patch of earth has kicked into high gear. Maybe it's just my nesting instinct manifesting itself in an odd way since I have no decorating skills and therefore cannot throw my efforts into creating a cute nursery. Andy and I are discussing the merits of where to locate a possible garden in our postage stamp yard. My vote is to dig up a thin row of dirt along the south side of our house (pictured above) while Andy wants to either build a box garden and put it on a patio that we're hoping to pour (see below) or leave beds to line the patio and plant the garden there. I have a friend whose family swears by the merits of southern sun, so I think that would be the best place. Plus, when we decide to sell the house, we can always just plant flowers in the existing bed.
After two summers of barely using our backyard because there is nowhere to sit, we've decided that we'd like to pour a simple cement patio. Just enough for a table and some chairs and a grill (hooray!), with some space left over for a kiddie pool so we don't have to kill the grass. The only thing is I'm not sure if it's a possibility with our budget. Of course we'd love to have a gorgeous deck or paver patio, but that's not in the cards. Have you done your own patio or know anyone who does? Any ideas on what such a project would cost? We might end up doing most of the labor ourselves. However it turns out, I have visions of spending afternoons eating lunch with friends while we watch the kids run through the sprinklers and grilling out on glorious summer evenings. What are you looking forward to when the warm weather comes?
9 comments:
You can always just have a little hibachi grill and hunch over to burn your chicken. ha ha...You would love a little patio and garden. You'll have to keep pictures posted of your progress!
Nollie-
Square foot gardening is the way to go. If we are still here this summer, I am going to do it (yes, we STILL don't know). My mother-in-law swears by it, and I've tasted her produce- it's awesome. Think TONS of fresh veggies in a small amount of space, virtually no weeding, and little upkeep. Sounds great, no? Good luck with the patio... sounds heavenly.
Nollie congrats by the way! We're super excited for you. I would say a patio is a must. Our house had one when we moved in, and I'm telling you we spend 90% of our days/nights out there...riding bikes, grilling, visiting, etc. DO IT! You won't ever look back.
I also want to try the square foot gardening method! You can find the book at the library (at least you can here) or I believe there's lots of info online. Someday. And I hear southern exposure is fantastic. Add to that the radiant effects of being against the house, and it seems like that'd be a great spot! Not that I know that much about gardening, I just fantasize about it!
I'll send J over to help with the patio if we can get an invite over for one of those lazy afternoon/evenings!
Check it out!
http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/
I too am looking foward to playing golf in my skivvies. Who needs Tiger's Sunday red when you can have your Sunday skivvies? Classy.
they boy needs a tan if he is going to be shoing off his bod!!:)
A brick patio is way easier than cement, picturesque, and more forgiving to the novice. Cement is a ticking time bomb, messy, stressful, difficult to level, and ultimately kind of plain. Pick a brick pattern out of a book, dig down a few inches, level, sand, lay the brick, and then sweep sand between the cracks. You can even plant hardy herbs like thyme to break things up. This is what my family does for paths and patios, and even our earliest efforts look great once they've weathered a little.
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