The Patio

One of our biggest projects after we moved in was fixing up the patio area behind the house. First, Stephen power washed the concrete and that made a huge difference!

Halfway finished with the power washing

Then, our friend Elizabeth came over and the three of us spent the day ripping out the old plants and weeds, and leveling out the plant beds. At some point in the past, two mounds of dirt had formed in the corners of the fence... I was convinced that something had been buried there but thankfully we didn't stumble upon anything icky, except for a TON of fat earthworms. Gross.

After a few trips to Lowe's over the course of our move in, we found some pavers that we liked and wanted to use as edging stone along the concrete. Stephen dug the trench, Elizabeth placed the stones, and I back-filled with dirt to hold them into place.

We also added some red lava rock in the corner where the rain runs off the house to keep the dirt and mulch from washing away.

Leveled bed with edging stones in place and lava rock in the corner

I wanted to plant some easy to maintain perennials (given my track record of only being able to keep succulents alive... you know, the plants that hate being watered). The lady at the greenhouse suggested knockout roses, and we also found some other plants that we liked: Celosea and Coleus, which should get big and leafy and last through the fall. I also planted a few Zinnias on the far end because I think they're cute! Unfortunately, something was wrong with our single knockout roses and they died so we replaced them with another double that is light pink, but everything else has done really well and looks great!

light pink knockout roses and hot pink double knockouts

We also put two hooks in the fence so that we can hang the ENO hammock Stephen's sister gave us. It's a perfect fit and so nice to be able to enjoy the hammock outside with the Tiki torches keeping the bugs away. It is amazing what a difference few hours of hard work can make! Thanks again, Elizabeth, for all you did! We love our little backyard!

The finished product!