When I first moved into my home, the thing that I was most excited about was the lawn. I had a huge front lawn and an even larger back lawn. I could just see how much my children would love playing in the grass and climbing the trees. The only thing that really turned me off was the fact that there were so many weeds and the lawn, in general, was so very messy.
The first thing my husband and I did was have a landscaper come out to the house to take a look at what we were dealing with. He had some great suggestions for plants and shrubs that would help to give us some privacy from the neighbors. He also had some ideas that would grow with us and stick around in all seasons.
We hired him to draw up a map of the lawn that we could use to reference when we were ready to begin the landscaping project. In the meantime, we asked the kids what was important to them. After all, they would be using it the most, we figured.
First off, our son asked for a basketball court and a soccer net. Our daughter asked for a swing and a tree house. My husband asked for a deck. I wanted an herb garden. With everyone’s desires marked on paper, we began to design our yard on our own.
I found a place on the side of the house right underneath the kitchen door for my herb garden. I could simply make a brick enclosure that would keep all of my tomatoes and herbs – easy enough to walk out the door to get them when I needed them during cooking.
My husband got to work researching companies that could help home build the deck. In the meantime, he bought a book about building a deck on your own, and began heading in that direction. Before the deck was even finished, he had bought a grill and we purchased deck furniture together that would match. Once the deck came together, we even were able to add onto it on a separate level. The second level included a hot tub and an outdoor stereos system that we use just about everyday (and love).
Next, we hired a contactor to lay some asphalt and cement in the portion of our yard nearest the driveway. We put up a basketball hoop for our son and installed a tall fence behind the hoop so that the balls would not bounce over and into the back yard. We also bought a very nice soccer net that we placed on the opposite side of the yard – where there was grass.
My husband and daughter got to work building a tree house from a kit that they found online. The self-assembly kit fits in any tree at any height and wraps around the tree. My husband built it low to the ground, so we would feel comfortable. We installed a swing beneath the tree house.
Finally, as a whole family, we planted a tree together to mark our home. Now, three yeas later, the tree has grown substantially and we are still enjoying our lawn.