The Sleeper Wall

I am very PLEASED to announce, we have started Phase 2 of our backyard project. We are now officially done ripping things out, and it is time to start putting them back!! Building a retaining wall in our side yard was the first step in the process. 

Once we had it all down to a level (as seen here in my previous post), we dug out a trench for the foundation of the wall. 

Rich and I measured, designed and drew up the wall on our own. We also picked out and ordered all the materials. Our amazing friend Benny the carpenter helped us with the building process. Luckily we did a good job on the planning phase, because it all came together nicely! Once our materials arrived, we were ready to start building. Here are a couple of pictures from the process:

The Midpoint

Here are some shots of the finished project:

Benny used his carpentry skills to finish it off. Looks much better than we could have done ourselves! We are so thankful to have his help!! We also put the shed back. 
Here are some before and after pictures:

Before

After!

Step by Step, we are definitely getting there! Can't wait to sit out back and BBQ!!

A Work in Progress...

Our first "really big" DIY project is well underway. We have plans to transform our backyard over the next couple of years, starting with the patio! This post is dedicated to Phase 1 of the project - removal!! Pictured above is a 6 yard skip. We filled the first and now the second skip! That's a lotta dirt! As a reference, here are some "before" pictures from last year:

Before: Overgrown & Neglected

We wanted a bigger & more attractive patio, and to get some usable space out of the side yard. So we decided to rip out the planters and all of the plants along the fence and ended up with this:

Step 1: before we knew better...

Step 2: bringing down the level

Step 3: starting to level off

We had some guys over last weekend to help dig, and they really made some progress!! They filled an entire skip in one day! The major part of the digging is now done, we need to get the whole thing level and then we can start laying some paving!

The First Slabs come up...

No more patio!! The thing in the middle is an inspection hole for the drains

I'm so stoked this project is coming along. With the side thrown in, it's a lot more work than we first thought. While digging, we discovered a lot of roots coming from the woodland towards the house. Since this can potentially damage the foundations, we are glad to be getting the project done now. Especially because once it's done, we will never have to do it again!! Stay tuned for part 2: the finishing...

spring has sprung!

The first signs of spring are starting to show! The ground has thawed & new flowers, plants and leaves are growing. We have also had some beautiful sunshine! The warmer weather has given us a chance to get outside & make some progress in the back yard. So far, we have spent about 8 hours back there. It feels like we have made a dent, but we still have so much to do! I'll keep you updated as we get more done, but here are some before and after pictures of what we have done so far.

Before: Brambles coming over the fence!

After: All Clear

The next 2 projects we have planned are installing decking where we now have cement pavers. 

After that, we will be ripping up all the grass and laying new turf. These are both big projects, but we are really excited about them. We are going to start on the decking in the next couple of weeks. 

Since I can't really plant anything in the ground, I have to plant in pots for now. We got a couple to start with at the garden center. I LOVE the glazes! I potted up some Daffodils and some flowers with a couple creepers to add some depth. It's nice to have some color now that we have ripped out 15 black bags of plant life!