Our Backyard Makeover: Before and After

It has been a few months in the making, but I am so excited to share our whole backyard reveal!

If you saw this post on the outdoor living space then you got a sneak peek of one part of our backyard. Since quarantine started, we embarked on a larger project to overhaul the backyard. It was broken into two parts: landscaping and furnishing.

I remember back in March thinking this would be the perfect time to make some changes to the backyard. With all this time on our hands, we opted to do all the labor ourselves (time is money). It took us around eight full days of work, with both of us out there shoveling away and laying in the new ground cover. It was labor-intensive but personally didn’t mind the opportunity to be outside.

After planting new plants and giving them time to grow in a bit more, I’m excited to share the photos! This backyard project has certainly been a labor of love and also a source of joy. Watching things grow, start to bear fruit, and having a space to share with friends and family is rewarding.

I remember two days into ripping the bark out, I looked at Travis and said: “what have I signed us up for?!” Anyhow, it was worth it.

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So here is a look at our backyard reveal, with before and after photos. Take a look.

Our Backyard Reveal: Before and After

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Before Photos

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Landscaping Changes

The major changes in landscaping were in the ground cover and removal of plants. The planter areas under the trees and the fence line were originally filled with dark bark. So we started with this area. There were also a lot of bushes (that we hadn’t maintained) that we wanted to remove to keep the yard minimal.

The idea was to replace them with fruit-bearing trees and bushes. We were lucky to have an existing drip-system in place so it wasn’t too complicated to replace the existing plants.

So we removed all the bark and existing non-fruit bearing bushes (with exception of the bird of paradise) and replace the ground covering with a natural decomposed granite (DG). DG is incredibly affordable when bought in bulk at a local landscaping company and made the most sense for us.

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What we planted

Sacramento is a great region for having an urban garden. A lot of our friends in the city have incredible vegetable gardens in their backyard like Kyle @urbanfarmstead and Morgan @dailyflourish that inspired us to grow our own.

Here’s the final list of what we planted in ground:

• Two blueberry bushes
• Additional fig tree
• Dwarf bears lime tree
• Dwarf mandarin tree

We also planted a few potted plants:

• Spanish olive tree
• Dwarf clementine tree
• Two tomato plants
• Jalapenos + mint
• Herb box with a mixed variety

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Furnishings

With a brick home, we wanted the colors to pop and so we went with a neutral black and grey palette. The idea was to break up the large patio into two seating areas: one for dining and another to relax. A fire pit was also a must, especially to use in the fall and early spring months. We kept it as simple as possible given that normally we’re on the road a lot. It was important that it was no-fuss outdoor furniture that could be easily put away in the winter.

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The whole dining set is from CB2. It’s the Rex black Resin Chairs + Matera Grey Solid Acacia Dining Table.

The living space area is all from AllModern. It’s the Hammond Sectional separated into two sections. This 3-piece sitting set and the Howland Cast Iron Fire Pit.

We added these string lights from Amazon and have been really impressed by the quality.

The other pots in the garden are sourced from our local nursery, Green Acres. CB2 has some wonderful outdoor pottery, and are often on sale. This grey planter is very similar.

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More Photos

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