The Backyard Project
 

I was reading a thread a while back and someone mentioned that people in my generation didn't grow working with their hands, didn't appreciate quality, were generally lazy, and wanted instant gratification; I'm 31. Sadly I can't argue with that assessment, but it prompted me to dig up some pictures of an ongoing (2 year and counting)project in my backyard. Hopefully this will give you a little hope for the future.:D Also, my wife and I did everything except the deck.


First, we had our deck remodeled.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243889982.jpg

then we built a patiohttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243890096.jpg My neighbor wouldn't let me touch the bobcat:(

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243890157.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243890200.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243890273.jpg

patio cont.
 

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243890752.jpg This thing sucked.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243890906.jpg
Pavers are a SOB by the way

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243891107.jpg almost there


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243891150.jpg Tah-dah a patio.

Wow, man. That looks absolutely fantastic! My dream is to find a nice house on the west coast one day for cheap, in need of repairs and restoration, and practically rebuild it from the ground up, including a patio similar to yours. Those stones look great!

[oldgenerationguyspeaking]

When we did that kinda work, we didn't have no newfangled gas powered jobbies, we used shovels and tampers by hand! And we didn't have no helpers, we did it all alone!

[/oldgenerationguyspeaking]

The Grill
 

Well, after the blisters heeled from the patio I started thinking "what does the patio need?". A place to cook some yard bird, swine, and Angus was the answer.:cool:. No ordinary grill would do, I needed counter space, and more blisters.

So I built a frame.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243891572.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243891627.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243891692.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243891741.jpg I should have told you first, I bought a prefabbed grill and built the frame around it.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243891835.jpg Covered with backer-board.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243891885.jpg Tile job in progress.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243891935.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243891969.jpg Finished product. I didn't like the tile picked in the end, but I was proud of the work non the less.

Nice!

Going to add a cabana or anything?

And we liked it!

I am the one that started the thread you refer to (I think) and I'll be the first to congratulate you on many levels.

BTW, if that was you in the blue shirt, I can appreciate the hearing protection, but what about the eyes? :)

YEs

Yea, that's me. I usually where eye protection, just happens to be no pictures. My livelihood depends on good ears, eyes, and overall good health. I do think that thread was started by you, I don't remember the context of the comment, but it got me thinking I should post these.

Here we go again
 

We sodded the backyard and we are spending more time there. One BIG problem, the sun. The house faces southish so the afternoon/evening sun beats the down on the deck to the point it's unbearable. I decide to build a planter for tall shrub like bushes for sun blockage. Then I have a stroke of genius, why not build a trellis and plant Jasmine vine in the planter, that way the vine will eventually cover the trellis providing full blockage. Plus, Jasmine has beautiful blooms and smells fantastic. I don't have pictures of process just some finished shots.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243894275.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243894341.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243894392.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243894425.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243894473.jpg


The trellis was challenging, but fun, to build. I don;t like it uncovered, I think Jasmine is going to make it pop. I have better pics of the wall in the next installment.

What's going in behind the concrete block structure?

That's the planter. You'll see here in a second

Finishing the Planter
 

We couldn't decide how to finish the planter. Then one day we pass some new construction where blasting is being done, problem solved. Tennessee has many old dry stacked stone walls of all shapes and sizes, we love the look, but rock from landscapers is expensive. Blast zone solved this problem. Collected a bunch of natural shale and got to work.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243895357.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243895415.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243895492.jpg thank God


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243895586.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243895812.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243895956.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243896034.jpg very relaxing

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243896114.jpg Can't find good help anymore.



That's all for now, stay tuned.

WOW...that planter is gonna look great. With direct sunlight the jasmine will go nuts. We planted three small plants about 18" originally on a small trellis in direct sun. In one season it went absolutely wild and covered it beautifully.

One suggestion...and it really does look great what you've done....If you enclosed the steps; i.e., on the vertical plane on the stringers, that deck would look much more substantial and custom finished.

Nice work.

Are your concrete blocks mortared? I think planting mix and the eventual roots system of any planting will push those blocks out. Also, you have a running bond on the caps on the outer wall, but not on the inner. The running bond is stronger, even with caps.

Just some .02 from the peanut gallery (and a 39 year veteran of construction).

Thanks, I didn't notice the caps pn the back wall, oops. I dry stacked the blocks because I didn't think Jasmine would have a big root system.

In that case, I would recommend keeping the jasmine in the nursery containers or building a wooden planter boxes to lower into your masonry one. You seem to be handy with wood. Drainage is important, too, so this might be a way to provide for good drainage with a small amount of gravel between the block walls.