Party in the back...

We have a teeny little backyard and deck, though we are lucky to have more than most townhouses, since we have the end unit.  This is what we started with, way back in 2007.

Before the builders finished our fence.

Sad light still needs to be changed out.

I did not anticipate that these would get so much bigger.  They got moved last year.

We've added a few details since then (like a stone patio where most of the soggy shade couldn't sustain sod), but the winter always leaves the backyard shouting for some love come springtime.  Finally, we got a beautiful weekend at home to whip the backyard into passable shape (hello, local dump!) - we tossed out old broken toys and the chimenea whose bottom dropped out.

 Last year, we sprayed the table and chairs on the deck.  But the table and chairs were still set in the middle of the deck, which made it harder to get around on.

Since then, we've added 2 deck boxes from World Market to expand our seating/deck usability options.  I had to reinforce the seat on one of them, but the other seems stronger?  I don't know.  

I still need to get cushions for this year - with all our summer rainstorms, I can never keep cushions nice longer than one season.

As much as we love our neighbors, I have many pinterest pins devoted to ideas for blocking this view.  I think it will ultimately be something plant-based, though the lattice inspirations I have seen are also very tempting.

The angle from this side makes the other neighbor not feel so close.

Smoker, Grill - The Mister's Favorites

See the floodlight to the right of the door?  That's pretty exactly at eyeball height on me, and has been on my to-change list since 2007.  I'll get to it one day.  Maybe.

The beds got weeded, but the plants need some love, and some relocation.  The ferns wind up a little sunburned, in the coming months.  And the lawn in front of the gate will probably get replaced by pavers, since no grass ever seems to survive there.

The kiddo gets ridiculously violent reactions to mosquito bites, so I'm trying to work in lots of natural mosquito repellers all around the yard.  Lemongrass and Lavender have been potted already; I'm still waiting on some others to hurry up and become seasonally available in our local nursery.

The most comfy outdoor chairs ever.

I'm planning on moving a few hostas over here, where it's way too shady for most grass.  I'll also be getting a few more of the stones like the ones in the patio to make a little paver path.

There's a hole in this pond, so I'll be working on finding and fixing that so we can re-introduce fish, and have soothing fountain noises again, too.

The kiddo is starting swim lessons this year, and there's just barely enough room on the grassy side to plop down a 10' pool for at-home practice, so some of the hostas and fern plants are going to have to get moved. 

insert pool here.

We also need to replace the boards on the deck rail, since the stain is chipped, and the wood underneath is sunburned and cracked and splintery.  But I'll feel very terrible about evicting our carpenter bee family.  They make a sawdusty mess on the desk, but they're good little pollinators.  

Sawdust, hole, fat bees buzzing...