Monday, April 13, 2015

Hardscaping is hard.

We haven't been very good lately at taking it easy on the weekends. Last weekend they were calling for rain but then on the Thursday before the forecast changed to sun and I was like, "I guess there's no reason not to tear out the lawn in the backyard."


This was back breaking and it sucked so hard that I'm glad we may never have to remove sod at this house again. This was before, with our weird boards showing where a low deck will go.


As before, we put our sod on craigslist and a bunch of weirdos showed up and took it home. Enjoy your crap lawn! You're insane. Also, my back hurts.Those rolls were HEAVY. But now I can say I've removed every inch of sod from this property.


Then Greg and I sat here in our mudpit and drank a gin and tonic and bemoaned that our work was just beginning.


And then we moved two yards of gravel to the backyard . . .


. . . so that this guy could deliver two tons of rock to me.


And then Sunday morning I started working on a rock wall.


And then I had a crisis of confidence and nearly broke down because I couldn't tell if it was ugly or not. It looked great on paper! I'm still unsure of how to size the deck appropriately. So I pulled out some boards from the garage so I could make a poorly rendered mockup in Photoshop of what the deck might look like. Picture a beautifully stained 4 inch platform deck. And all of the old Home Depot retaining wall stones are going.


I need to redo the right side of the rock wall and bring it out a bit; I don't like the angle of the curve the way it is right now. The fake deck is currently 10x14 feet. I've looked high and low for some sort of guide for deck sizes (how much room do people need around a dining table? more than three feet?) but every guide is for a mega-deck in a yard where people hate gardening. I vacillate between thinking it's way too big and fearing it will be too small. Our deck just needs to hold a table that sits four people and our cute little bamboo couch.

We have two stupid things and one serious thing dictating the size and location of the deck. The serious thing is the drip line of the cedar, which we need to dig outside of, so it can't shift left any more, unless we cantilever the deck over the footings. The two stupid things are what-ifs that we never do:

  1. Really large dinner parties. Though we host barbecues, we've never had a large dinner party in the summer (I hate cooking when it's hot) and a long table could be moved to the open gravel area IF that ever happened. 
  2. Movie viewings. We don't own a screen but we borrowed a friend's screen ONCE four years ago and hosted a movie night. Greg wants me to leave this wall clear so we can hang the screen we may never borrow again:
The view from the deck
I'm sort of inclined to move the rock wall out even further, movie screen be damned (the front plants will be short, anyway). My main goal with this project is to get as much planting space as humanly possible while getting a slightly raised area for wining and dining (that may get a pergola or cover at some point). 

I'm already happy because we won't have a dormant lawn, come July. It made the backyard look so desiccated and sad all summer. All of the new plantings for the rock wall area will be drought-tolerant because I hate watering.

If anyone has opinions or advice, I'm all ears. Bigger deck? Smaller? Cantilevered? Get rid of it all and put in sod? I just don't know anymore.

31 comments:

  1. Oh Heather - PLANTS! More plants. Plus you have been working so hard, it's ok to take some down time (maybe?? if you can). The early spring edition of Garden Design magazine has an essay on "Rules of the Game" about just this topic - design which is very informative and hellpful. You can borrow my copy....but you also underestimate your abilities. Plants....go with the plants and make the paths wider than you think you will need them to be.

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  2. Does the path look too narrow here?

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  3. That depends what you will use it for - will it suit your needs?

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  4. I actually think this looks good

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  5. I can look at it with some fresh eyes if you like. You around this afternoon?

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  6. A complete picture of the design drawing might be helpful. Just a thought. Also, is that stacked stone wall going to connect with the corner of the deck, or is there going to be a sliver of gravel around the deck between the deck and the wall? Cause I would think no sliver of gravel would be preferable. Weeding that little area would be a PITA for me. Weeds WILL grow in the gravel. And I like wider arcs on curves too.

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  7. About the size of deck: read up on recommendations for rugs under dining room tables. You'll find advice for how much room to allow so the chair stays on the rug even when pushed back from the table.
    Your backyard project is really exciting to watch!

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  8. Go for the size of the deck that 'feels' right at the moment without over analysing things not looking for rule guides, your lifestyle will adjust to whatever size you guys go for :)

    And well done guys, that was a lot of sod to remove and it certainly looked hard work but so well worth it with gravel and a new decking area, and things are shaping up very nicely!

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  9. I was so hoping you'd chime in--I appreciate your input so much!

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  10. The movie screen seems important to me.

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  11. I want it to cozy right up to the edge of the deck but Greg wants space. Since I'm building the wall, I think I'll get my way.

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  12. What Laurrie said. Is the deck going to be 4 inches off the ground? That seems kind of short. Why a deck at all when you could put in a patio and never have to deal with splinters. Splinters suck and decks need maintenance. But I love that you're doing this. You are a goddess!

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  13. Yep, four inches. Think Asian gardens.

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  14. Heather, I love your new project. Our dining table patio is 10' by 11' and it feels spacious for our round table that fits four. Your measurement sounds good. This is going to look gorgeous once it is planted. We've been freaking out about our new pergola that we're building. The projects that scare me are usually ones that I love the most when they are completed. I can't wait to see your garden. :)

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  15. I admire all your hard work!

    But I'm with Tammy and would encourage a patio rather than a deck (which needs regular staining, sanding, power washing, etc.)

    Or how about a pea gravel patio (European style)?

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  16. You can't have a deck that is to big,remember you will put a few pots etc on it also I'm sure and you will kick yourself when you realize it's not big enough. This is going to look so great.

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  17. So awesome. Humping sod SUCKS. A LOT. Thankfully, I'm done with that stage. I took the last of it out when I was pregnant with baby number three. Clearly I was insane. I believe our deck is 12 x12 and it's just right. I can measure it if you'd like. Our patio is smaller and I kinda hate it. Not that that's helpful in the least. ;)

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  18. I totally lied...it's rectangle, not square. I'll measure it in the morning.

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  19. Thank you so much for saying that--I really needed to hear it!

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  20. Oh my gosh, you two are so right. I really overthink this stuff.

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  21. That's totally helpful--thank you!

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  22. Well it is in heavy use (at least one night every two years) but we'll squeeze you in.

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  23. I don't even have words to describe how impressed I am Heather! I'm in the camp that recommends more planting space! It's the plants that will bring you joy. I hope you are able to set back from the project once and awhile and take it all in. It's a massive undertaking that will define the year and moment you are living in :)

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  24. Wow, this is going to be great, Heather! I can't wait to watch how it evolves. Pam/Digging - www.penick.net/digging

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  25. Love the look. I'd suggest putting furniture out there to see how much room they take. Or at least lay newspaper or something down to show where it will go.

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