Bring on the relaxation!
I had big plans for our backyard this summer and Lori did not disappoint. All I mentioned to my darling husband, Chase, was, ’what if we had a hammock corner?’ And it was all downhill from there. Soon plans were drawn, Facebook was scoured, and banana trees were grown; all in hopes of making a beautiful relaxation area.
Oh yeah, and did I mention this was free?
Before
Between the patches of mud, the plywood window, and the broken down fence, I was thoroughly disgusted with this corner of the yard. And while the rest of it is coming along swimmingly, that eyesore is all you see from our beautiful, free deck.
Emptying garden bed
To remedy this, we moved the existing garden bed and used the dirt for flower beds along the neighbor’s garage and the back fence. We put cardboard down first to prevent weeds from growing as much as possible and used leftover treated lumber as the edging. As the weather warms up, we’ll have gorgeous flowers popping up to provide some privacy and hide some ugly.
Hauling rocks onto the plastic
Next, we laid down some heavy plastic (also to prevent weeds) where we wanted to place the rocks. After a couple months of searching, we found someone on Facebook marketplace who was giving away these rocks for FREE! We hauled them away in a snowstorm but it was WORTH IT!
Spreading woodchips throughout the area
You already know what I’m gonna say. Our local chip drop is the place to go for free mulch/ wood chips. While you can use gravel or even just grass for this step, we went the quickest route and laid down some mulch. The great part about this is it’s easy to mow around and will eventually settle overtime, allowing the rocks to really dig into the groves and stay in place better. Until then, I have to watch out for splinters.
Cutting the plastic. Fitz wanted to help
Finally it was time to cut the plastic and take a look at what we were left with!
Finished result
Ta-Da! A hammock corner in one day! Just in time for warmer weather too!
Fitz in the hammock
I think Fitz approves of this project! And this is only the beginning! Check back here for part two where we put in the pond!
Your Friendly Neighborhood DIYer,
Bailey
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