BKYD Life

Gather. Create. Grow.

Landscape Design

Is it Time to Swim?

Imagine the warm sun on your shoulder, maybe its a bit too warm. It would be great to jump into some cool water to cool off. But you can’t because you don’t have a pool in your backyard.

Sound familiar? Well, if you want to be swimming this summer, now is the time to begin the process. I’m going to tell it like it is ~ because, well, I have been living with a pool designer for a long time and every summer he is shocked that so many people are surprised that pool construction takes as long as it does!

As with anything, the sooner you start the sooner you will be done. If you wait until it’s hot, you might but probably won’t be swimming this summer! That is just the hard facts. Now, since everyone was home last summer (and might be again this coming summer) the pool industry was hit hard.

  1. Pool sales were up in 2020, so that meant more demand for the contractors that build pools. Which also meant it took longer to build.
  2. Supply lines were impacted. Concrete and shotcrete prices increased. Pool equipment was in short supply.
  3. Now that Texas has had the winter storm of winter storms, their pools were impacted (to the extent we don’t yet know). But they might need new equipment and definitely need some TLC (by the same people that you might need to build a new pool).

Are you seeing a pattern? If you want a swimming pool in your backyard to enjoy the summer of 2021, the time is now to begin the process. It will cost you more and will take longer than you think. So get your budget ready and prepare to be patient through the process. Click here for a helpful article I wrote last year that will walk you through the swimming pool planning process.

Now, if you are goin to put a pool in this year, let me know how it goes and tag us on Instagram with a photo of the finished product.

The 5 Love Languages, Backyard Edition…

Are you familiar with the 5 Love Languages? Take the quiz here to see which “language” you speak. I am personally fluent in Acts of Service! I love to do for others, cooking being my favorite.

How can the 5 Love Languages be applied to the backyard? 

1. Words of Affirmation ~ Try saying “Meet me in the backyard, I will cook dinner tonight on the grill.”

2. Quality Time ~ Nothing better than gardening together.

3. Receiving Gifts ~ Gift your loved one something you grew in your garden!

4. Acts of Service ~ Clean up the backyard so you can enjoy it together.

5. Physical Touch ~ Dance by the light of the moon in your backyard.

I created a version of this list for our email subscribers. They also received a screensaver with a calendar that can be downloaded. This is a newsletter feature only available to subscribers. If you want to get a new screensaver each month, subscribe today.

Show Your Yard Some Love

Whether you are in the warm desert Southwest or still buried in the snow, you need to be prepared for spring cleaning ~ and it isn’t just for indoors. Your patio, yard and garden need some attention, if not now then soon!

We all have crazy long to-do lists so I created a PDF that you can download and use. I hope this helps you with your outdoor spring cleaning. It is by no means complete so let me know how I can update it for future use.

Spring Cleaning Checklist

Planning a Spring Garden

If you are new to gardening, it is always best to start with a plan. Here are a couple simple steps to having a bountiful harvest or at least enjoy the process. Tools you will need include; pencil and graph paper, a tape measure and information about what you want to plant.

Planning Steps

Did you plant a garden last year? Did you take notes about what worked and what didn’t? This is helpful information so get it out and have it handy as you plan for this year. And, let this serve as a reminder or maybe a nudge (if you didn’t take notes in the past) to take notes as this year’s garden grows. Trust me, those notes will serve your future gardening adventures.

  1. Read through your notes from past years. Review what worked and what didn’t. Sketch your garden beds on the graph paper and make note of the size of beds you have.
  2. Do you have any seeds leftover from last year? What supplies will you need this year? Make a list. Decide whether to purchase online or from your local garden center.
  3. Start marking your garden layout where to plant which seeds or seedlings. Information you will need includes: sun exposure in each section of the bed(s) vs. sun exposure needs per variety, watering needs per variety and spacing per variety.

Now that is all the pencil and paper planning. But here are some resources to assist you with the decisions that go into the planning.

  1. Mother Earth News ~ you can sign up for regular information about when to plant and what to plant based upon your zip code. I find this very helpful since my planting seasons are much different than the rest of the US. Living in the Desert Southwest doesn’t mean I can’t garden, just that I need to know and understand my climate as it relates to planting.
  2. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds ~ is a great resource to learn about the seeds you want to plant. They have broken it down by space, water and sun needs and so much more. You can also order your seeds directly from them if you are interested.
  3. Gardeners ~ has a large selection of tools and supplies for every type of garden and gardener.
  4. Farming My Backyard ~ wrote a post all about planning and what to consider throughout the year.
  5. Tenth Acre Farm ~ wrote a post all about starting your seeds inside so you have seedlings to plant.
  6. SchneiderPeeps ~ has a downloadable gardening notebook to help you keep track and make planning easier for next year.

Happy planning friends! And tag us on social media with a photo of your plans.

Planners are Planters

Are you a planner or would you characterize yourself as more spontaneous? Do you like to think about things, write them down, have a list to check off? Maybe you just go with the flow, see how you feel in the morning kinda person?

Neither one is right, neither one is wrong. I would like to think of myself as somewhere in the middle. Sometimes I have a plan and sometimes I don’t. 

Many plans for 2020 had to be changed or discarded all together. New plans had to be created. Some people faced more anxiety than ever all because they didn’t know how to plan with all the restrictions. For that very reason, I don’t think plans should ever be etched in stone. They need to be flexible at all times. There are just too many factors that we can’t control. Even if there isn’t a pandemic to deal with, we can’t control the weather or the needs/wants of those around us. There will always be parameters we need to work within.

According to Wikipedia, 

Planning is the process of thinking about the activities required to achieve a desired goal. It is the first and foremost activity to achieve desired results. It involves the creation and maintenance of a plan, such as psychological aspects that require conceptual skills. There are even a couple of tests to measure someone’s capability of planning well. As such, planning is a fundamental property of intelligent behavior.

So how does a flexible plan work within an outdoor space? Well, to get the most out of your time and outdoor space you need a plan. You can create zones that are multifunctional. Let’s start with a few simple questions about how you want to use your outdoor space, as you answer these don’t focus on the outdoor space you currently have, just what you would like to have even (if it is eventually):

  • Do you want to garden?
  • Do you want room for animals (even just 1 dog)?
  • Do you want to play games outside?
  • Do you want to watch movies outside?
  • Do you want to have a fire pit?
  • Do you want to cook outside?
  • Do you want to eat outside?
  • Do you want a swimming pool?
  • Do you want a play structure or trampoline?
  • Do you want space to exercise, maybe meditate outside?

Once you have the answers to these questions you can move forward with the next part of the plan. If you don’t have the space for what you want, you have a couple choices ~ 1. Save up so you can eventually get what you want; 2. Decide what is most important to you right now (for example a garden to grow healthy food) and find a solution (use pots on your balcony to grow a select group of vegetables and herbs), or; 3. Contact a realtor and get moving!

For the sake of this article, let’s say you have space for a few items on your list and you are happy to make that work.

Next, it will be time to create zones within your outdoor space. But let’s table the discussion for now. This topic will be discussed more in-depth later this month. For now, continue to look over this list and envision you, family and friends using your outdoor space. You will need that vision when we come back to this topic.

To be continued…

Lawn Decor Storage Ideas

Is it time to store your holiday outdoor decorations? A little time organizing now could make it easier next year to share the joy!

A few tips –

  • If you have any battery powered items, make sure you remove the current battery. Batteries can corrode in stored items. Also, make a list of battery size(s) and quantities you will need next year that way you can purchase them before you start decorating.
  • Wrap light strings around a piece of cardboard. It’s a great way to reuse those shipping boxes. Many storage containers that are created just for the storage of lights may come with a plastic piece to wrap the lights around, just a thought if you are purchasing storage containers.
  • Store extension cords (also wrapped around a piece of cardboard) and timers with the lights so you don’t have to go searching.
  • Keep an inventory list on your smart phone of what you have so you don’t buy duplicates. You know how retailers start putting Holiday Decor out sooner and sooner, well you don’t want to purchase something you don’t need just because they tempted you!

This is a great option for both lights and faux garland storage. It is also a perfect idea for extension cords

I like to use red and green containers for all my Holiday decor, this allows me to know quickly which bins in the garage are needed after the Thanksgiving turkey has been gobbled up.

Happy cleaning and organizing. And Happy New Year!