Now the weather is warming up we have been out in the garden, now I love to show the pictures of the garden when we moved in as it was a jungle, and it makes me feel so much better about how much we have done since then!

garden before

garden before

Super over grown, and not family friendly at all, so with lots of huffing and puffing, and help from family members we created this space. The play area is where the greenhouse used to be! A back garden with a lawn, flower beds, and a paved patio featuring stacked chairs and a small table evokes a Debenhams moodboard. A wooden playset with swings and a blue slide stands on blue rubber, all bordered by trees and a brown fence.

We were so pleased with it, the kids could play safely, they had a lovely play area and we really enjoyed the space. However as you can see the area on the left was planted up with lots of plants, many that weren’t our cup of tea, and grew like made! It was such a deep flower bed, that I could never keep on top of the weeds, the plants always grew too big, and it was such a headache to keep neat.

Now we are ready to attack it even more, create a space we love and can use lots. I want the kids to be able to come outside and relax, play and a space where we can all enjoy.

In a few weeks I am going to join in with another great UKHomeBlogHop and team up with some fantastic home bloggers. We are going to feature our summer spaces, so what a perfect opportunity to show you what changes we are making to our summer space.

Before

These photos we’re taken this weekend, before we started any work. We have started to replace some fence posts, as we have added trellis to the low fencing. This helps with privacy and means I am able to grow some plants up it too.

A green back garden with a flower garden and patio furniture showcases thoughtful garden plans. A blue slide, trampoline, and a white dog stand on the grass near a wooden fence, with trees and houses in the background. A suburban back garden with a patio set, parasol, scattered toys, garden hose, and flower beds shaped by thoughtful garden plans, behind a two-storey brick house with white-framed windows and a satellite dish.

I have put together some rough drawings (don’t laugh too much!) on the layout we like.

Garden layout map with labelled zones: garden play area, trampoline, grass, two seating areas, two flower beds, BBQ & patio area, and house. Zones are colour-coded in pink, green, blue, and white for easy identification.

Patio Area

First off we have a patio area directly outside the house, this is a great area to have as our main outside eating area. It is right outside the door and easy to carry things from the kitchen. To the left hand side, we will have our BBQ, we really got into eating outside last year and being able to cook so easily on the BBQ. It needs its own area and place to go now!

Raised Flower Beds

Then in front of the patio area we have some raised flower beds, these are new and we really love the white rendered raised flower beds. We got a quote for these to bed built for us, £3000! So we are going to give them a go ourselves! Wish us luck!!

Sofa Seating Area

In the overgrown flower bed to the left, we are clearing it out and laying some to lawn, creating a flower bed along the fence line and then another seating area. In this area I am looking at adding in a sofa seating area. Somewhere to sit and have a cuppa, and not be sat at a proper table.

Privacy

The on the right hand side, we have our neighbours. We are pretty over looked as the previous owner to us had just installed 4ft fencing along this side. Trellis and new planting along the right hand side should give us more privacy, and look much prettier.

Play Area

Then the play area, this will have a tidy up and some more bits added to it. They use this area so much that we won’t be getting  rid of this for a while.

Pinterest Ideas

 

So I will be back in a few weeks with the reveal of what we have been up to!

24 Comments

  1. Wow you’ve planned quite a bit, I’m impressed. It doesn’t look bad in the ‘before’ but I’m sure it’ll look stunning and Pinterest worthy in the ‘after’ 🙂

    • Thanks, will be great to get the final photos up and show everyone. Just lots of hard work first!

  2. Keely's Nails Reply

    It looks so different! You’ve really transformed it, so worth all the hard work.

  3. I love your play area, I want something like that for my own children for next year (when they are a bit bigger). We have just moved so the garden needs some tlc x

    • It has been a great investment, and we got ours on eBay too and they have played with it so much.

  4. I like the idea of fencing off the play area to keep pets out. Our dog frequently gets scared by the shrieking of the kids having fun so keeping him at a distance is something we’ve considered for our garden

    • Yes it works great for keeping our dog off the play area, the kids can play happily and he can’t eat any of the rubber chippings!!

    • I can’t wait to show you all! I am really excited by the flower beds, they are going to look so pretty

  5. How exciting! I do love to see before and after photos. And I do love a good garden transformation. You have some wonderful ideas, and things are certainly looking good.

  6. Zena's Suitcase Reply

    The outside space you have created is amazing. I love the design and I bet it was worth all that huffing and puffing 🙂

    • Thanks, it is a nice space to work with. There is lots more huffing and puffing to come!

  7. I love your playframe – I want a corner like that in my garden. By the time we do it, the kids will probably be too big to use it LOL

    • It has had so much use, we got it 2nd hand on ebay at a bargain price as well.

  8. five little doves Reply

    I can’t wait to see the after photos!! We are starting our garden make over this weekend too, we haven’t got anywhere near as organised as making plans though!

  9. Wow how exciting in love a garden transformation can’t wait to see how yours turns out!

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