Outdoor Oasis: Our Journey to Create a Stunning Backyard!
Hey there! If you loved the inside projects we shared in our previous post, get ready to be blown away by what we did with the outside of our old house. We turned a wooded property into a backyard paradise, and we’re thrilled to show you!
The first step was clearing out the brush in the back yard, and boy, did we do a fantastic job with the help of Chuck and my Dad. But the real gem was the firepit they built for my birthday. We used some rock my Dad had lying around, and let me tell you, it was so heavy that we had to roll it onto the trailer with some pipes!
From there, we were on a roll and decided to build a fabulous 12×10 salt box style shed towards the back of the property. It was a project full of determination, and we didn’t let the November snow stop us!
But wait, there’s more! We cleared more trees and contemplated a pool, but with Chuck’s upcoming surgery, we chose to wait. Instead, we went for something equally amazing: a breathtaking koi pond.
To make the koi pond a reality, we brought out the heavy machinery, courtesy of my parents’ tractor, and got rid of some pesky tree stumps. Then, we dug away with our bare hands, creating a beautiful 14’x12’x3’5″ pond with a stunning waterfall and a charming little stream.
When it came to the pond equipment, we were all about Aquascape. We made the trip to our favorite pond supplier, Decker’s Pondscapes, about 90 minutes away, and got all we needed, including the Series 1000 Skimmer, Series 6000 BioFalls, 5-PL 5000 Solids-Handling Pond Pump, liner, and underlay.
Now, for the rocks, we had a plan! My parents’ old rock walls came to the rescue, and we hauled them over from their place to ours. We were like rock-trucking pros! Once we had all the rocks, we arranged them carefully around the pond, and it was the perfect finishing touch.
Voilà, the pond was alive! But we thought it needed a little more magic. A pergola from Home Depot did the trick, and with some lights and a windmill that Chuck’s late sister gifted us, the pergola area became an enchanting retreat.
Once it was complete, we had someone fill our pond with water and started it up. Once the pond was done though, it felt like it was missing something so we found this beautiful pergola from Home Depot and put it up behind the pond. When we were finished, Chuck’s late sister bought us a windmill to go with it. We added koi to the pond and some lights to the pergola, and it became a backyard paradise.
With koi swimming gracefully and lights shimmering, our backyard turned into a true oasis. And that’s not all! On our just-over-an-acre property, we had an orchard of fruit trees, large flower gardens, berry bushes, and a spacious back porch. Our hearts swelled with pride.
We hope you enjoyed these highlights of our outdoor ventures. If you have any questions about our projects or need tips for your own backyard oasis, feel free to ask. We’re here to share the excitement and inspire you to create your own slice of paradise!
