I've made a dog's dinner of the back yard. Help please!!

cardinal tetra

So I went at the garden.
I liked these z lock bricks so I picked up 25 of them.

The gardens in tatters. I've uncovered concrete under the stones, that's why they were there! Previous owner was a d.i.y. enthusiast. Me not so much! Any suggestions on what to do or how to do this would be much appreciated.
Looking for grass and need to hide the falling down wall to right of shed.
Budget left is 500 quid. Need new decking too so could do with holding back some of that!

Yeah, I know I did the destroying before I had a plan fully formed. I wanted to use the bricks and or sleepers but I'm at a loss. You look at superb Arden and such like and you think ' I could do that' but it's an absolute ache.

I've attached a few pics, mainly of the bin being moved to different positions or trying stuff with the blocks.
How's your time to flourish boards!

Ct .

cardinal tetra

Few more for giggles

I realise the rail and fencing aren't 100% straight. Or technically attached to the wall!

prinzeugen

Have you thought about fake grass/astro turf?

It is not as expensive as it once was.

Plenty of stuff that could be recycled to keep costs down.

cardinal tetra

I actually love real grass. Dog loves to poop in it any chance he. Gets though!

Have a few fake bits but hoping some landscaper or architect will be sympathetic to my idiocy on here!

Step 1 wreck garden.
Step 2.....

looksee

What are you trying to achieve? What would you like to see in the area?
How much work are you prepared to put in on an on-going basis?
Take up all the rotten decking and put in paving.
Do you want to take up all the concrete, or replace the pebbles, or pave it?
Do you need the big shed? Could you replace it with a smaller one? It would of course mess up your budget.
I can't share your enthusiasm for the interlocking bricks, but if you use them don't make them the basis of your design. Decide what you basically want first and incorporate them later.

pwurple

These photos are confusing the heck out of me. Which is the most recent? They seem to be from various times .

The interlocking bricks are very odd, can you return them?

Otherwise, it doesn't look too bad to me. Paint the decking with a preserver like cuprinol and paint your shed as well. They have a shades range with colour pigmentation in it. Your paint will come to about 50 euro.

Break up the concrete with a jackhammer (rent hammer for 25 quid). Pull out the pieces and spread out your gravel for a bit of drainage. Then get some top soil for 100 quid, rake it out, spread grass seed (about 1 euro). Water it in the evening for a week and see your grass shoot up this time of year..

Is it a raised bed around the side you want to do? Those z blocks won't be strong enough to retain it. You could put in some timber or build a block wall if you want... put the broken concrete in the bottom third for drainage, top soil on top and off you go with some planting, buy the plants with your remaining budget. I've done a rustic looking whitewashed block wall before, it's doable in a couple of afternoons (because I can't plaster to save my life, so it HAS to be rustic). Mix some lime in with your paint and you get a Mediterranean or cottagey look wall. A string of fairy lights and you're done.

Blocks will be 2 or 3 euro each, but if you look on donedeal or adverts you might be able to get old ones under Building Materials. People sell half bags of cement as well. Sand is 2 euro a bag. I'd guess you'll need around 4 bags?

seamus

Sketch out what you had in your head in terms of what you want it to look like.

Often the balance here is between it being expensive time-wise and cheap money-wise, or vice-versa.

Do you need to replace the deck for example? If it's not rotten, then you can spend time on your hands and knees sanding it, treating it and varnishing it (the railing too) and it'll come up beautiful for a fraction of the price.

Given the concrete slab on the right-hand side, I'd be inclined to put down 600mm paving slabs between the deck and the shed, fill in the smaller section on the right with the stones that you've pulled up, and dig out the larger section on the left and put down grass.

If that bit on the left also has the concrete slab underneath and you're married to putting down grass, then what you should do is pull out everything and fill in that entire area with topsoil. That will bring the garden level with the shed and the deck and you'll have enough depth there to grow a decent lawn.

Day Lewin

The lilies are great, though.
What plants do you like?
what mood do you want, in your garden?

How about an odd tree, even one in a pot, for a bit of height, and a little privacy? Let it overhang a square of paving in a sunny spot - makes a pleasant place to put a chair, for a bit of sunbathing on a nice day.

And so on!

cardinal tetra

Day Lewin wrote: »

The lilies are great, though.
What plants do you like?
what mood do you want, in your garden?

How about an odd tree, even one in a pot, for a bit of height, and a little privacy? Let it overhang a square of paving in a sunny spot - makes a pleasant place to put a chair, for a bit of sunbathing on a nice day.

Privacy definitly good. Want to get a nice beech tree. Will cedar clad the left wall as it is really uneven amd i can straighten that out. How i merge wood with the bricks im not sure.


Sorry the pics are messed up. They are from various times and dates over the last week or 2. The file names are date and timed!!
And so on!

Privacy definitly good. Want to get a nice beech tree. Will cedar clad the left wall as it is really uneven amd i can straighten that out. How i merge wood with the bricks im not sure.


Sorry the pics are messed up. They are from various times and dates over the last week or 2. The file names are date and timed!!

Lumen

Day Lewin wrote: »

The lilies are great, though.
What plants do you like?
what mood do you want, in your garden?

How about an odd tree, even one in a pot, for a bit of height, and a little privacy? Let it overhang a square of paving in a sunny spot - makes a pleasant place to put a chair, for a bit of sunbathing on a nice day.

And so on!

This!

I think your problem is that you're looking at a building site and trying to tweak it with new materials. Gardens are about plants, the inorganic structures and materials are there for mostly practical purposes like screening, supporting and framing the site.

I wouldn't fuss about the walls. Once they're covered with plants you won't see them. If they grey concrete offends then just paint it.

You need to work out where you're heading and then make considered changes to get there. Hard landscaping is expensive. Plants are cheap, if you have the patience to let them grow.

Pinterest and Houzz are a good place to start. Put together some idea books or whatever and get inspired.

_Brian

On a tight budget talking of cedar cladding the wall is mad, paint it a neutral dark green colour and grow plants against it.

I also think people are talking about far too much stuff going on in that garden.

I'd loose the rail on the decking, stain the existing boards. Get rid of the concrete and lay grass in its place. The grass can be mowed easily and kept tidy.
From that you can add flower beds at your own pace when money allows.

Get control on the damn dog from digging up grass, put him in a wired run or similar.

cardinal tetra

Thanks for all the advice. Current plan decided by the other half is build the bricks 3 high amd have a raised ved to the left of the shed door. Coming out about 8 feet. Ive to try amd keep the bed thats there with the sleepers ( to the left is the drain pipe for the shed.) And then i guess fill thhe square the the raked up gravel and then fill with topsoil.

I wish i never started this. Where diarmuid gavin or charlie dimmock when you need them