Backyard Renovations // Inspiration Board

From the day we bought our house back in november 2014, we were itching for the warm weather to roll in. Why you ask? Well that would be to start working on yet another, back yard project. If you are new to the blog, ryan and I completely renovated and landscaped the backyard of our last home (see here) a couple years ago which was a major 180 when all the dust settled. We are back at it for our new home and have some big plans for our yard.

My goals are not out of control or unattainable... especially with how much my husband loves to get his hands' dirty and does the majority of the work on his own. In my idyllic backyard, I would like to have...

- both an entertaining and dining area

- a shaded patio 

- lighting that will bring ambiance as the sun goes down

- privacy from our neighbors

- lots of lush greenery and some hints of color

- a modern and streamlined feel

We have already planted 10 new shrubs/trees in the yard to break up the hard lines and I also purchased this new outdoor rug which looks lovely with the patio furniture we already own. I think the biggest impact for the space will be the pergola we are getting installed to increase the shade over the patio. The design we want is a bit more modern and minimalistic which I think will really give the yard a focal point. I am then hoping to add some mood lighting, a few potted plants to break up all the raw materials and then possibly a small dining area for al fresco meals. 

I cannot wait to share the progress. In the meantime, here is the inspiration board I am working off of for my backyard renovations.

(left to right:  modern pergola with dark stain  /  navy accents with whimsical lighting  /  vertical garden  /  glimmering strung bistro lighting  /  tree trunks wrapped with lights  /  potted plants with tons of texture  /  a small but cozy dining space  /  simple but inviting pergola)

This Weekend You Could...

get your pork on! watch 5 denver chefs prepare 6 pork dishes using a whole hog at this year’s cochon 555. Sample the chef’s creations, sip drinks and take in pop-up culinary experiences.

have a cinematic afternoon at the boulder international film festival. celebrities and film-lovers will be filling the theaters of boulder to see some docu-shorts, indie films, and new-but-unknown featured films.

parmigiano reggiano; quite possibly the most versatile and delicious cheese around. all whole foods markets will be hosting parm cracking events to pay homage to the 85lb wheels that have been aging for 24 months. free samples will be available as part of the celebration.

spring is nearly here and your garden could use some sprucing up. the center for resource conservation has low-water garden-in-a-box kits offering beautiful plants at ultra-low prices which thrive in colorado’s climate. order your’s today and pick up on the date of your choice. 

Memorial Day // Weekend Update

Welcome back from your long weekend. I hope yours was wonderful. Mine was fairly low-key I could not have been happier about that. Something about going into a three-day weekend and not having every minute filled with a plan was quite nice and a bit of a change of pace in my world. 

As I mentioned here last week, my sister-in-law peyton graduated from high school on friday night. What I didn't know, was she also graduated with honors as a member of honor society and with a 4.2 gpa. Oh so proud! It was awesome to be part of the many people there cheering her on and to see her walk across the stage in all her glory.

On saturday we decided to ditch our plans and be lazy at home. We took rocco for a walk, grilled out and drank wine on our porch. It was nice to have a slow intimate day just ryan and I doing nothing but enjoying each other's company at home.

We attended the first (of what I hope will be many) farmers markets on sunday. I bought some beautiful heirloom tomatoes which I am going to use in a caprese salad tonight. The afternoon was then spent at wash park for our bbq our friend brian organized. We played volleyball, bags and were lazy in the sun until an afternoon storm came rolling in. With the weather a bit iffy, ryan and I grabbed dinner at cherry creek grill before venturing over to the bluebird theater to watch our friend josh perform with his band. Sunday was by far our busiest day of the weekend but jammed pack with fun.

To wrap up our extended weekend, our monday was spent nearly entirely in our yard. We replaced a couple plants that did not make it from last year, filled in our mulch, took care of the yard and just got things back to normal after a week of crazy wind and rain. The evening was then spent at my parents house for kabobs and baked potatoes. A great ending to our three-day weekend.

Weekend Update

It's monday people. The monday before a three day weekend and I am already so excited for it. Maybe too excited as I did not spend much time inside (working on my vacation recap like I said I would) and instead out in the beautiful sunny weather.

Friday night was spent with my sister and we had not only an amazing dinner but a seriously fun time at los chingones. The brussel sprouts were awesome and I also am a huge fan of their chicken enchiladas. We spent some much needed sister-time, laughing and telling stories while having some shots, compliments of our killer bartenders.

Saturday morning I got up early and got to work on getting our yard in shape. I stopped by home depot and picked up some flowers that I then spent a couple hours potting at home. Our front porch is so colorful now, horray! I then spent the rest of the afternoon being lazy on the couch with my favorite couch potato, rocco. We caught up on the dvr and lounged the evening away.

Sunday followed in line with saturday; doing yard work, putting out our patio furniture and enjoying the 80-degree temperatures. Ryan and I made a trip to the grocery store for ingredients for two of ina garten's recipes, homemade taziki dip and straw and hay with gorgonzola (fettuccine with peas and gorgonzola). We had a super relaxing day that I enjoyed so so very much.

I know the next few days are going to fly by, especially with memorial day on the horizon. Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!

Landscaping Updates // New Front Tree Too!

So just a few weeks ago I debuted our new autumn gold maidenhair tree that we planted in our front yard courtesy of denver digs.  You can read about it here.  What I have not mentioned in the past few weeks were the less than desirable weather conditions (snow + freezing temperatures) which lead to my tree crusting up to the image below.  RIP little maidenhair.  

The area we planted this tree is the 'public right away' which is the space between the street and the curb.  Previous to the maidenhair tree, we had laid sod that sadly did not make it (either) in the hot denver temperatures (at the time we did not have a sprinkler system and hand-watering did not provide enough concentrated moisture).  So, this weekend we decided to tackle the public right away with a landscaping overhaul.  

(looking back at our house from the street)

We made 5 trips to the hardware store over 2 days and bought in nearly 2,000 pounds of stone pavers to complete our project (each large stone was 38lbs!).  Throw in a few bags of paver sand, a couple shrubs, a new pair of leather gloves for ryan, a stellar new tree and some hard work to produce a great new public right away.  

(clockwise from top:  the view from our porch  /  a close up at the stone pavers set with sand  /  the final product which matches the section we did 2 years ago when we moved in)

Initially we were only going to plant the shrubs that are on the left/right of the tree and a couple lavender plants but we saw this october glory maple for an outrageously low price and changed our plans on the spot.  The tree should turn all sorts of bright amber colors in the fall that I cannot wait to see!  Oh, and those lavender plants found a new home in our backyard.  Once that space is filled in a bit more I will take some pictures to share.

(what a mature october glory maple looks like... so pretty)

I love how polished the stones look and the deep shades of green within the bushes.  The best part, all the plants thrive in high sun and do not require a lot of water.  I am hoping that this new tree will flourish in this space and provide some much needed shade to our front yard in the months/years ahead.

Finally Blooming

I mentioned just the other day that one of my spring goals was to get my planters filled with beautiful flowers.  I had high hopes to get a mix of color, texture and natural bug repellers and met nearly all of my criteria when all was said and done.

(clockwise from top left:  standing on my front porch looking down  /  pots in a row with blooming flowers below  /  a different view of my front porch planters  /  one of the planters filled with lavender and rosemary)

A week ago friday,  I made a couple trips to home depot, strolling the aisles of the gigantic garden center which was filled with endless options of beautiful plants and flowers.  I found enough flowers for both my front porch and back patio without breaking the bank.  After a few hours of breaking up soil from the year prior and then adding in new soil to the planters, I dug my holes and filled them in with the bounty I brought home.

(clockwise from top left:  backyard planter on the patio  /  my clematis from last year is turning green  /  buds are nearly in bloom  /  more backyard patio flowers  /  my pretty mystic dahlias)

While they are still small and getting used to their new homes, my clematis, coleus, cascading petunias, mystic 'illusion' dahlias, pansies and herbs are all doing well.  I actually think I have a couple additional flowers that I cannot remember the names of (if you know, please leave a comment below).  I am especially excited about my new dahlias;  I saw these for the first time here while on vacation in beaver creek last summer and fell in love.  The dark leaves contrast so well against the brilliant yellow.

Just like last year, I cannot wait to see all my flowers take root, grow larger and bloom even more.  Hopefully I will be a green thumb this summer and keep these guys thriving so I can post an update a couple months down the road.

Gardening Plans This Spring

Technically it is spring but here in denver we are still struggling to get out of winter.  Snow was falling earlier this week and it is a bit discouraging when you see so many great projects that you want to tackle for your own home but you know it still too soon. 

Perfect example, a few weeks ago we had a warm weekend and decided to fertilize our yard, spray down our porch to clean it up and put out our patio furniture to spruce up our curb appeal.  It snowed 2 days later.  Insert frustration here. 

(clockwise from top left:  lemongrass to repel mosquitoes  /  clematis to add a soft floral fragrance  /  

graceful grass vertigo to add depth and great color  /  purple cabbage because I love the architectural details  /  herbs for cooking  /  pansies for more color)

It is a realization that if you live in Colorado, planting flowers does not happen until at least mothers day (typically we get at least a couple nights of frost until mid-may… yuck!) which is another item I want to check off my list.  I have seen a lot of great inspirations on pinterest and found some hearty plants I want to put in my planter boxes this year.  We will see what actually looks good once we get to the nursery in a few weeks but if I had my druthers, I would choose all of these.  Updates to come once the weather is a bit less volatile. 

Denver Digs // New Tree For Our Yard

Our front yard got some new life in it this weekend, courtesy of denver digs; a foundation that works to preserve and enhance the urban forest of denver.  Every spring and fall, residents of the city can apply for a free tree to plant in designated areas within their yard.  This spring, denver digs let you choose from about a dozen specimen to then plant in the 'public right away', the area between the sidewalk and the curb.  

(left to right by row:  digging a hole double the rootball size  /  leveling the tree  /  ryan getting him out of his container  /  filling the hole with water to settle the soil  /  mulch to conserve moisture and reduce soil erosion  /  the buds are already producing leaves)

We now are the proud owners of a autumn gold maidenhair tree.  He is a lil guy right now... maxing out at about 5'5" tall and is as wide as my thumb but he will someday become a large shade tree that is strong and up to 35-50' tall.  I was immediately drawn to this tree for it's unique leaf shape and its vivid colors of amber, gold and yellow hues.  

I know we will not be in our home to see this guy reach its mature state, many years down the road but I look forward to seeing its buds turn to leaves, it gain a few more inches in height and the beauty it will add to our home from the street.  We have some plans for the public right away that it is planted in too so I will share updates on that in the coming month.

Here is what our tree will grow to look like...

(via)

(via)

Project Backyard, Completed!

I can proudly say, we are done with our back yard!!!  On Saturday our patio furniture arrived from Sam's Club and we jumped on putting it together in the 95 degree heat.  After moving the pieces around probably 25 times (no joke), we came up with a layout that is not only function but takes advantage of our 900 square feet of patio.  

(Before)

(After)

To look at the 'before' and 'after' is honestly such a shock.  I am so proud of all that we have done... on quite a budget too.  Back in June, I listed out the 6 items we wanted to change and we hit 4 out of 6 already.  We plan on planting a couple trees along our back fence line but are going to wait until the 90 degree weather subsides.  

I probably could have done a bit of a better job styling the space but I was tired and hot so this is what you get... you get the idea though!

Project Backyard, Nearly Complete

I cannot believe the changes that have occurred over the past 2 months in my backyard.  I mentioned our big backyard renovation here and I am still utterly shocked to see the transformation that is nearly complete.  If I could pinpoint one element of the backyard that has really made a huge difference would be the sod that was installed just last Friday.  We are having to water 4 times a day, 60 minutes each time (anyone want to make a donation to my water bill?!) to get the sod to take in the 90+ degree Colorado heat but it will all be worth it when Rocco is running his heart out.  All I am waiting for now is our patio furniture to show up in the mail and a BBQ with friends and family.

(Clockwise from top left:  the view after walking out of my house  /  rock and plants  /  shrub with yellow flowers  /  clematis growing up the trellis /  view from the back fence  /  clematis in bloom  /  Ryan and I basking in our hard work  /  rock and grasses)

Weekend Update

I was reminded today that I have been a bit absent in the posts over the past couple of days and I have to admit... I have been.  However, it is for good reason and I have a couple post coming together that will further prove this point.  Until then, here is a quick update on what has kept me away from my computer but full of smiles, laughter, sore muscles and complete happiness...

My sister turned 30... I mentioned it here.  We had quite the celebration and I cannot wait to share more of the details.

(Mariah, Gina and Ashley)

I spent some serious time with this guy.... my little Rocco.  He was acting a bit scared when I took this picture before bed one night but oh how cute is he?!?!

(Rocco going to bed)

We had 9 tons of rock delivered on Friday to start filling in our planter beds.  When I told  my mom 9 tons on the phone she said 'Nine, is that what I heard?!' and my sassy response was, 'Yes mom, as in the number after 8 and before 10'.  (I am such a snot sometimes!)

(Clockwise from top left:  the 1st plant in the ground  /  hooray for backyard greenery  /  Ryan working hard /  weed barrier in, waiting on rock  /  we had to rent a truck to bring everything home  /  working hard)

Six laborious hours on Saturday, 1 1/2 hours Sunday and an hour last night hauling rock and I can proudly say we are done laying weed barrier, planting 15 new shrubs and laying the majority of the rock.

Hope everyone had a good weekend and I cannot wait to share all the fun from my sister's birthday and another update on our backyard later this week!

Weekend Update

What a productive weekend it was in the Lopez household. 

Friday we had a romantic picnic for two in the park that you can read about here.

Saturday was an early start with Rocco getting groomed, Ryan and I hitting the gym and then stopping by the Farmer’s Market… all before 10a! 

(Clockwise from top left: new digs on the patio  /  retaining wall  /  patio /  feet on the patio  /  home depot) 

We built a retaining wall for a section of the backyard that is going to (soon) house plants and a couple new linear trees.  3 trips to Home Depot and 3 hours of laborious work in 96 degree heat resulted in a final product I could not be happier with.  We also picked up an umbrella and a new outdoor rug from Target to add some love to our patio.

(Clockwise from top left:  The Lopez's working away  /  Rocco having fun in the dirt  /  starting up the rototill  /  feet by the edging  /  Ryan rototilling)

Sunday called for more toil in the backyard as we prepped for our new sprinkler system (enter me jumping up and down for joy as I cannot wait to never water by hand again!).  Ryan rented a 13-horse power-rototiller to break up the dead grass/weeds/hard soil/crab apples.  With the help of his dad, grandpa and brother, we made quick work of leveling the soil and grading it away from the house.  We then installed edging to layout where the grass will end and rock/plants will begin.

I think I was in bed by 10p last night and was out by 10:05p.  I woke up with some seriously sore muscles, tired eyes and yet, a giddy excitement that this backyard project is really coming together after a lot of sweat, work and planning.

Weekend Update

Honestly what a great weekend.  It was hot, productive, fun, relaxing and full of people that I love so much.

(Clockwise from left:  wine while I peruse the menu  /  pork belly  /  veggie four square)

Friday kicked off with a light dinner with Ryan at one of my favorites, Rioja.  We started with the cardamom spiced pork belly with the most silky and rich garbanzo bean puree.  The pork was salty, smoky and seared just enough to create a nice balance of crusty and tender textures.  We then moved on to the vegetarian four square which has four ever-changing options to sample.  I loved the polenta croquettes with a herb creme fresh and the shiso peppers were another highlight that came with a spicy jam that brought some lingering heat to the back of my throat.  I will have to write a review on this place someday soon as there are so many things that Rioja does right in my book.

Saturday kicked off with a terrifying encounter with a bat that I found while spraying down my porch.  I honestly had a near full-blown panic attack as a little wing with claws came creeping out of a wood crack.  Slowly the wing reached out followed by a little beady head with two black eyes staring right at me.  I SCREAMED for my husband who came rushing to my screams to watch it (thankfully) fly away.  Two words... very traumatic!

(Lindy  /  Gina  /  Beth  /  Ashley  /  Sara  /  Me  /  Mariah)

The best part of Saturday was the pool party that my sister threw for a bunch of girlfriends at her apartment.  We had margaritas, snacks, hilarious conversations and some serious girl-time with the 6 most important women in my life.  Oh, my mom also stopped by for a bit and played honorary Grandma to Lindy's bundle of  joy  Rory which was enjoyed by all.  I think everyone had a wonderful time and I hope we will be doing this a bunch more this summer.

(Clockwise from top left:  our new patio with little Rocco running around  /  Ryan's brickwork  /  Gina and I planting  /  'R + J' with Rocco's paw print)

Sunday was another day spent in the backyard for our major backyard renovation that I mentioned here.  We made a trip to the Home Depot for tons of items and were able to complete a brick boarder for our patio, plant both a bougainvillea and a clematis in two bright yellow/gold pots, mosaic some flag stone under our big tree and finally add some ground cover that will eventually grow to wrap around all the stones.  We got some major help from Ryan's dad Jon, my sister and Beth even came over to enjoy all the changes.  I could not be luckier to have so much support on this project and to see what a difference some hard work has already made.

Project Backyard Underway

My husband and I bought our 1922 brick bungalow just about 2 ½ years ago now.  It has all the charm of an older home like cove ceilings, 6” high baseboards, antique glass doorknobs, original built-ins and an exposed brick wall just to share a bit. 

The not-so-glamorous parts of owning an older home are the funky features that people install, bad paint colors, drafty windows and horrible landscaping.  Luckily most of these issues we have tackled and have truly improved the look and efficiency of our home; one I even shared here. 

Well, it has been some time coming and we are finally undertaking the biggest project of them all, our backyard!

(Clockwise from top left:  our very sad 'patio'  /  badly in need of a prune  /  a very sad walkway to our garage  /  pathetic excuse for a pathway)

I am going to go out on a whim and say that the previous homeowners did not have a green thumb.  The concrete patio is a cracked mess, the overgrown tree is begging for a prune, grass is barely alive and the ‘rock/stone’ pathway to our detached garage was laid without any weed barrier below it and in a very haphazard way.  At one very low and shameful point last summer, we had weeds that were 6 feet tall.  To say the very least, we knew a total overhaul would be in our future and now with our wedding behind us, we are full-steam ahead.

We have met with multiple landscapers, contractors and horticulturist to figure out our plan.  We are hoping to do the majority of work ourselves but somethings are a bit above our skill level and quite frankly not something I want to even try to tackle.  We have decided on the following elements for our backyard…

• Install a new concrete patio which will nearly double in its current size
• Install a sprinkler and drip system
• Lay new sod
• Add in a couple trees along the back fence create some privacy
• Lay a 3 feet rock boarder around the perimeter of our yard along with shrubs and plants to soften the space
• Replace the old fence

More on the patio later this week because… spoiler alert… we are working on this right now!  Until then, any suggestions on removing weeds, landscaping in a dry climate and/or any oversights on our backyard plans?

Weekend Update

This three-day weekend was jammed pack, right from the moment the office closed on Friday afternoon. 

We had a delicious dinner at our friends Jon and Becca's house with some seriously mouth-watering shrimp and scallops.

(living on the lake)

Saturday we went to Ryan's cousin's house which is on a lake for some fun in the sun.  We BBQ'd, played drinking games and lounged through the afternoon in what felt like a vacation setting. 

(rock out!)

The night wrapped up with some very fun live music by a 70's cover band, Moses Jones.

(Rocco the great)

Sunday started early with a wake-up face licking from the cutest boy in the world.  While I was happy to see his face, I truly wished it was a few hours later so I could sleep in.

(Pretty patio)

Ryan and I finally planted our flower boxes and also replanted some Boxwood Shrubs that did not make it through the winter.  I am so pleased with how the front of the house looks with our bright and colorful flowers. 

(Brady's Birthday)

We attended a 1st birthday party for our friends Deb and Scott's son, Brady.  He was so happy and all smiles as he ripped through bags and boxes for fire trucks, balls, swings, clothes and toys that were all for him.

My cousin Kevin also graduated from high school this past week and we had the chance to stop by his graduation party which was filled with so many people I love... my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  My uncle Joe had just gotten back from Afghanistan after 23 months and my cousin Brian has been out of state for months serving in the Air Force.  I had not seen a lot of my family in attendance for quite some time and it really warmed my heart to have them all so close, healthy and happy.

(Crispy Tuna at Isakaya Den)

(the best way to end a meal)

Sunday night ended with some much needed girl time with my sister-in-law Peyton.  Sushi dates used to be a lot more frequent for us but we had not had one in quite some time so we filled up on delicious food, advice, laughs and sisterly bonding.  I see so much of myself in Peyton and always have which is part of the reason I feel such a deep connection to her.  I just love her so much I cannot even begin to explain.

(My niece Makenzie)

Happy Memorial Day Monday!  Our 3-day weekend wrapped up with a pool party at my in-laws' house.  We went to the pool with our beautiful nieces.  As Makenzie would say, 'Ryan made me go up so high in the sky' as he threw them up in the air in the pool and their floaties caught them right as they touched the water.

(Damn good wings)

Monday afternoon was spent with my family for an early dinner and a lot of dog playing.  My sister has 1 pup, my parents have 3 and then adding Rocco to the mix made for some serious fun at the local park as they all ran around, chased after balls and literally wore any ounce of energy they had in them out.  My mom made her famous BBQ brisket and my dad made some amazing grilled limoncello and rosemary marinated chicken wings.  Gina and I rounded out the meal with some margaritas and then angel food cake with fresh strawberries.

I am seriously exhausted and hitting the hay as soon as I wrap up this post.  I wouldn't call this weekend relaxing or lazy but I would say it was filled with so many people I love that I am honestly lucky to have had enough time to fit everything in. 

Flowers are Florishing

Do you remember just over a month ago when I mentioned here that I cannot wait to plant my planter boxes full of beautiful flowers, herbs and succulents?  I thought I would be doing it that coming weekend but of course, life gets in the way.  Then I thought the same for last weekend but again, too many things to do and your days slip away from you. 

(Clockwise from top left:  our front porch  /  looking down into a pot  /  plants in dirt  /  one of the zinc planter boxes my sister gave us)

I could not have been happier to have a few free hours yesterday morning to head to the nursury, pick out an array of colorful plants, oregeno, cilantro, rosemary and then two types of basil to then bring home and start digging in the dirt.  Side by side, Ryan and I started filling the planter boxes up and I must say, I am very happy with the results. My girlfriend Sara gave me a heirloom tomato plant as wel,l which happily found a home in a sunny spot on our front porch too.  I hope that sucker grows fast and starts producing some tomatoes to enjoy in a caprese salad or possibly just sliced up with a little salt and pepper (YUM!).

(Echeveria 'Subsessilis'  /  Sedum  /  Fenestraria 'Baby Toes')

I also found some awesome secculents at the grocery store previously in the week that rounded out my planting goals.  I need to find the right shallow vessel to put them in so right now their semi-perminant home is in a sunny window.  On one of the blogs I love to read, The Lovely Cupbord, Heather had a guest blogger write about planting/caring for succulents.  I knew succulents did well in warm, dry climates but who knew they were the plant that thrives the most from a lack of attention?! 

After my plants take root and start to florish,  I will post some pictures to see how they are taking shape.  Until then, I think  I will be spending a lot of time on my front porch, taking in the happiness they bring me.

Planter Boxes

The maintenance of our yard is a task I primarily leave to my husband.  The edger terrifies me (I feel like I am going to chop my feet off) and I don’t really have a huge interest in watering the grass by hand as we do not have a sprinkler system… yet but that is changing soon!

The one thing I truly enjoy in the gardening realm is my planter boxes that I put together each year.  Since we bought our house 2 ½ years ago, I have put out planter boxes on my front porch each Spring and I am so excited that the weather is nearly warm enough to head to the gardening center and come up with my plant scheme for this year. 

(Inspiring planters)

Last year I did a combination of herbs and annuals which I loved because of the great array of texture and color from the Thyme, Rosemary, Purple Basil and Chives.  Then again, we ate the herbs much faster than they grew so I think the boxes started to look a little dismal after late June. 

(A couple succulent photos from my wedding)

If I have not mentioned it before, I love succulents.  So much, I used them in my wedding for our bridal party and table displays.  Home Depot has some that you can only purchase online but there are quite a few online vendors who will ship anywhere.  I would love to add some succulents to my boxes this year so I need to do some additional research. 

(The Crate and Barrel zinc planters)

My sister bought us these zinc planters from Crate and Barrel and I must say, I am giddy to see them filled to the brim with a combination of vibrant colors, fragrant herbs and plants that will bring life to my front porch all summer long.