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Your Great Outdoors
You"ve amazed us once again. When we asked you to submit your remodel projects for our third annual Reader Remodel Contest, more than 1,300 of you responded with renovations that showed just how talented and hardworking you all are. Here"s a look at 12 of your top picks for yard revamps chosen by TOH editors and your fellow readers.
After you"ve seen these out-of-this-world projects, enter your own yard makeover at Your Old House.
A Yard as Grand as the House: Before
Who: Nicholas K.
Where: Haddon Heights, NJ
When I moved into my Victorian house, the yard consisted of mature trees, patchy grass and a boring row of hostas. It was barely a yard and certainly not a proper garden befitting the Grand Lady that was the house. I began digging as a form of therapy and I discovered that each new bed required loads of soil, compost, and Belgian block edging.
A Yard as Grand as the House: After
Who: Nicholas K.
Where: Haddon Heights, NJ
My partner used his design skills to refine and formalize the garden"s structure without disturbing existing mature plantings. The main space is organized into three rooms, defined by grass, brick, and bluestone—punctuated by stacked stone raised beds. The hardscaping was done by a contractor. Now the house has a proper garden.
Who did the work: I did some of the work myself
Cost: $25,000 to $50,000
Front Yard Makeover: Before
Front Yard Makeover: After
Who: Greg C.
Where: New Bedford, MA
We planted a mix of perennials and evergreen shrubs. Then we replaced the front door and columns with the help of a carpenter. We finished off the renovation by peeling back the vinyl siding and repainting the original shingles, then had a new roof put on. Now I feel like the house has some character.
Who did the work: I did some of the work myself
Cost: $1,000 to $5,000
Total Yard Revamp: Before
Total Yard Revamp: After
Who: Richard N.
Where: San Mateo, CA
First I removed ten of the eleven trees. After rotor-tilling the entire plot, I seeded the lawn and put in raised beds. Then I added the patio area, repurposing the soil removed from this area to elevate the back of the garden. I built a dry-stacked stone wall around the patio with Arizona sandstone and installed low voltage lighting and a three-zone watering system.
Who did the work: I did all the work myself
Cost: $5,000 to $10,000
12 Pallets Worth of Pavers: Before
12 Pallets Worth of Pavers: After
Who: Jim M.
Where: Coventry, RI
After outlining the size of the area, I built the three walls that would support the patio. I backfilled them with stone and gravel and let them sit for one winter. I planned ahead for underground low voltage lines, and the landscape lighting they would power as well as a small fountain. My favorite part of the patio is the circle kits, charcoal colored edges and the unique overall shape and design.
Who did the work: I did all the work myself
Cost: $10,000 to $25,000
Victorian-Era Landscape: Before
Who: Diana K.
Where: Bloomington, IL
To preserve an 1894 Queen Anne house, for which demolition was imminent, we purchased and moved the house to vacant lots in 2004. Excavation for the new foundation and re-grading of the lots resulted in a yard void of all plant matter but full of brick and concrete from prior building demolition on the site.
Victorian-Era Landscape: After
Who: Diana K.
Where: Bloomington, IL
We have incorporated key elements of Victorian garden design into our landscape by creating expanses of manicured lawns decorated with perennial plantings, an annual carpet bed and a cutwork parterre with a large fountain at its center. The interior of the parterre beds are planted as vegetable gardens. In a nod to the original house design, we installed a paver in grass patio where a very early side porch had once been.
Who did the work: I did all the work myself
Cost: $1,000 to $5,000
Our New Urban Yard: Before
Who: Sophia M.
Where: Somerville, MA
We"re reminded of living in the city daily. Underneath the mud and weeds in the yard, we found tar. An out-of-control tree, its root systems, and other large bushes smothered the yard and blocked the sun. A prior owner built a raised bed to conceal thousands of pink bathroom tile buried in the back yard.
Our New Urban Yard: After
Who: Sophia M.
Where: Somerville, MA
We removed the trees, dug out the root systems and tar, removed the pink tile and the overgrown bushes, installed a new fence and added a storage shed. I hired a hardscape company to install stone and build raised beds along with a built-in fire pit and grilling area. After that, we put down sod, planted a dogwood, hydrangea, espalier apples along with perennial beds and a vegetable and herb potted garden. Solar sconces keep the yard lit at night.
Who did the work: I did some of the work myself
Cost: $10,000 to $25,000
Mother"s Day Retreat: Before
Mother"s Day Retreat: After
Who: Alisa M.
Where: Rifle, CO
My son cleared out the floor area; my husband built the pergola; I installed the irrigation system, and my daughter helped me plant the perennials and trees. We aren"t the only ones who are drawn to this spot; there are hummingbirds, butterflies, toads, lizards, and a whole host of friendly visitors.
Who did the work: I did all the work myself
Cost: $500 to $1000
New Patio Off the Master Bedroom: Before
New Patio Off the Master Bedroom: After
Who: Jenna D.
Where: Burbank, CA
First we built a roof by nailing waterproof marine fabric to wooden beams, creating shade but still allowing light to pass through. We replaced a window in our master bedroom with a French door and had a custom wooden bench built up against the fence to house all of our yard tools and serve as seating for outdoor gatherings. Next came a fan with lighting, speakers connected to our stereo system inside, a few yard lights and a wall mounted outlet.
Who did the work: I did some of the work myself
Cost: $1,000 to $5,000
Picking Up Where We Left Off: Before
Picking Up Where We Left Off: After
Who: Debra C.
Where: Hingham, MA
We decided to add onto the existing patio and built a stone wall about 5 feet high in front of the space. We had our old table, chairs, and lounge chairs reconditioned and bought some new furniture.
Who did the work: I did some of the work myself
Cost: $1,000 to $5,000
A Low Maintenance Garden: Before
Who: Jodi G.
Where: Laramie, WY
When our family first contemplated purchasing this house it looked kind of sad and abandoned. But that was nothing compared to what it looked like mid-summer with no yard maintenance and a lot of rain! We got lucky that year and were able to complete most of the basics for the landscaping that first year.
A Low Maintenance Garden: After
Who: Jodi G.
Where: Laramie, WY
Now, five years later, we have a yard full of established perennials, shrubs, bulbs, a great vegetable garden and new deck. We have a yard that is beautiful, easy to maintain, requires little water and is full of color and texture year round—not an easy task in a zone 4 climate.
Who did the work: I did all the work myself
Cost: $5,000 to $10,000
What I Learned from TOH: Before
What I Learned from TOH: After
Who: Catherine R.
Where: Nashua, NH
We cut back the growth and etched out a garden and compost area with cinder blocks. We also used bricks and sand to make a walkway around the garden. We found someone to build a pergola for the grape vines. The yard had a slope to it, so we used sand to build a raised patio. The old cobbles used for the retaining wall originally came from Cambridge MA, and we learned how to lay the bluestone and brick from This Old House videos.
Who did the work: I did some of the work myself
Cost: $5,000 to $10,000
Safe Backyard for Kids: Before
Who: Jennifer C.
Where: Baltimore, MD
When we bought our house, the back yard hand no landscaping. Trees had been removed years before leaving major lumps and potentially sprained ankles. When we had our first child we wanted to make the yard a safe place for him to run and play.
Safe Backyard for Kids: After
Who: Jennifer C.
Where: Baltimore, MD
When I was 8 months pregnant with my second child, I suddenly lost our baby girl. My stepsister, as a bereavement gift, designed a beautiful deck and landscaping for our back yard that also included a remembrance garden for our daughter. My husband built the deck and pergola, and I planted all the plants and shrubs. We now have a new baby girl and both children now have a beautiful back yard to run and play and we have a deck to relax and entertain.
Who did the work: I did all the work myself
Cost: $10,000 to $25,000
Star of the Show: Before
Star of the Show: After
Who: Lynn Boughton
Where: Brooklyn, MI
We added a porch with a reverse gable roof. Then we installed salvaged cottage windows, and topped it off with a split cedar shake roof. Everyone wants to spend the night in this little gem!
Who did the work: I did some of the work myself
Cost: $5,000 to $10,000
Original article and pictures take http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20392910_20804243,00.html site
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