Check out the video of the transformation.

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Finally, after waiting for more than a year for this work to start due to covid restrictions and then the work delayed through three months of inclement weather, we have our new back yard.

If you want to see the BEFORE and AFTER of the project and everything that went into it (it was a massive job to sort out site drainage, soil levelling and concrete and tiling), check out the video here.

Our backyard was overgrown and dark. The terrain uneven, tiles lifting and poor site drainage. It was becoming too much for me to maintain especially with rampant ivy on two fences.

We needed a space that we could easily keep clean and maintain as well as delight in going outside more often. Mostly though it was to have something easier to maintain as we age.

I wanted a Mediterranean feel hence the wood arbour which we will cover with bamboo or a retractable shade sail and the tiling cream tiles.

My intention is to now buy large terracotta urns and pots from which I’ll put olive and lemon trees, sage, geraniums. We were thinking about growing a vine (or even wisteria) over the arbour but it’ll be too much work for me to be getting up ladders and the birds would eat the fruit. My parents tell me that there are fruitless vines so that’s another option to consider to cover the arbour for some shading.

Everything will be in terracotta pots and not planted into the ground. Before the work began, I transferred some of the plants I had along the side fence into pots already so that I could then display them in the new yard.

Over the Christmas break, we will put out our tables and chairs and slowly set it all up. We are so happy with the result that we are now going to do our front yard which will start in 2023 along the same look.

Overall it’s brought more light into our home and along the side of the house which was dingy and dark. I’m out there every morning sweeping up the leaves and it’s way easier on my back than the rampant growth we had before.

We used Intrinsic Landscapes as the company who managed and did all the work and we were happy with everything they did. It was eye opening to watch the transformation unfold. We are very happy with their work and highly recommend them!