What's on your outdoor major project list?

[2curlydogs]

And how long has it been there?

In honor of completing a to-do item that had been on our list for 5 years, share your major projects. Not things you do annually (like plan/plant annuals, vegetables, etc.).


Re-do garage bed - 2015
Re-do front bed - 2015
Re-do compost bin - 2013

Re-do sandbox - 2014
Create trellis for deck - 2010
Cut down dead/dying trees - 2013
Split logs for firewood - 2013
Move Japanese Lilac - 2014
Stepping stone path - 2010
Plant new trees - 2013

[L]

Raised bed garden planters in front yard & wrought iron or ? Fence in front yard. Both have been on for 3yrs. I am having a company that builds raised bed planters & plants/maintains them come tomorrow for a consultation. Fence probably won't happen until next year.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Ugh.

Build shed (2013)
Tear out asphalt/make normal driveway (2013)
Level front yard (2013)
Move boulder (2014)
Sand/stain deck (2014)
Terrace back slope (2014)
Create/implement low/no-water landscape design (2015)

[r]

Well we moved into our house last August so we are just starting to work on outdoor stuff. Here is my list anyway. We need to start from scratch. My yard was/is an overgrown mess for the most part. It'll take a while to get it to my standards.

We recently planted new hedges and flowering bushes around the entire house and mulched - April 2015
I plan on putting new pea gravel on the paths from garage to shed to back deck( might decide to just put pavers there instead depending on funds) - TBD
New paved driveway/also enlarge it-TBD
Install new flower bed along new driveway to meet mailbox-TBD
Create outdoor living spaces in the back-TBD

There is really so much I want to do. This will be a 10 year or more house for us so I want to make it ours in the meantime.

[ktzmoh]

So much landscaping. But that is all on hold until we get some freaking rain.

Paint the house
New garage door
Garage reno
Sand and paint the rail on the back deck.

[simpsongal]

We bought our house in March 2012 and we're still trying to get a handle on a half acre of meticulously landscaped grounds that went to pot after the homeowners became ill and passed away. I can't even list everything, it's too much. We created a garden larger than 1000 square feet and laid a brick path inside - we extended a deer proof fence around it. We hand dug and laid a flagstone patio (15 tons of material moved & laid). We ripped out overgrown and dead stuff and replaced it. He laid sod ourselves, we hand pull dandelions, etc. Also:

- every year we mulch and weed. Mulch and weed. I still haven't hit every bed on the property. I hope to next year (4 years in!).
- Pulling out dock and poison ivy and planting perennials, shrubs & trees
- this year I spent $300 on tiny perennials from an online nursery. It's an investment in LOTS of plants that will hopefully thrive after a few years.

One day I hope to get rid of our ugly cement walkway for a brick one.

Of course, contractors are adding a screened porch as I type!!!! (then we'll have to landscape around that....sigh)

[TBM]

We have a lot of 'finishing' to do....finish painting the house, finish staining the fence, finish the driveway (we took out shrubs and a couple of trees so that we could have a sort of horseshoe drive and now we need to do compacted gravel or crushed shell on it), and finish grading the dog run so that we can install the pavers and synthetic lawn.

We also need to figure out landscaping and hardscaping in the front and the courtyard, and of course, plant, plant, plant.

I have plans for a mailbox enclosure (for lack of a better word) and panels to hang on the walls flanking the front porch, but those seem to have taken a back seat.

So many years worth of work.lol

[Deleted]

Well, we moved in to our house in 2011. The one major DIY (bathroom tub surround fix) we tried ended up being a 1 year time frame nightmare so we have acknowledged we don't have skillz, which kills my heart, so all projects are still on the list.

Replace wood rotted boards in front porch (2011 report)
Rebuild 1 set of stairs off back porch to be more shallow for MIL (2012)
Rebuild front steps to be EVEN HEIGHTS and so that normal people can climb them (2012)
Front walk way (2012)
Paved back path (2012)
Remove stumps (2012)
Remove lilac hedge (2012)
build removable screens for part of porch to make cat sanctuary (2012)
Repaint back porch & make slipsafe (2013)
Build Petanque court (2013)
Replace back door/lintel that's rotting out (2014)
Touch up paint house (2015)
Pave huge driveway (2012 - dream project)

We have completed only:
Build raised veggie beds (2012 & 2013)
build herb spiral (2013)
Repair gutters (2014)

[dr.girlfriend]

Trim trees
New driveway
Exterior painting
Re-pointing brick
New roof

Not sure if we'll do that all in one year, but they're all things that need doing.

[candreco]

Replank the deck and screen in part of it- considered it last summer, but are seriously planning to do it this spring

Raised veggie garden- been on the list since 2013, I don't think we'll get to it until next year though

[texassmith]

We just moved in last June, so pretty much everything has been on the list since then:

*new privacy fence (it's original to the the house, 1993)
*reshape size of bed in front yard (make it smaller) and replace with sod, remove an overgrown shrub, mulch all beds
*get a conversation set for the deck in the backyard (we already have a dining set)
*try to get grass to grow where it was previously very shady but we have since had the trees trimmed back

Most of this stuff will hopefully be happening in the next few months. My dad is coming in 2 weeks to help with landscaping stuff and we're getting bids on the fence now. Also casually shopping for deck furniture.

[magdala]

Fix left side fence. With all the snow this winter, it leans into the neighbors yard. I am hoping to not replace it this year.

Redo right side garden bed. It is all hostas and only hostas. I want to find so shade loving flowers to replace some of the hostas. Dig out the dead cedar and cut back both rhododendrons in front of that bed. Hopefully we can save the rhododendrons.

Find a new cushion for the porch swing. The one we have is all sun faded.

[nomad100]

Here is our current list of projects to get done before next Winter.

Finish garden fence (need to build approx 6 more 6x6 panels, a double gate and then line the whole thing with chicken wire).
Build and fill more raised garden beds (at least 4 more).
Repaint all metal work glossy black (4 faux window box holders and a fence)
Repaint window trim, sofits, gutters medium grey (still need to pick out the paint color)
Install lattice under deck with access door
Line decks with gravel
to help keep out critters
Spread 8 yards mulch in yard and garden
Build triple bin composter from pallets
Replace rotting railroad ties
Remove several dead pine trees
Edge all the beds in the yard (totally renting an edger to help with this).
Build a lounger for the deck (plans from Ana White).

If I get half of this done, I will be thrilled.

ETA:  Oh, and scrub the green gunk off the decks and then seal them.

[raangoli]

Finish removing the dang ivy from the backyard. Almost there!
Plant shrubs where ivy used to be; also extend grass into this area
Restain deck since Sherwin Williams stain is the suck. Seriously, it faded/peeled after just one winter.
Reseal driveway
Replace roof
Replace railroad ties with pavers

[treedimensional]

Hmmm. Pruning every tree in the city?
No more big projects in my backyard, only little ones. Last big tree was taken down a few months back, and I'm pretty well planted. I just need to get my annuals.

[treedimensional]

I love this thread. I want to come and work on every one of these projects with you.

[ruthie7532]

We have projects for years. In no particular order:

--replace 3 rose bushes that didn't survive the winter
--fill in the gully that formed next to our road and figure out what to do to prevent it happening again
--Clear out brush left behind when our creek overflowed
--plant ground cover to hopefully help with erosion
--plant a few more flowering trees/bushes
--remulch 2 large beds and 2 small ones
--plant a butterfly garden
--plan and install another retaining wall to decrease the massive slope in our backyard
--Build a fence
--replace rotting boards in our old deck and restain it
--find furniture for the new deck
--build boxes for wood ducks to nest
--martin houses
--bat houses
--repave driveway
--stepping stones in path by pond
--replace footbridge over the creek
--Plant some evergreens to block our view of our neighbors house, even in the winter ;-)

ETA: We bought this house less than 2 years ago, so just about everything on this list has been there for that long. We've done lots so far, but mostly inside.

[lavender444]

Our outdoor list is massive. We re going to end up redoing everything at some point. 

This year, we need to place our front porch on a pier, because all the heavy rains we got have washed out the soil under it and it's pulling at our roof line now. Then we're doing a big concrete patio in the backyard. 


Next year we'll focus on building a retaining wall for asceticsin the front yard, and one that helps level out our backyard. Then do new sprinkler lines, plant beds, new grass and then some trees in the land beyond our fenced area. 

Plus us we want to paint the exteriors do replace a single door with a sliding glass door somewhere in this process. 

[pitterwoo]

My wish list is full of old projects! I really hope to get a lot accomplished this summer.

paint the exterior trim (since 2013, made the paint choices 2014)

replace backyard gates (2010! one was damaged in a storm, but we couldn't agree on what to do with it for a while)

make paving stones to make a path from back door to garage (2013)

refinish front door. currently painted black, but it's old and dull looking. (2012)

hang baby swing on the front porch (2015)