When I first bought the house there was a concrete walk and pad which were cracked, and which sloped from the alley towards the back of the house, raising concerns about water draining towards the foundation. An infill deck, built level with the concrete walk, was rotting. There was little more growing here than weeds and English ivy (an invasive species which has proved a menace throughout the area, and which had overtaken the large tree in the backyard). A low, chain-link fence bordered the north and east sides of the lot, which the neighborhood kids frequently hopped to pass between the easement that ends at the side of my yard and the alley that ends behind it. And along the south side there were, count them, three fences: a tall chain-link fence, a low chain-link fence, and finally a wood privacy fence.Now, in place of all of this are the aforementioned patio; a new gravel walk, which will allow stormwater to permeate into the soil as opposed to creating run-off, and ties into the patio with its use of the same gravel between the pavers; planting areas; and a new fence on the north and east sides, utilizing bamboo fencing, which I framed in wood to create 'screens'. The rear gate will be a sliding panel of the same construction. For now I have retained the wood privacy fence to the south, but may discuss replacing it with the neighbor. For the patio I've reused a small metal table that I've had for sometime, and purchased two Frank Gehry 'Twist Cubes' for seating, which I especially liked because they resemble stones, which I felt added a modern zen quality.
I still have several projects remaining for the rear, including the water garden and deck, which I hope to be able to tackle within the next year.
