outside the box…
When our family relocated a few years ago we were uncertain of how long we would stay in the area. We decided to rent instead of purchase a house in case the move didn’t work out and we wanted to go elsewhere. Long story short, the move was the right choice but we don’t see ourselves here long term and therefore have decided to continue renting.
After owning homes, the convenience of just calling our landlord when the garage door won’t open or the A/C unit needs servicing has been a treat. We don’t have to worry about exterior paint or replacing the dishwasher that may only have a couple of years left on it. The downside to all of this is that I am a nester. I like decorating and re-decorating and painting and frequently reorganizing everything. (All activities that my husband considers forms of torture and cause some of the more trying moments of our marriage.). When we were home owners I could paint anything, swap out light fixtures, add crown molding and replace flooring I didn’t like. Being a renter, I am now pretty limited on home improvement projects. Our landlords (who are amazing, by the way) did give me permission to paint and even encouraged me to add some color. I have also been given the okay to replace the wallpaper in the bathroom. I’m still trying to recruit help for that project! But even with paint and two strong teenage boys to move furniture, there’s only so much I can do inside. So I have decided to see what I can do outside.
This is a big step for me. In the past I have always left those projects to my husband. It has less to do with traditional gender roles and more to do with experience. And bugs. My husband grew up on a farm and is well versed in all things outdoor. He has planted lawns and gardens, fixed water features, installed irrigations systems, built fences and rock walls. He even put in a gorgeous patio at our last home. All with my input and invaluable advice, of course. But I simply do not have the experience and, in some instances, physical strength to do some of the projects. I also really don’t enjoy doing a lot of those projects, often because of bugs. Again, I don’t mean to reinforce gender stereotypes but it’s really difficult for me to work within close proximity of bugs and spiders. I have a huge aversion to anything that creeps, crawls, buzzes or slithers, including worms and snails. And don’t even get me started on the ones that fly.
Yet in spite of all the small, slightly terrifying creatures out there, I am going to work on making the outside of the house more attractive and inviting. Currently, the front yard is described as “natural landscaping” and the backyard is mostly gravel and uncontrolled spreading plants (and a fair amount of dog poop if we are being honest here). I’m fairly certain that I, with help from Pinterest, can do better than that.
I am including some “before” photographs and will update once I begin work outside. My goal is to have outdoor space that is esthetically pleasing as well as functional. I am also hoping to use this experience as a chance to maybe overcome some issues (see paragraph above about bugs, etc.).
Learning to Aim 