Garden Sheds
My backyard currently has no real landscaping or defined structure. I don’t have a photo of my yard to show — though I wish I did — but I often imagine a beautiful patio, a charming shed, and thoughtful plantings. New houses often come with bare yards, and ours is no exception. The lot lacks trees and a view to hide behind, so the yard feels exposed except for our six-foot fence.
Given our limited budget and tight timeline when we bought the house, we accepted that we couldn’t finish everything at once. I enjoy creative solutions and slow progress, so being patient and planning incremental updates works well for us.
We chose a smaller lot on purpose to keep maintenance and long-term costs manageable. In previous homes we had large yards with mature landscaping that required significant upkeep and frequent weekend work. I like a pretty yard, but not at the expense of countless hours and dollars spent trimming hedges and mowing.
Small, manageable outdoor spaces suit our lifestyle better right now. Years ago my Eastmoreland (Portland) backyard was my favorite — it began simply with a picket fence, a garage that felt like a shed, and a lovely tree. The middle was just a plain patch of grass, but we added an arbor, a paver patio to make the space usable, and planted a little garden that brought me so much joy. Gardening there felt therapeutic.
At our current house we installed a fence last year to give Jack some room to run and to create privacy. The yard still needs work — mostly dirt over rocks with a few weeds — and our budget is small, but I can see potential. We’ve made a few modest improvements over the past couple of years to make the space more usable without requiring heavy maintenance.
We set up a small deck area with trellises and vines to screen the view from the deck, creating a bit more privacy. We also created an outdoor “potting” area with a simple table and added a fire pit for summer evenings — nothing elaborate, just functional features that enhance how we use the yard. With a curious puppy around, we kept plantings simple to avoid constant damage from digging.
Mostly the yard has been a place for Jack to run and play, but I’d like to add more structure and garden areas that are welcoming for people as well. Little sheds are one of my favorite things — they create a focal point, help define the space, and actually reduce the amount of lawn to maintain. I always try to make things cute and low-effort whenever possible.
I don’t expect to build an elaborate shed or install extensive landscaping right away, but I enjoy dreaming and collecting ideas. In the past, dreaming about projects often led to real changes, so I’m optimistic about small improvements over time. Some of the shed designs I’ve seen are inspiring and suggest ideas that could be achievable even on a tight budget — sometimes starting small is all it takes to get creative momentum going.
A blogging friend, Donna from Funky Junk Interiors, has a delightful backyard shed personalized with her own creative touches. With a little imagination, I believe we can create something charming and affordable for our yard, too.
Do you have suggestions for finding attractive but budget-friendly sheds?
Are you starting to dream of spring projects in your backyard?
Stay tuned for a fun weekend giveaway!
Related posts:
Charming Patio Spaces
Charming Potting Shelves
Pretty & Practical Backyard Sheds