A few weeks ago I shared our plans for a new pea gravel patio, along with some inspiration photos. Fall felt like the perfect season for a backyard project, and I’m excited to show the progress we’ve already made.
When we bought our house four years ago it was newly built with almost no landscaping—especially in the backyard. The yard is small, with no trees and no existing patio, shrubs, or structure to build around.
Our soil is very compacted and full of rocks, which made digging and planting difficult. For that reason I relied on container plants and hired help this summer to dig a few planting holes. We wanted a charming yard, but major landscaping projects had to fit our budget.
With two dogs running around, adding structure became more of a necessity. Without defined areas they would track mud through the yard all winter and require many baths. That pushed us to create a plan we could complete this fall to keep the mud under control and give the dogs a safe place to play.
We considered several options to give the dogs room to run while preserving usable spaces for entertaining. After weighing different layouts, we decided to enclose a portion of the yard for the dogs so they wouldn’t be able to dig up new plantings.
Our first major usable space will be a large pea gravel patio with a flagstone walkway leading to the enclosed dog area. A mud-free patio will be wonderful for outdoor living and entertaining, and the walkway will define movement through the yard.
We had a couple of delays before breaking ground, which worked out since I happened to be out of town the week the work started. My husband managed the project and hired help—digging in rocky soil and moving gravel is hard work and better with extra hands.
There were several stages to the patio and walkway construction. The process included excavating the area, laying landscape fabric and edging, adding a substantial crushed gravel base, compacting that base, and finally spreading the pea gravel top layer. We also had to haul away excess soil, since our yard has no convenient place to store it.
The new fence and gate will begin where this soon-to-be-flagstone path ends. The color change in the walkway shows where the regular crushed base is laid; pea gravel and flagstones will follow once the base is complete.
Here you can see the patio area and a mound of removed soil in the background—eventually that cleared space will become our garden. Clearing the excess dirt is the next immediate task.
With the heavy work finished, the fun part begins. I’m eager to start adding potted plants, outdoor furniture, and a DIY fire pit to make the space cozy and inviting.
Next steps: remove the excess dirt and rock, install the fence and gate for the dog area, and lay flagstone from the deck to the dog zone. We’ll also create a flagstone landing for a new BBQ beside the patio, which I’ll share in the coming weeks.
I love interior projects, but creating a charming backyard is almost as satisfying. I’ll post another update soon.
What fall outdoor projects are you working on or dreaming about?
Catch all 31 Days of Falling for Fall:
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven
Day Eight
Day Nine
Day Ten
Day Eleven
Join the Party