A few weeks ago I shared our plans for a new pea gravel patio and some inspiring photos. With fall approaching, it felt like the perfect season to tackle a backyard project, and I’m excited to report we’ve already made a lot of progress.
When we bought our house four years ago it was new construction with almost no landscaping, especially in the backyard. The space is small, with no trees and no existing patio, shrubs or structures to work around.
Our soil is incredibly hard and rocky, which made digging and planting a challenge. I relied on container gardens and hired help this summer to dig a few holes for plants. While I wanted a charming yard, major changes were limited by our budget.
With two playful dogs, however, it became important to add structure so they wouldn’t track mud through the house all winter. We started planning a project we could complete this fall to create usable spaces and keep the yard manageable.
We considered many options to give the dogs room to run, reduce mud, and divide the yard into functional areas. Ultimately we decided to enclose a portion of the yard for the dogs so new plants would be protected from their digging.
Along with the enclosed dog area, we planned a large pea gravel patio as our first major usable outdoor space, connected by a flagstone walkway. A mud-free patio will be ideal for entertaining and everyday life.
There were a few delays getting started, which worked out for me because I happened to be out of town on business the week the crew began—lucky timing! My husband managed the project and brought in help because digging in rocky soil and moving gravel is hard, physical work.
The process involved several steps: digging out the existing soil, laying landscape fabric and edging, installing a deep base layer of crushed rock, compacting it, and finally spreading the top layer of pea gravel. We also needed to haul away the removed dirt and rock since there’s no place to store it on our small lot.
The new fence and gate will begin at the end of the soon-to-be-flagstone path. In the photo you can see a color change where the regular gravel remains in the walkway area; that section will get pea gravel and flagstone in the next stage.
Here you can see the patio area and, in the background, a mound of excavated dirt we plan to remove. That cleared area will eventually become our garden.
With the heavy work largely finished, the more enjoyable tasks are next: furnishing the patio, arranging potted plants, and building a DIY fire pit. I’m looking forward to creating a cozy outdoor room.
Upcoming steps include hauling away the excess dirt and rock, installing the fence and gate for the dog area, and laying flagstone from our deck to the dog zone. We’ll also add a flagstone landing for a new BBQ near the patio.
I love interior projects, but I get almost as excited about creating a charming backyard space. I’ll share another update soon.
What fall outdoor projects are you working on or dreaming about?
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