Ittibitty backyard

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cubiczirconia

cubiczirconia

New member
At least 75% of us have the standard Irvine backyard almost the same size as the Master bedroom. (OK, a little more than that, but you get the point)
How do you decorate yours? Mine isn't all that great yet- but in a year it will be worth sharing. I have 8 dwarf fruit trees, and 3 varieties of jasmine. Tried rose, but didn't work out all that great- too much maintenance for an occasional gardener like me.

Want to share pictures? Inspire others?
There are some backyards around the Woodbridge lake- so small, but planned so well!
 
Those professional backyards in model homes we're designed by a really well known landscape architect who worked on numerous resort hotels and he was paid top dollars to make the tiny backyard emotional seductive for the buyers. On top of that twice a day a maintenance crews come in the morning and once in the afternoon to wipe down all outside furniture from the morning dew and trim all vegetation to a immaculate presentation. When you see those yards at their perfect conditions don't expect yours will have a similar effect unless you are willing to manicure your yard on a daily regiment.
 
We just have a Liquid Amber tree (yeah... didn't think that one out too far), some roses, a small patch of grass, a planter wall/box and some cement area for our built-in BBQ (hand built by me and my pop-in-law... mostly him).

I wish we built a patio cover/pergola... but I was planning on doing one of those roll-up shade things.

Still have nothing in the planter box but dirt (and some weeds). I was going to put in gravel and a water fountain (or turn the whole thing into a water feature) but I haven't got around to it.
 
irvinehomeshopper said:
Those professional backyards in model homes we're designed by a really well known landscape architect who worked on numerous resort hotels and he was paid top dollars to make the tiny backyard emotional seductive for the buyers. On top of that twice a day a maintenance crews come in the morning and once in the afternoon to wipe down all outside furniture from the morning dew and trim all vegetation to a immaculate presentation. When you see those yards at their perfect conditions don't expect yours will have a similar effect unless you are willing to manicure your yard on a daily regiment.
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where do you get all your info?  are you in the industry? 
 
Got some planters with some sort of shrubs my father-in-law threw in.. don't care much for gardening... rest are pavers (now with weeds between them).. My next house, I'm gonna just pave the whole thing... pulled some nasty weeds yesterday (that came out weird..)  it was almost 3 ft tall..
 
A few Birds of Paradise, Shrubs, Jasmines, Roses, Pavers, Firepit, BBQ Island, Waterfall, Bench, Rock Speakers, 2 Green Waste Management bins, 1 blue Waste Management bin.  :D
 
homer_simpson said:
A few Birds of Paradise, Shrubs, Jasmines, Roses, Pavers, Firepit, BBQ Island, Waterfall, Bench, Rock Speakers, 2 Green Waste Management bins, 1 blue Waste Management bin.  :D
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Sounds like paradise...did you put them in? 
 
The BBQ island and a cheapy fire pit was there.  I replaced the cheapy fire pit with a natural gas one to match the BBQ island and added some custom planters on that side of the yard.

I installed a few rock speakers throughout the back yard and just wired it to the BBQ island that also has speakers built in.  I'm running a Denon receiver to the speakers with two subs in the BBQ island and when my neighbors fry their fish in their backyard; I pump some "Gangsta Rap"music and they quickly retreat back into their homeand I don't hear from them for a while. (I just receive a lovely note from the HOA  :P).

Next project is to add a Trellis and some seating around the fire pit. 
 
irvinehomeshopper said:
Those professional backyards in model homes we're designed by a really well known landscape architect who worked on numerous resort hotels and he was paid top dollars to make the tiny backyard emotional seductive for the buyers. On top of that twice a day a maintenance crews come in the morning and once in the afternoon to wipe down all outside furniture from the morning dew and trim all vegetation to a immaculate presentation. When you see those yards at their perfect conditions don't expect yours will have a similar effect unless you are willing to manicure your yard on a daily regiment.
Click to expand...

Those model homes! IMO, every professionally designed space needs maintenance.
I was talking about the Woodbridge homes around the lake though- are they maintained by HOA?
 
irvinehomeowner said:
We just have a Liquid Amber tree (yeah... didn't think that one out too far), some roses, a small patch of grass, a planter wall/box and some cement area for our built-in BBQ (hand built by me and my pop-in-law... mostly him).

I wish we built a patio cover/pergola... but I was planning on doing one of those roll-up shade things.

Still have nothing in the planter box but dirt (and some weeds). I was going to put in gravel and a water fountain (or turn the whole thing into a water feature) but I haven't got around to it.
Click to expand...

Built-in BBQ is the focal point, I am assuming?
Pergolas look nice. We saw one in Lowes yesterday- around $500, all metal.
 
With a good sized trellis you can grow either grapes or berries, depending on how much fruit you're willing to allow. My boysenberry vine has thrived on sunlight and curse words and grows so swiftly even RoundUp can't stop it. Tried Grapes but it was too hot in RSM. Should work great in Irvine.

My .02c
 
zovall said:
Cubic Zirconia said:
I have 8 dwarf fruit trees, and 3 varieties of jasmine.
Click to expand...

Would love to see pics of the trees.  What fruit trees do you have?
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In a month's time- right now the peach/ plum are all bare. But in a few days I expect the white and pink flowers on them. It will look pretty enough to share pictures :-)

Here is the list:
Santa Rosa Plum
Nectarine
Peach
2 Valencia Oranges
2 Mexican limes (just bought yesterday at Costco, along with those huge HDR planters)
Mayer Lemon
Gala Apple
Calamondin
 
ps99472 said:
Got some planters with some sort of shrubs my father-in-law threw in.. don't care much for gardening... rest are pavers (now with weeds between them).. My next house, I'm gonna just pave the whole thing... pulled some nasty weeds yesterday (that came out weird..)  it was almost 3 ft tall..
Click to expand...

I like the patios paved too. Planters are easy to maintain.
Weeds- if they are too nasty, just put the weed killer in a bottle, and insert the top of the weed in it- it drinks up and dies in a while.
 
homer_simpson said:
Waterfall
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What did you do?

I've been trying to put a water feature into my backyard for years.

I had a rectangular block wall planter built (about 6ftx3ft) which I was thinking about lining with that pond liner and then putting small fountains in it but I think that would be too much work.  So I want to get one of those prefab ones that you can put against a wall but haven't found one that really says "IHO... BUY ME!".

I even had this grand idea of building my own sheer decent waterfall with copper and slate... but uh... then I woke up.
 
We?ve discussed putting a hanging jasmine trellis on one side of our courtyard wall.
I like the look and fragrant smell but not sure if it would be easy to maintain.
Previously, we hung stephanotis which also looks really nice but as it continued to grow became harder to maintain.
 
Jasmine was a pain for us to maintain... but the smell was great.

True Story: One spring, it took me a whole afternoon to cut down the jasmine vines in our side yard because it was overgrown and getting into our air conditioner unit. A few months later, we tried to run the AC and it wouldn't turn on so I thought the vines got into the unit and went outside to check. Turns out that one of the "vines" I cut previously... was the electrical cord to the AC... DOH!
 
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