With warm(ish) weather among us it’s the perfect time to do some home projects! The sun’s out and you no longer have to bundle up but it’s also not sweltering hot to where you don’t feel like moving. And with the announcement that those who are vaccinated don’t have to wear a mask indoors means that we are that much closer to returning to normal and we will be able to host parties and get togethers again and actually see our friends and family. I have written plenty of blogs over the years about neat DIY (do it yourself) projects but this year I’m going to focus on the ones I have either planned or already started. I’ll share my plans and eventually in a month or so I’ll share my progress and hopefully completed list. This year I decided to make a list of 5 projects I want to complete by summer. When making any to do list or project list you have to weigh a few things. One is time. You don’t wanna go too big and plan all these changes and then not have enough time to finish them and leave yourself feeling like you failed or the job is incomplete. If you haven’t done something before it can be hard to estimate how long it will take. My advice is when doing your research note how long others say it took to do that same project. Look for projects that are similar in size and take into account the person's life. If they say it’ll take a week, but have all day to work on it while you’re using nights and weekends after your 9-5 it’ll most likely take you more than a week. Also make sure to price everything beforehand. It’s 2021, you can probably buy everything you need online but even if you’re a person who prefers stores, go online and check the prices of what you need. Nothing is worse than getting halfway through a project and realizing you’re out of money. Last bit of advice is don’t be afraid to ask for help. Especially if you know someone who has a lot more experience with whatever project you're doing. It’ll make things so much easier. I want to hear from you guys what projects you are working on! So comment with thoughts, ideas or your own personal stories! Without further adieu, here’s what I have planned!
Vegetable Garden- It’s an indisputable fact that vegetables taste better home grown. I’m not sure if there’s a process that grocery store vegetables go through or if you can just taste all your time and hard work that went into growing your own but the two are incomparable in my opinion. I grew up with my parents and grandparents having gardens and have always wanted one of my own ever since. This is the one project that is already started and I hope to soon have finished so I can move on to number 2! I have fenced off the sunniest section of my yard. This will provide protection from wildlife and also make sure the vegetables get plenty of sun. Since my soil has a sand consistency I have boxed off and raised small sections within the fenced area and filled it with good soil. The best part is whatever you like best you get to plant. I have all my favorites like jalapenos, asparagus, cucumbers and more. I am even adding a raspberry bush in one section. You don’t have to be a gardening expert to do this either. Every vegetable comes with very specific directions on when to plant, how much to water and every bit of information you need to help it grow.
Herb Garden- As someone who cooks a lot, fresh herbs can really transform a dish. Also this is really good practice for if you're not ready for a full garden. I have not yet started this as I’m the type of person who likes to finish one thing completely before I move onto another or else I get overwhelmed. If you're someone who can do a million things at once and not skip a beat, well, I’m jealous of you and by all means do what you're comfortable with. But I do have it all planned out. Because my yard isn’t the biggest and I already took up a significant chunk with my vegetable garden, I am going with a vertical wall herb garden. This will hang on the exterior of my house and will have different herbs such as mint, thyme, lavender and more . There are so many different styles and sizes of herb gardens that this is something anyone could do. They can even be grown inside!
Epoxy Cement- The only reason I have even ever heard of this is because my best friend's uncle owned a company that did this and I worked their most summers and winters during school. I am also dumbfounded as to why that is. I’m guessing a lot of you reading this don’t know what I’m talking about, or maybe have seen the internet videos of people making epoxy tables or art. Take a second and google epoxy floors. Any concrete you have around your house whether it be your porch, your basement or especially your pool area, it can be transformed from a dull ground covering to a bold statement piece in a day. Not only is it a great product that lasts basically forever and provides slip resistance but it can be customized to fit your very liking. Colored sand and flake can be applied as well as epoxy designs and colors to match any surrounding colors.
Outdoor entertainment area- With all the work going into my yard it would be pretty silly to not have an area designated for entertaining. I already have a part of my yard sectioned off and mulched that I have designated for this. I have a table and chairs as well as a swinging bench. I plan on adding a firepit, hanging lights and an outdoor covering as well. I have a space set up for a hammock and I am going to plant some flowers along the outside. I’m also going with a black and white theme that will match my house and porch.
Build a pond-I have to be honest with both you and myself. This may be more of a pipedream and have to be pushed off till next year. I will probably be running low on time, money and energy by the time this comes around. I know where I want to put it but other than that I have not yet started the extensive planning I need to for this. I have recently bought a fish tank and have fallen in love with aquatic life. Not to mention I also just think a pond always looks good in a yard. I definitely want a water feature and you know they say shoot for the moon so hopefully I at least land amongst the stars and end up with a nice bird feeder or something.