How We Live Here Now, Vol. 2: The Backyard

The plants have filled in. And I mean filled in! The jasmine is covering the back fence and sides of the garage, the plum tree is over 20 feet tall, and the strawberry tree is slowly growing into the shade canopy I was hoping for.

The goal when we overhauled the backyard was foliage. I wanted to look out at the backyard and see green. Cover the fences, hide the sightlines into the neighbors' windows, create a little sanctuary with shady nooks. It does exactly that now. Leaves and plants and shade everywhere has me giddy.

The side effect of wanting so much shade is that my full-sun vegetables and flowers are struggling. Some of the dwarf trees we planted ended up not being dwarfs at all, so we have shade in unexpected places. The too-shady veggie beds are getting a new home this year, more on that in the Report Card (another new series!). I also need to identify some shade-loving perennials, since full sun was the plan and full sun is no longer what we have.

All photos here taken on Portra 400 35mm

The trellis at the back was host to sweet peas for a couple of years, a tunnel of fragrant blooms from late winter through spring. The past two years I missed the planting window (I'll blame pregnancy and plain old forgetfulness). The trellis is still useful, though. I drape a blanket over it to provide shade to the water table that lives underneath it. I appreciate the parenting tip that when things get hard with kids, just add water. Turn on the sprinklers, hand them a popsicle, run a bath, give them a drink. The water table has been our version of that this season. It requires emptying and refilling almost daily to keep it clean, which is its own thing. But now that Hattie has figured out the little pump that circulates the water back up, which she is very proud of, both girls will stay out there for roughly as long as it takes me to pull weeds or empty the dishwasher. I miss the sweet peas, though. I already have the planting to-do in my calendar for October.

Margot has outgrown the baby swing, and while Hattie still fits, the little swing set has become a climbing structure for big kids in the neighborhood, and it isn’t ideal. It’s time to upgrade to a full swing set and dedicated climbing structure. I’ve definitely learned the lesson that not all play equipment is created equal, and kids with various personalities play differently, so my goal is to try to keep up with Margot and Hattie’s individual preferences as they grow. My initial vision for a cozy playhouse would surely be fun, but I’m glad we held off and waited to see how Margot actually plays.

We fit a lot into a small footprint back here: fruit trees, veggie beds, a dining area, the swing set, the trellis, a seating corner, a water table, room for a kiddie pool. I love how much we were able to fit, but it isn't working as hard as it could for the space it takes up. Now that we have a few years of seeing how Margot and Hattie use the yard, I have the itch to shuffle the layout more to maximize play opportunity. I see a backyard 2.0 reveal in the near future.

Most of my time in the backyard is spent puttering. I have a hard time sitting still, so even while I'm keeping the girls company at the water table, I'm also pulling weeds or pruning. I love playing with them, but I also like for them to see me having a hobby and taking care of our home, and sometimes they're genuinely helpful, too. One of Hattie's hobbies is putting things in trash cans, so she’s quite good at helping me prune.

Margot and her friends like to harvest things from the garden. Which sounds helpful, but isn't always. They like to pick the fruits and vegetables before they're ripe, load them into little bags with flowers and leaves, and distribute them around the yard. My crop yield is lower than it could be. They have a great time, but I do wish we could enjoy those strawberries before they get plucked when they're green and go into little baggies to rot. Margot has made a few fairy gardens back here, mostly at my insistence that she move the pie tin full of dirt and grubs from inside to outside.

I love that they get into the mud, they collect the fallen leaves, whatever they want. I hear birds and see pollinators all day, and I’m a sucker for the Merlin Bird ID app which is helping me learn to recognize birds by their calls. The other day I was actually swatting butterflies out of my face, and we joked that if this were in a movie it would feel over the top. But, in reality, it was just our summer guests enjoying the flowers, too.

We hosted the girls' birthday parties back here for a while. I love slowly decorating, setting up a craft table, putting out lawn games, and having the cozy, personal comforts of home. But our yard isn't huge, and the adult-to-kid ratio at a toddler party is a lot. This year Margot's party moved to a park for more room, better shade, an actual playground. I got to sit and paint kids’ faces instead of worrying about the indoor hazards when a dozen kids run laps after eating cake. It was delightful connecting with her friends and turning them into tigers, dogs, etc. I hope the backyard party comes back when attendance numbers shift. I think as they get older their parties might become more intimate??

I'll admit I haven't had much of a green thumb this year. Even though I set a goal of basically becoming a cut flower farmer. My seed trays had really low germination rates, which has been incredibly disappointing. I've done a lot of troubleshooting and haven't found the actual fix yet. My May and June trays were the best of the bunch though, so I just need to keep that momentum going for the rest of the season. I had visions of bringing bouquets to friends, but it hasn’t come to fruition. Maybe next year?

We still go to parks, a lot. A breezy grassy lawn with mature shade trees and a real playground is enjoyed by all of us. Something shifts when we leave the house entirely. I stop feeling the pull to be productive, there’s no plants to prune or dishes to do at the park. All of our moods improve when we get out of the house and romp around in an open green space. On an ideal day, I bring my knitting and enjoy sitting while the girls play. Though Hattie's newfound love of running challenges that more often than not. The backyard is a resource I'm so glad we have, but a neighborhood park will always be a part of our lives.

The other day I got in the hammock for the first time in years. Hattie climbed in with me and we just lay there, her with a book and toys, the foliage moving overhead, watching birds and pollinators flutter by. I'm trying to remind myself to take more vacations to the hammock.