The Yard

The yard is a project in progress. Right now it’s a mostly flat fenced property that’s been resting since late fall — a little overgrown, some trees scattered around, a pile of cut-up wood out back, and a lot of potential just sitting there waiting.

That’s exactly where I like to start.

The Vision

This isn’t going to stay a plain flat yard. I’ve got a real plan — designed out in SketchUp — and I’m going to document every step of getting there. The goal is to turn this property into something that actually works on every level. Food production, peaceful spaces, functional structures, and something that looks intentional rather than thrown together.

The layout is broken into distinct zones, almost like outdoor rooms, each with its own purpose.

The South End — Garage and Front Porch

The garage will be built off the south end of the house, essentially extending the footprint further south. Same width as the house, just stretching it out to add covered, enclosed workspace. Right out front, a covered porch is also in the plans — something that gives the front of the property a finished, welcoming look instead of just a door sitting flush with the yard.

The West Side — Garden, Utility Room, and Greenhouse

Moving into the southwest corner of the yard, that’s where the main garden goes. A dedicated growing space tucked into its own corner of the property, sheltered and out of the main traffic flow.

Directly north of the garden, built off the back of the house to the west, will be the utility room and greenhouse. Functional, practical, and connected to the house so it actually gets used.

The North End — The Peaceful Zone

This is where the property really opens up into something special. Coming north from the utility room and greenhouse, the next zone is a zen garden. Simple, intentional, low maintenance — a space designed to just be quiet.

Further north from there is where the Japanese garden will take shape, along with a koi pond at some point down the road. And in the far northwest corner, a tea room — already partially designed in SketchUp — will anchor that whole peaceful northern end of the property.

The East Side — Grapes and Open Lawn

Coming east from the Japanese garden area, there’s a large open green space — the main lawn. Below that, running in rows, is where the grapevines go. The brown section with the planted rows you can see in the layout. That’ll eventually become a productive growing area while also serving as a natural divider between the open lawn and the rest of the yard.

The Bigger Picture

Woven throughout all of this will be edible landscaping, a small dwarf tree orchard, and growing spaces that produce something useful while still looking like they belong. The fence runs around nearly the entire property, giving the whole thing a defined boundary that ties it all together.

It’s a lot. It’ll take years, not months. But that’s fine — this whole blog is about the long game.

Where Things Stand Now

[Photos — current state of the yard]

The mower hasn’t been out since late fall. The wood pile is still out back. The trees are still doing their thing. But the plan is solid, the layout is designed, and the work is coming.

Every step of it gets documented here — what goes right, what doesn’t, and everything in between. That’s how this site works.