I am a city boy. I grew up in NYC and spent most of my time walking the streets and enjoying the world outdoors. Fast forward twenty or so years and here I am in the desert with a remarkably ordinary backyard. In fact, this is the type of yard that is so powerfully boring that my own kids are loathe to play outside.
What can be done to turn an ordinary backyard into something worth coming home to? My yard consists of a patch of grass rimmed by an L shaped porch against a slope of rock and trees. This is all contained in a 30 x 45′ rectangle of useful space. Now a lot of the space is wasted. The slope eliminates a great deal of the useful ground and the unkempt grassy area is imposing to the boys.
What I want is something that inspires calm but also leaves room for fun. I want the patch of grass, but I also want the space around that grass to be warm and inviting. I want to feel like I can sit in the yard and not be trampled by bugs of all flavors. I want to know there is shade available and a place to sit and have a drink. I want a happy spot.
Happiness is supposed to be the guiding principle of home, and we have created a space that looks okay but doesn’t feel all that happy just yet. It should be the first thing you think about in your indoor and especially outdoor spaces.
Some Thoughts:
1. The clock says I am completing this post near 3:12 AM. What time zone is my server located in? Reminds me that the world moves on very different schedules and my time, no matter what part of the USA I happen to be in at the time, is not the most important time to everyone else.