Personally Andrea: How To Love Your Suburban Backyard

Suburban backyards can be tough places to create, maintain, and enjoy through the summer season. Here are my tips on how to love your suburban backyard.

Hey there friends! Summer is upon us, ready or not. And if you’re nosy like me and love checking out other people’s spaces, you’re in luck today. I’m offering the very first tour in this blog’s history, a tour of my summer backyard. Plus you can hop through the links at the end of this post to see backyard/patio/balcony tours from a few of my Canadian blogging friends for a huge dose of inspiration. If you're visiting here from one of the co-hosts on the tour, welcome!

How to love your suburban backyard. My tips for making the most of your space and living in it throughout the summer.

Come on in through the gate into our suburban backyard. It’s an open and sunny space because lots of our trees had to be taken down due to a parasite which I talked about in this post on attracting birds back to our yard with DIY Birdseed Ornaments. But here are some of the things we’ve done to help us love our yard, just the way it is.

1. Create a gardening workspace:

My dad built this potting bench for me when we bought our first house many years ago. But a quick Pinterest search will show you a ton of ways to create your own potting space. It’s great to have a spot for keeping a few tools and pots, and creates an opportunity for a bit of a focal point against a long boring brick wall. Most of my potting involves small projects like these potted herbs for gifts, or snipping some stems to keep in a vase.

How to love your suburban backyard. My tips for making the most of your space and living in it throughout the summer. Set up an area to work and keep gardening supplies.

2. Keep a small kitchen garden:

Whether it’s a small pot of herbs or a large bed with a variety of vegetables, why not take advantage of your space to grow some edibles. If you have kids it’s a fun educational process. Why not involve them in a container gardening project? Also there’s nothing like snipping some fresh herbs, lettuce or tomatoes and being able to serve them straight to the table.

How to love your suburban backyard. My tips for making the most of your space and living in it throughout the summer. Keep a small kitchen garden.

Chalkboard Style Garden Containers

Birch Slice Garden Markers

Planting a Container Herb Garden with Kids

3. Set up a table with some shade:

Even in our now sunny backyard, this table with an umbrella gets lots of use all summer long. We love to eat al fresco and eat dinner back here at every opportunity. And if you work from home like me, why not move your workspace outside sometimes for a change of scenery?

How to love your suburban backyard. My tips for making the most of your space and living in it throughout the summer. Set up a table with shade.

4. Keep your decor easy:

I spray painted all my pots with a matte black paint for a unified look. And black and white stripes are the only pattern I’ve added in cushions and rugs. A tree stump makes a perfect spot to set a drink beside a comfortable chair. A painted tire planter adds a pop of colour and whimsy.

How to love your suburban backyard. My tips for making the most of your space and living in it throughout the summer. Unify the look of your accessories with spray paint.

How to love your suburban backyard. My tips for making the most of your space and living in it throughout the summer. Use a stump as an easy and low maintenance side table.

How to love your suburban backyard. My tips for making the most of your space and living in it throughout the summer. Spray paint an old tire and use as a planter.

5. Make time to appreciate what you have:

Pour yourself a coffee and wander past whatever you have growing. Maybe a perennial or vine is starting to bloom. Take a picture to keep on your phone, or share on Instagram or Facebook. The world needs more pretty photos! Snip a few and make a small vase for your desk or table. Maybe some cherry tomatoes are starting to ripen. You should taste one. Are any of the herbs getting overgrown? Plan a salad for dinner to use some of it up. Do you know the names of the birds that come to visit? Enjoy!