Landscaping!

[onodera]

First if all, "water feature" is a toothache inducing term no real humans should use.
Second, ditch it. If it's not a natural stream you can landscape, don't bother with it.
Third, you should tell us what's behind your backyard. Your yard should feel linked to that space so it doesn't feel restricted.
Fourth, merge the patio and the fire pit. Use the extra place to plant another tree where your current lawn is if this diagram has north at the top. This way you will see it from your deck, but it won't cast a shadow on your patio/pit.

[Alexander's Horse]

damn, now I want a firepit - but the house I just bought in Sydney is inner city



and a couple of concrete flamingoes - could probably still get those

[Asher]

First if all, "water feature" is a toothache inducing term no real humans should use.
Second, ditch it. If it's not a natural stream you can landscape, don't bother with it.
Third, you should tell us what's behind your backyard. Your yard should feel linked to that space so it doesn't feel restricted.

Behind the house is a community path.

Fourth, merge the patio and the fire pit. Use the extra place to plant another tree where your current lawn is if this diagram has north at the top. This way you will see it from your deck, but it won't cast a shadow on your patio/pit.

Fire code mandates a specific distance from the house & wood fence for the fire pit, so there's not many places it can go. The lawn is also sloped (I have a walk-out basement lot) which is why it's broken up with retaining walls.

[Hauldren Collider]

Is that your deck asher? (or at least the beginnings of it?) How many sq ft?

[onodera]

Is the community path well-used? If people are using it, you should think about moving the fire pit closer to the backyard gate, so there are some semi-public places next to it to sit and talk to people you know passing by. Just make sure the other side is behind a bush or something, so you can sit there if you're not feeling talkative.

[Dinner]

Behind the house is a community path.

Damn, look at how the neighbor's yards look all nice and neat while your's is barren and full of trash. Dude, you're letting gay men down as their house is supposed to be the nicest one of the block. Also, I know you wanted to go through one entire freeze thaw cycle but I wonder why the HOA hasn't been after you guys to finish it long before now. When my sister and her husband bought a new house the entire neighborhood was given 3 months to complete their landscaping before they would start fining them for not keeping a nice enough yard. Oh, and all landscaping plans had to be submitted to the HOA for approval first. True story.

Down here they would have leveled thousands of dollars in fines against you by now for failing to follow the terms, covenants, and conditions set out in the HOA documents.

[Asher]

Is that your deck asher? (or at least the beginnings of it?) How many sq ft?

Yeah, it's 11.5 x 10 ft. Had the option of extending it the width of the house but I didn't want to obscure the backyard view from the house and also throw that much shade over the back yard. We use the deck for a BBQ and smaller table for just the two of us to hang out. We plan to use the patio to host guests.

[Asher]

Damn, look at how the neighbor's yards look all nice and neat while your's is barren and full of trash. Dude, you're letting gay men down as their house is supposed to be the nicest one of the block. Also, I know you wanted to go through one entire freeze thaw cycle but I wonder why the HOA hasn't been after you guys to finish it long before now. When my sister and her husband bought a new house the entire neighborhood was given 3 months to complete their landscaping before they would start fining them for not keeping a nice enough yard. Oh, and all landscaping plans had to be submitted to the HOA for approval first. True story.

Down here they would have leveled thousands of dollars in fines against you by now for failing to follow the terms, covenants, and conditions set out in the HOA documents.

You're retarded, you know that?

This pic was during house construction in August 2011. There were virtually no houses finished on my street, I was one of the first. The houses behind us were in a previous phase of construction and were, in fact, show homes. Virtually no one else has landscaping yet, as we are all waiting for one full freeze/thaw cycle before doing anything. The last of my neighbours moved in a couple weeks ago, 1.5 yrs after that photo was taken.

Do you really think grass is that green in March in Canada? Christ, we had 8 inches of snow last week.

Here's the view down the other end of the path at that time:


And a shot of my neighbour's house, who was probably livid with the state of my yard! (My houses is in the blue housewrap)

[Asher]

Is the community path well-used? If people are using it, you should think about moving the fire pit closer to the backyard gate, so there are some semi-public places next to it to sit and talk to people you know passing by. Just make sure the other side is behind a bush or something, so you can sit there if you're not feeling talkative.

Most of the people using it are walking dogs. Was hoping to put some privacy bushes along that fence so the dogs don't stop to yap at us.

[regexcellent]

Do you really think grass is that green in March in Canada?

I bet it is in Vancouver.

[Asher]

You can tell the photo isn't from Vancouver because there is no rain.

[regexcellent]

I was gonna comment on Vancouver being the only place in Canada with halfway tolerable weather but then I remembered a) that (the rain) and b) I'm in Rochester

Yes, I'm aware that Calgary's summers are very sunny and probably quite nice but holy **** I am done with snow.

[Dinner]

You're retarded, you know that?

Touched a nerve, eh? All I was doing was pointing out differences in HOA policies between here and there. They literally have rules in the HOA saying you have to have completed your landscaping (and use only a plan which the HOA has approved) with in three months of moving in. It's rather tyrannical but that is the way it is.

[Asher]

I don't live in an authoritarian community.

[Hauldren Collider]

Asher, does the neighborhood have any sort of community stuff? My neighborhood in Brentwood, Tennessee had a swimming pool and mini golf and a playground. My neighborhood in Fairfax is too small to have those sorts of things though.