Grass!!! Really thick, plush, green grass!!! I decided to put sod in the back yard and I am SO glad I did. The grass seed that was planted was just not doing very much at all, and I didn’t want to have to wait until Mazen was in middle school to have thick grass again!
The many stages of my back yard since moving in are:
At Mazen’s birthday (last September), the grass was great, but the landscaping was terrible. Our whole yard was a slope, and there was nowhere to sit. The top part was steep and the lower part was flatter. Up near the house we had a hill of dirt where grass just wouldn’t grow.
We always felt like we were sliding down a hill….I guess because we were!
The patio flattened the top and made the lower part of the yard steeper. So now we have a great entertaining spot and plenty of yard for running and rolling.
Integrity Design + Build brought in tons (literally) of dirt to re-grade the landscape.
So at one point, the whole yard was all mud.
They seeded it and then put down straw. And that’s how it sat for a few months.
As warmer weather came along, grass did start to grow, but as you’d expect, it was very patchy and thin. I said I’d give it until the end of April to see what happened before making a decision on the sod. And by the end of April we still barely had any grass. It was clear that we wouldn’t have grass that was thick and hearty for at least a year.
In the meantime I got an estimate on the sod and it was a lot less expensive than I thought. I loved that you could walk on it immediately and it would be thick and mature from the start. So I went for it!
First they fertilized:
And then the rolls of sod were placed on the lawn. This was all so cool to watch!
Panorama photo!
And then they started to roll out the sod, which had been cut that very morning.
By the end of the day we had a yard of grass!! (With a bit more to finish the next day.)
I actually got SO lucky with the weather in that we had about 10 days of rain right after this. Sod is VERY thirsty, so I had sprinklers on timers set up, but with all the rain, Mother Nature actually did most of the work.
A few weeks later, the sod is doing great, and roots are digging in beautifully.
I moved the rocking chairs back up to the top deck off the kitchen for evenings and entertaining.
And underneath them is my brand new Treasure Garden Charleston Outdoor Rug from Starfire Direct! The company, which specializes in all things fire pit and patio, sent me the rug to feature on the blog.
The rug (here in the color Honey), is colorfast, so it won’t fade. It’s also water repellent, so it dries quickly. It’s softer than some of the other outdoor rugs I’ve felt, which is perfect on our rough deck. The rug has been great for when we come out barefoot in the evenings, which means fewer splinters and screws to worry about.
So now the yard is feeling ready to host a party!!
A portion of this post is sponsored by Starfire Direct
Amanda says
Your yard looks so nice! Definitely ready for a party. We have a very uneven backyard that is going to need some work. Right now, we have successfully managed to get grass to grow where it was previously dirt on dirt on dirt. With a dog, it meant a lot of muddy paws! Our goal is to have a finished backyard by the time we have kids!
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
It looks lovely!
Liz @ I heart vegetables says
This is great to see because we’ve been considering sod for our backyard! Our yard is mostly weeds and dirt (the previous owners had two giant dogs and they did a number on the yard!) so we’ve been thinking about trying this!
Ashley says
I remember a post some time ago about shoes. What brand of shoes are you wearing in these pictures?
KathEats says
They are the Clarks Grayson Erica, but they appear to have gone through an update of sorts because they look a little different now (with the same link from last year). Not sure if mine were discontinued and these replaced them or what. They are super comfortable! However, I just got a pair of Yosi Samra flats from Quaker and they are unbelievably comfortable!!
Katherine says
I just came to ask the same question!
cara says
I bet it is so cool to have dirt one minute and then thick grass the next! Love it!
Katrine @ Katrine in the Kitchen says
LOVE the rug! And the fact that it’s waterproof. Your yard looks beautiful!
Kelsey says
Wow! Looks amazing! Perfect for someone like you who loves to entertain!
Stephanie Hamilton says
I loved seeing this process and it gets me eager to work on projects in our own backyard! Thank you!
Lavues says
Love the nature! It looks more lively and the kids will surely love to play on the green, awesome.
India says
I love it! What a great time to be outside too. All that work paid off. Good job, Kath!
Katie says
Looks great! Just wondering if you practice earthing or grounding? I can’t seen to get into the habit of it.
KathEats says
I’m not sure what those are..
Laurie says
Yard is looking good, and I love that rug. Going with sod is a great choice, definitely less maintenance than seeding your own lawn. I tried before, and it didn’t go so well. Thanks for sharing!