Over the last few years, we’ve worked hard at transforming our Swissvale house into a dream home.
We’ve found extra space for Ted’s expansive board game collection, we’ve figured out how to garden on steep hills, we’ve built exciting areas for the kids to play, and we’ve even kicked off an at-home summer camp.
One spot that’s taken more attention is the backyard. With our property jutting against one of Swissvale’s many hilly forests, we face multiple challenges:
Many areas of the yard receive limited sunshine.
The yard is on a slant.
There’s a ton of bamboo trying to overtake our property.
But this was an important endeavor. Summers are a busy time of year with our real estate services, and we didn’t want to spend our free time cutting grass.
Instead, we wanted to spend more time with our family while contributing to a healthier ecosystem.
It took some effort, but we finally pulled it off.
And we hope you can learn from our experience!
How to Create Your Own Eco-Friendly Yard
If you’re ready to start your own eco-friendly yard journey, check out our tips:
1. Use Found Materials for Hardscaping and Landscaping
We went about our hardscaping as environmentally conscious as possible.
We had plenty of leftover building materials from previous projects (including bricks that had been taken out of our chimney), and we used these to build up our retaining wall.
Back closer to the woods, where the fallen leaves and thin grass collect in splotchy patches of dirt, we spread a thick layer of mulch—something our kids love.
It’s become one of their favorite places to play because the ground is cleaner and softer than ever before.
2. Plant Native Plants
Planting native plants packs a powerful boost to your garden and yard for a few reasons:
They’re easier to maintain because they’re designed to thrive in your region.
They’re easier to plant because they require fewer fertilizers and special soil.
They support local biodiversity, which is important for birds, insects, and other wildlife.
On our end, we focused on plants like brown-eyed susans and heirloom plants passed down from my grandmother. Incorporating those heirloom plants makes the yard just that much more special.
3. Talk To An Arborist
Our trees had been neglected for years before we came along, so we consulted with an arborist for some additional perspective.
With their help, we decided:
Which trees to remove.
Which trees to prune in each season.
How much to save for tree removal and annual maintenance.
They also helped us design the rest of the yard—a tricky endeavor, given the limited sunlight. Under the arborist’s guidance, we:
Planted understory trees—shorter trees that bloom earlier in the year (before the surrounding trees cut off sunlight). This included trees like red maples and cherry trees.
Started a forest-edge garden filled with hardy but beautiful plants, like rhododendrons.
Thanks to the arborist’s help, our backyard is turning into a healthy, lush paradise!
4. Get the Kids Involved
As homeschoolers, we love finding new ways to encourage our kids to explore the world around them.
All of our kids took to gardening at first, but Marie has really stuck with it. She’s gotten into herbalism and enjoys gardening with me—which has turned into some special mommy-daughter sessions.
Plus, gardening is a valuable lifeskill that teaches patience, responsibility, and self-reliance.
5. Go Easy On Yourself
Many of the more seasoned gardeners we talked to ahead of time said the same thing: “Gardening is survival of the fittest.”
Even experienced gardeners sometimes plant things in the ground and hope for the best.
Yes, you can do everything possible to provide a nurturing environment—like watering regularly, blocking invasive species, and removing weeds—but sometimes you also need a little bit of luck.
If your garden doesn’t grow as beautifully as you’d like, give yourself some grace. You can always try again next year.
Enjoy the Benefits of Your New Eco-Friendly Yard
We love our yard.
And we love the opportunities it presents for us to grow as a family—and as a community.
The kids are spending more time outside, and they’ve even built a path through the woods to reach a friend’s house down the street.
This small act has inspired Ted and their father to widen the pathway into a real trail, one that’ll require less maintenance and be even safer for the kids as they deepen their friendships.
For me, the entire ordeal has been a blessing.
I love starting the day in the garden, soaking up the sun and enjoying a cup of coffee.
And I love working on my green thumb with my mom, our family’s super gardener.
There have been a ton of benefits.
And I hope you find a similar joy as well.
Find A Home You Love
If you’ve given up on your yard and the rest of the house, you may be ready for a complete change of scenery.
We’ve got you covered. We have the tools, resources, and experience to quickly sell your current home and buy a new home you truly love.
Contact us today to get started!