Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals

c/backyard-living

1

kelly_rivera•4d ago

Had to choose between a pergola kit or building from scratch

I spent about 3 weeks going back and forth on this for my backyard in Phoenix. The pergola kit was $1,200 and promised a weekend install, but I ended up building from scratch with lumber from Home Depot for around $600. Honestly, I underestimated how much time it would take (like 4 weekends instead of 1) and had to re-cut two beams after messing up the angle. The look is way more custom though, and it fits my yard's dimensions perfectly. Has anyone else regretted going the kit route instead of DIY?

6

mila_murphy•7d ago

My neighbor called my fire pit 'a death trap' and he was right

I built this fire pit out of those landscaping blocks from Lowe's (you know, the ones that look like stacked stone). My neighbor Bob came over last summer with a beer and said 'you know the heat will crack those, right? They're not rated for fire.' I laughed it off, but after the third one split I looked online. Turns out he was 100% correct - those blocks can actually explode from trapped moisture. I ended up replacing them with proper fire-rated brick from a masonry supply place for $120 total. Has anyone else had a neighbor call them out on something obvious that you missed?

3

dakota_miller93•10d ago

Found my old hammock setup from 3 years ago...

I came across a photo from July 2021 of my backyard in Ohio where I had this cheap rope hammock tied between two oak trees. Last month I bought a proper stand and a nicer fabric hammock from Target and it's night and day how much more I actually use it. Anyone else find their backyard setup changed a lot over a few years?

9

skyler_kelly69•10d ago

Does shade cloth actually lower soil temp or is it just for plants?

I was reading a study from the University of Arizona that said shade cloth can drop soil temperature by up to 15 degrees in direct sun, not just keep leaves from burning. But then I talked to a guy near Phoenix who swears his veggies grew better without it because the warmth helped his peppers ripen sooner. I'm torn on whether to put 40% cloth over my raised beds here in Texas. Has anyone tested soil temps side by side with and without it?

14

logan_anderson40•11d ago

Appreciation post: That cheap fire pit I doubted turned into my favorite backyard spot

My neighbor Tom got a $60 fire pit from the big box store a few summers ago and I made fun of it. I told him it would rust out by fall or tip over with the first good wind. Six months later he was still using it every weekend and the thing looked fine. So last May I grabbed the same one for my backyard here in Boise and honestly it's held up great through rain and snow. The grate is a little flimsy but I just tossed some firebricks in there to level it out. Now every Saturday night we're out there grilling hot dogs and telling stories until midnight. Has anyone else had a cheap piece of gear actually surprise you with how long it lasted?

19

sagejackson•12d ago

Chat with my neighbor made me realize I've been overwatering my garden for 3 years straight

He pointed out my soil was soggy 2 inches down and said 'roots need to breathe too' and now I'm wondering how many plants I killed with too much love - anyone else ever get a basic garden fact this wrong this long?

0

the_elizabeth•12d ago

Tried planting mint directly in the ground instead of a pot last spring - huge mistake

Thought I was being clever by saving $12 on a container. Now mint is taking over half my raised beds and my wife's tomato plants are drowning in it. Anyone else got a plant they wish they'd kept confined?

24

scott.alex•13d ago

Found a cheap way to keep mosquitoes away with a box fan

Last summer I got tired of buying those pricey bug sprays that smell bad. My neighbor told me to just set up a cheap box fan pointed across the patio. I tried it two weeks ago during a barbecue and nobody got bit all night. The fan creates enough breeze that mosquitoes can't land on you. Has anyone else tried this trick or found a better setup?

0

sanchez.ivan•13d ago

My grandfather's 20 year old grill vs my new fancy $800 one

I finally broke down and bought one of those new ceramic grills last spring, spent over 800 bucks on it. You know what? It can't hold heat steady like his old beat-up Weber kettle from the 90s. We tried cooking a 10 pound brisket for a family get-together in Austin and it was all over the place temperature wise. Has anyone else gone back to a simpler setup after trying the expensive stuff?

9

hollyscott•13d ago

My backyard umbrella snapped in half during a storm last Tuesday

I had a cheap $40 umbrella from the hardware store that I thought would last a season or two. A thunderstorm rolled through around 3pm and the wind caught it just right, cracking the pole clean in two. Has anyone found a decent umbrella that actually holds up to real wind without costing a fortune?

7

rowan_ross•14d ago

Warning: That rusty sprinkler valve I ignored popped off at 6am yesterday flooding half my yard in Houston

Water was gushing for 20 minutes before I found the shutoff valve buried under some ivy, now I'm digging up the whole zone to replace the manifold instead of just that one part, has anyone dealt with a pvc pipe that keeps splitting after a freeze?

20

thomasb41•16d ago

Neighbor's comment about my compost pile got me thinking

My neighbor Jim walked over last Saturday while I was turning my pile and said 'you're overthinking this, just throw stuff in and let it rot.' Been doing the whole brown-green ratio thing for 2 years and he's got a point - his pile looks better than mine with zero effort. Has anyone else found that simpler is actually better?

18

kai839•16d ago

Dropped $150 on a fancy fire pit that rusted out after one winter

Bought this sleek stainless steel fire pit from a big box store last July and by March it was flaking orange rust all over my patio stones, anyone else had their outdoor gear fall apart way faster than it should have?

14

the_rose•17d ago

Took a gamble on a $40 rain barrel from Facebook Marketplace...

Found a used rain barrel for cheap and decided to try it instead of buying a new $200 one from the garden store... after some scrubbing and a new spigot it works great for my veggie patch. Anyone else had luck with secondhand garden gear?

2

the_faith•19d ago

Went from hating string trimmers to loving the battery powered one in my backyard

For years I swore by gas trimmers, thought they had all the power I needed and figured battery stuff was just for folks with tiny lawns. Then my neighbor let me borrow his Ryobi 40v trimmer last spring after mine broke mid-job in the side yard. I ran it for 20 minutes along my fence line and the fence runs about 150 feet total and it handled the overgrown grass and weeds without bogging down once. Didn't have to mess with mixing oil or yanking a cord 15 times either. What really sold me was how quiet it ran, I could actually hear my kid playing while I worked and not feel like I was disturbing the whole block. I switched over in April and now I've got the same brand's blower too, trim full yard on one charge easy. Anyone else make the jump from gas to battery and find it works better than you expected?

6

matthewking•19d ago

Used to just throw a cheap tarp over my patio furniture every winter, but after replacing it for the 4th time in 3 years I finally spent $120 on a proper cover from the hardware store last fall and it still looks new.

That flimsy blue tarp would rip in the first windstorm every single time, now I just wipe the snow off and don't worry about it, anyone else hold onto cheap solutions way longer than they should?

9

white.keith•21d ago

Dropped $200 on a retractable awning and it ripped in 8 months

Was supposed to be heavy duty fabric but the seams just gave up after a windy afternoon, anyone else get burned by those Amazon specials?

12

parker_webb•22d ago

Caught my raised bed rotisserie chicken halfway on fire last Sunday

I was out back near the fence at my place in Austin trying to slow cook a bird over some oak coals, but I forgot to trim the fat cap and the drippings ignited a grease flare that torched the skin black, so I yanked it off and finished it in the kitchen oven, but has anyone ever salvaged a half burnt bird on a rotisserie spit?

17

fionanguyen•23d ago

My backyard in Phoenix went from bare dirt to a little green spot over the last two years.

When I moved in, the yard was just hard, packed dirt that got super hot. I started by putting in a small drip system and some native plants like desert marigold and fairy duster. Now, after a couple of rainy seasons and regular watering, there's actually a patch of grass for my dog to roll in. It's not much, but it feels like a real place to sit outside now. Anyone else in a dry area managed to grow a bit of grass without using a ton of water?

22

logan271•24d ago

I finally chose between a gas fire pit and a wood-burning one for my patio.

Honestly, I went with a $400 propane model from Home Depot after three summers of dealing with smoke blowing into my neighbor's yard, and now I can actually use it on weeknights without the two-hour cleanup. Anyone else pick convenience over tradition for their outdoor space?

14

david_walker97•25d ago

My neighbor's perfect lawn made me realize I was overwatering

I mean, I was watering my grass in Phoenix for 20 minutes every morning, thinking it needed it in the heat. But his yard looked way better, and he told me he only does a deep soak twice a week for an hour with his Rain Bird timer. I looked it up, and shallow daily watering just makes weak roots. Anyone else in a dry area figure out a good schedule?

23

lee582•25d ago

Spent $800 on a fancy outdoor pizza oven and it's honestly not worth it.

Everyone says they're a game changer, but mine just takes forever to heat up and uses a ton of wood. What's a better way to get that wood-fired flavor without the hassle?

25

webb.hannah•25d ago

My neighbor swore by using a whole bag of 10-10-10 fertilizer on my new lawn

He said it would 'green it up fast' after I seeded last fall. I did it and ended up with a bunch of burned patches and weak grass that couldn't handle the winter in Spokane. Now I'm re-sodding a quarter of the yard. Anyone have a better method for establishing new grass without going nuclear on it?

26

shane_morgan•26d ago

My neighbor in Austin told me to stop watering my grass so much

I was out there every other day with the sprinkler on, trying to keep it green in the heat. He walked over and said, 'You're just making the roots lazy, let it get thirsty so it digs down deep.' I cut back to once a week and the yard actually looks better now. Anyone else have a neighbor drop a simple tip that really worked?

14

victor651•28d ago

I finally gave up on my cheap plastic patio chairs after one snapped

For years I used those $20 folding chairs from the big box store, thinking they were fine. Then one just gave out under a friend last weekend, and I found a set of used Adirondack chairs on Facebook Marketplace for $75. The difference in comfort is huge, and I don't have to worry about them falling apart. Anyone have tips for keeping real wood chairs looking good without a ton of work?