apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

How did you create it? This was definitely a drawn-out project. The first thing we did was build the fence. My neighbors and I pretty much spent an entire summer working on it. We chose a shadow-box design so that it wouldn't stifle any breezes. We also had to work around my tree. We basically built the fence into the tree. We wanted privacy from the alley that runs behind our homes, but we didn't want to close off our yards completely so we designed the fence so that it slopes upwards. It's 5 feet high in the back but only 4 feet high in the lower patio section of the garden.

The next summer, I worked on the hardscaping for the patio and walkway. I didn't want to spend another summer working on the yard so I hired that job out but I did all the landscaping. I don't have a green thumb so it's been a lot of trial and error. I also made sure to leave about a 4x4 space for veggies and herbs. This will be the third year I've had tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, basil and oregano straight from the garden. I added strawberry and two blueberry plants this year. Can't wait to harvest those!

Recommended store, site, product or resource? We have a lot of great nurseries in our area and I think they are great resource especially for beginners. They can help you figure out the best plants in your area and many offer free workshops and courses.