Gijs Great Garden Makeover

In Gijs Great Garden Makeover^©, we take you on a tour through the wonderful world of gardening. Host Gijs van der Meijde shows how he transformed his garden from an oversized schoolyard into a true oasis of calm.

In April 2019, our regular host Gijs got his hands on a house in Haalderen. Behind the house was a charming little garden with a nice carport. Unfortunately, the garden was mostly a stone patio and a patch of artificial grass, and yes, there were even more stones underneath that grass. For true garden lovers, that is basically a crime. Time to get to work.

In the photos below, you can see what our host found when he first saw the garden. As you can tell, it looked a bit tragic, but our craftsman still saw plenty of potential.

Original garden

The Backyard

We get to take you through the full makeover of this backyard. Gijs started by removing the practical but hopeless and frankly terrible artificial grass. It was rolled up and sent to the dump, which, as you will probably agree, is exactly where an artificial lawn belongs.

With that out of the way, Gijs could start removing the stones. The paving did have some interesting patterns though, something our gardener actually appreciated. Spoiler alert: those patterns return later in the garden, so keep watching what host Gijs does with that idea.

Removing stones

As you can see, our host and garden specialist Gijs made space for creativity. Most of the stones could be removed, but on rainy days it is still nice to keep your feet dry. That is why paths and a seating spot had to be built.

Our Gijs can do a bit of everything, so he got to work like a proper paver and laid it all in no time. Sharp-eyed viewers may have noticed that the circular pattern from the center of the garden returns near the back door and the small shed door. It is a small detail, but exactly the kind that gives a garden that little extra.

Laying paths

Because the carport is not only a seating area but also a practical workspace, it needs to be washable now and then. To prevent dirty water from flowing into the grass, Gijs installed a drain at the edge of the carport. That required a small adjustment to the drainage system.

With an eye on the future, he also installed several empty conduits between the shed and the crawl space of the house, so electricity and network cables can later be added neatly and separately.

Installing pipes

What was not known at first, but quickly discovered by our observant host Gijs, was a leak in the water line to the shed. Like a determined professional, he started digging to find the leak. As expected, he located it quickly. Gijs repaired it himself, disconnecting the old copper pipe and installing a new polyethylene line alongside the other pipes.

Because the other pipes enter the shed above ground, which is a frost risk for a water line, Gijs connected the polyethylene pipe to the old copper pipe right by the shed. This keeps the water line deep enough underground and protected from frost. All pipes were also mapped professionally, so if anything goes wrong in the future, the right line is easy to find.

Fixing a leak

Because this garden used to be almost all stone, the base layer was yellow sand. As you know, that is not ideal soil for a healthy green garden. Gijs removed it and replaced it with rich black soil. The new lawn and plants were very happy about that.

New soil

As every decent gardener knows, and Gijs certainly does too, soil needs time to settle. If you lay grass on soil that has not settled enough, uneven spots appear over time. You can speed this up with a compactor or roller, but do not overdo it, roots still need room to grow. In our case, time was not a big issue, so we let the soil settle naturally for a few weeks. After that, only minimal compaction was needed before laying the grass.

In the meantime, the sod had arrived. Gijs chose sod with a relatively high red fescue content because it handles shade well, which is useful in this garden. Sod is more expensive than seed, but it is easy to install and gives immediate results.

One tip for laying sod in very dry weather: the roots are still short and vulnerable. So keep watering. Grass rarely drowns, but it can definitely dry out.

Laying sod

Plants need enough water, especially right after planting, but also long after that. Unfortunately, rain does not always do the job, so sometimes we need to water manually. To water more sustainably and save tap water, Gijs installed a rain barrel.

People often picture a huge ugly barrel that takes up half the garden, but that is no longer necessary. Gijs chose a 300-liter barrel shaped like a flower pot. By connecting it to the existing downspout with an automatic diverter, it fills up when it rains, and once full, excess water simply flows back into the downspout.

Installing a rain barrel

To enjoy the garden in late summer evenings, a warm terrace is not an unnecessary luxury. The covered carport already gives shelter from wind and rain, but what is better than warming up by a fire? That is why this fire table is such a great addition. To use the space efficiently, Gijs equipped the carport with a corner sofa and a fire table. Now he can drop onto the couch with a drink after a long day of work and enjoy the results.

Seating area under the carport

The Front Yard

After finishing the most important work in the backyard, it was time to tackle the front yard. After all, the front yard is the first impression people get of your home. It was mostly boxwood hedge. Unfortunately, the hedge was heavily damaged by box tree moths, a real pest and difficult to control in an eco-friendly way. Because most of the hedge was already gone, we decided to fully redesign the front yard.

Clearing the front yard

Because there was a lot to do, Gijs called in a small army. Together, they worked all day removing old plants, placing new borders, and laying turf.

For the new layout, we chose solid anthracite stack blocks measuring 60x15x15 cm. These blocks are cost-efficient, low maintenance, and have a premium look. To keep it a true garden, sod was installed. As proven in the backyard, sod is easy to lay and gives quick results. While turning over the soil, we also prepared for sprinklers and garden lighting by placing a polyethylene pipe and an underground cable.

Because space in the backyard is limited, saving as much room as possible is important. For that reason, Gijs had already decided to move the waste bins to the front of the house. To keep them out of sight, he installed a neat bin enclosure and hid it behind a fence. That way, the neighbors do not have to stare at ugly bins. The enclosure has gas springs to hold the lids open, so Gijs keeps both hands free while taking out the trash.

Building the bin area

Behind the fence, near the bins, there is room for more than just containers. Using 60x60 cm tiles and a lockable iron gate, a paved area was created where both waste and garden tools can be stored.

Gijs named this little area the 'bin square'. A Taxus hedge will eventually hide everything from view. Taxus baccata is an easy-to-maintain shrub and, thanks to its fast growth (up to 30 cm per year), very suitable as a hedge. Just be careful with children: Taxus baccata is a poisonous plant.

Bin area

Anthracite stack blocks were chosen as the property border. These blocks give the garden an open, premium look and require virtually no maintenance. As a nod to the old front yard, part of the lavender was moved to two flower pots. When in bloom, they also help screen the window from view. Finally, we chose a luxurious yet natural path made of quartzite stepping stones. They look great in the grass and help prevent wear on the lawn.

The result

Smart Garden

These days, we have endless options to make our homes "smarter". From lighting to thermostats to TVs, everything can be controlled by phone or voice with systems like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Homey. And it does not stop at the house, the garden can get smarter too. A few simple upgrades add convenience and make a garden more attractive even for people who are not big fans of maintenance. As a final touch, Gijs adds several smart features that help keep maintenance to a minimum.

The first smart upgrade is garden lighting. To enjoy the garden in the evening and to find the front door lock in the dark, the garden has outdoor lights. The old setup had one drawback: it could only be switched from inside the house. To control the lights in modern ways, like by voice or phone, it gets a 21st-century upgrade.

The existing fixtures have a nice authentic style, so instead of replacing full lanterns, only the bulbs were swapped for Philips Hue LED lamps. LED is often associated with cold white light, but warm and cozy options are widely available now. Finally, a Philips Hue motion sensor was hidden inside a birdhouse to switch on the lights whenever someone enters the garden.

Smart backyard lighting

Is Philips Hue a bit too expensive? No worries. There are plenty of alternatives, such as Xiaomi Yeelight lamps. Prefer a DIY approach? That works too. It is fairly easy to add smart switches, like Sonoff switches, to existing fixtures. That lets you control your current lighting with a phone or smart sensors. Do keep moisture in mind. Protecting electronics from rain is not enough, nighttime air can be very damp or misty. That moisture can reach devices from all sides, so the safest option is to buy electronics certified for outdoor use.

Smart front yard lighting

Can’t get enough of Gijs Great Garden Makeover^©? Keep an eye on this page, and also check out Gijs Great Garage Makeover^©!