The “garden” consisted of a tiny patio made from builder’s special pavers placed right on mud, a red wooden fence, an attempt at a raised bed (with red bricks) around the bay window and the rest was plain grass. A blank slate. Perfect!

The first year I observed the garden. The neighbour’s second floor windows on the west and north side glared down into garden. The red fence and the West-facing exposure accentuated the hostile environment. Privacy, shade and cool breezes were a must for this backyard and the house.

The hot red fence had to go. The fence quickly succumbed to cooling touch of grey-green paint. A lick of paint made the backyard feel at least 10 degrees cooler.

With a touch of calmness introduced into the garden, I turned my thoughts to privacy issues. Trees are the obvious natural solution for privacy, shade and cool breezes. Although I planned for trees in the backyard, trees do take a while to grow. I needed privacy now.

Strict by-laws and limited funds put an end to my wooden gazebo dreams. Marauding mosquitoes and fierce wasps quickly ruled out a stylish umbrella or sail wave idea. When all else fails, take a look at neighbours’ backyard. Most of them had prefabricated gazebos. AHA! Because my yard is small, I needed a proportionally smaller gazebo. Fortunately, Lowes sells 8ft by 8ft prefabricated gazebos with mosquito screenings. A practical solution…

At least I could spend some time in the backyard. But it was still very hot. My thoughts now turned towards trees, misting sprays, arctic glaciers.

Next blog: My quest for the perfect trees.