Our Cafe House: Unearthing History In Our Backyard | General Store Renovation

[@MollyMA13]

These trees can grow while you finish the house! It’ll be such a great memory to look at mature trees and remember planting them with the kids!

[@graciegarcia732]

Getting the yard comfortable makes it a home, good choice!👍🙏🥰

[@Davett53]

My backyard was backfilled with all sorts of large rocks and medium sized boulders, old bricks, and even old bottles, broken china, a rusted frying pan, (a cool) looking toy lead soldier. It slowed our progress, but the items were interesting. Some larger rocks we reused in our garden for decoration. The bottles are from 1910 approx., and many were intact.We even found a real gold wedding band, rusted pennies, and plastic kids toys. We discovered a large buried, brick cistern too. We live near a horticultural school, and they sell their saplings and plants to the community, at lower prices. Each year we have added trees, shrubs, & decorative grasses. Our yard has shade and areas of visual interest. It was fun to do, (and hard work) but we learned a lot.

[@ourcafehouse]

@@Davett53 sounds like you had a lot of work to do!

[@Davett53]

@@ourcafehouse Yes and we had no formal training in gardening, or plant selections. We grew up in 1950s era suburbs, with tiny yards, not large enough to have anything more than a tiny flower gardens. I loved getting down in the dirt and soil,....the smells were invigorating. Were weren't even that young when we bought our first and only house. I think we were age 43. We had only rented apartments, with no yards, up to that point.

[@georgehorn1970]

I think the best part of gardening is getting done and watering. Especially when my kids were young. The water fight is a must. Good luck on your project.

[@cjcj6656]

Fruit trees, and growing your own food would be a blessing.

[@kay-vo6cs]

I love the old brick around the trees! It's going to look beautiful

[@twinnish]

You have lovely sweet children. You are building a sweet home for them. Not talking about the house, but the family, the memories. The house is part of it but not the most important 😊

[@ourcafehouse]

@@twinnish Thank you very much!

[@jacquesummers4766]

I just love your family. You are living the dream I had years ago. The closest we came to it was a small and I am serious less than 200 people and I am sure the kids out numbered the adults😂. We were surrounded by farm land and woods. My daughter was not impressed with any of it! 😂 But, my boys … there wasn’t a day that they weren’t happy. They grew into fine military men. One for 6 years, the other 21. I wasn’t the best an outdoors person but I worked very hard at it . They came running into the house yelling “ we found a snake” come see it mom… so I went barefoot. Did I mention that I am not the sharpest tool in the shed?😂. I helped them locate it … while it crawled over the top of my foot. I just told them that it was garden snake and to put it back in the field so its mommy could find him. I know that you will find things for your children to do that will be a great “help”. Like you said about the trees, they will remember that they worked with their dad to build your family home. ❤❤

[@kalisvarkrom9937]

Your back yard plain sound good. You should mark out where yo want you drive way to be. If you put a bit of dirt and sand over it, then spared some grass seed on it, then cover it with some straw the rock will disappear with time. I use to live on a lot that once was a car lot for years. So my whole yard was like your drive there. Now if you look at it, you can not tell it was all rock at one time. That bad part was, do to the gravel I could not put in a garden in my back yard. If you want to spend the money, you can get a frontend loader and dig up all that rock, but then you got to get dirt to fill it back in. Yes a lot of work.

[@patriciamuskevitsch8359]

Worth the work. It's going to be nice.

[@ourcafehouse]

I think so too. Thanks!

[@Sheila-hn3zt]

Myself and friends planted 13(yes) Birch saplings in 2 hours over 20 years ago. They all survived and are huge. The key is deep watering. I think the roots will be deep enough and will spread horizontally.❤

[@ourcafehouse]

@@Sheila-hn3zt wow! 13 is a lot! Good work 😊

[@Sheila-hn3zt]

@@ourcafehouse Yes it was! It was a COLD day in March, sleeting in Seattle, (Lol). We had to dig 3x3 holes (using pick axes because the ground was so hard), we had to drive 3, 3"x52" stakes, tie them to the trees and surround with plastic mesh! My lips were so cold they were numb and I couldn't talk! It was at a local park, trees donated in memory of my husband. He grew up 1 block away, and that day an eagle (rare in the city) circled us the whole time.

[@charliebyerly3931]

You need Yard Crashers 😊🌳

[@littlemissy8356]

When planting in the yard, things need be done in the correct order. The problem with up and planting trees is that now you will need to bring machines in to get rid of the foundation, and probably the trees will be in the way.. You do not want to dig the trees back up. Landscaping need to be figured out on paper first, as to something that makes sense. People just plant trees everywhere, and particularly way too close to each other. Also keep in mind that trees are expensive to keep up. Not to mention the clean up every year. I congraulate you on taking on this tremendous challenge.

[@cjw648]

Just a small tip. When planting trees, bushes and other plants,,,, Dig hole twice as big as the rootball. Slice burlap etc, Loosen up the rootball Soak the hole with enough water that ground is saturated Water plant after it has been planted. Personally I throw a bit of fertilizer at bottom of each hole. (Small handful). I just found your channel and love wgat your doing. I bet its going to look great when you are all done. Thanks for sharing with us. ❤

[@ourcafehouse]

@@cjw648 great tips! I wish I would have read this before planting the trees 😉

[@nomikopp387]

I collected old 5 gal.buckets and make my own fertilizer. Fill with kitchen scraps and weeds (which are also very nutritious), top off with as much water as it will hold, cover and let sit for a few months. I use everything. It all goes back to the earth & transforms it into a paradise. Hopefully you have an outdoor faucet 😊

[@katrianem2124]

It makes sense to me to plant those trees now 🥰

[@WVgrl59]

That is some flat land. ❤ 😊

[@High12083]

What cool is part of the building can be your own business and the other half is living quarters

[@cynthiawilliamson5905]

Nice!

[@ourcafehouse]

@@cynthiawilliamson5905 thanks! 😊

[@lindalagalo8018]

I love what you guys are doing I’d love to live there it’s going to be beautiful ❤

[@David_Robert_1]

Hello 👋 how are you doing today?

[@lindalagalo8018]

@@David_Robert_1 I’m great thank you and you ? I’m following every time you post a video I’m in Michigan and lots of old buildings here I’m 67 now but I wish we could have done something like this when we were young and our kids were little ❤️🙏God Bless you guys throughout your journey

[@David_Robert_1]

@@lindalagalo8018 Good. You’re welcome

[@David_Robert_1]

@@lindalagalo8018 Nice to meet you here. Well my name is David I’m from Houston Texas. You?

[@David_Robert_1]

@@lindalagalo8018 oh thanks

[@ThoMichelle]

Lovey family moments. Thank you for sharing.

[@ourcafehouse]

Thanks for watching!

[@lucianadority659]

I've been following ur adventure for awhile and I must say this is gonna be a true HOME when u guys are done. I love the anticipation. I'll keep following!❤❤❤❤❤

[@ourcafehouse]

Slowly but surely it is becoming a home! Thanks for following along with us 🙂

[@richardedera7808]

This was awesome make more videos😊

[@ourcafehouse]

I've got a new video uploading :)

[@bonniebrown6960]

I wish I had that gravel for my driveway.

[@Davett53]

We bought a "spud bar" an iron, long handled pry bar. It has many uses, and getting boulders out of the ground, is one use.

[@ourcafehouse]

@@Davett53 I might need to get one of those next time 😑

[@Teow_of_Meow]

You could put a pool back there !!

[@pacer7682]

Power broom on the front of a lawn tractor will sweep all of that gravle out of the grass real easy. I have to do it along my driveway every spring after plowing snow.

[@ourcafehouse]

I'll have to look into that. Thanks!

[@dennismoore8351]

Any plans for a driveway and garage?

[@lilywondertwin]

Did you test the soil it looks like it might need amending .

[@WVgrl59]

See if anybody wants to get rid of their local manure and bring a load of dirt in and mix it together. ❤

[@jerrywoodlee2345]

You definitely need to remove all that gravel before you haul dirt in.

[@ourcafehouse]

I agree

[@earljohnson2676]

I would remove the gravel and rent a Tiller and turn that soil and order idk the square footage but buy yards of loam and some grass seed along with a few bales of hay . Till the yard add the loam then throw your seed down and cover it with the hay just enough so your covering the whole area and water it twice a day for 5 days then once a day and you will have grass in two weeks no BS . I do it all the time and people are amazed I tried 3 times I couldn’t grow grass . You don’t remove the hay it will stay and fertilize the lawn it works great . Idk how old this video is you may be past that by now but if you have any patches try you will be pleasantly surprised

[@Ham549]

With building always one floor or did it have a basement?

[@ourcafehouse]

The building has a basement

[@arlenemachado951]

But! I want to see the auger work!

[@dragoness3606]

You can see where you are talking about putting a door in the brick there use to be a door.

[@jemettdoughty210]

Where are videos in 2024?

[@Mosin-lf7wl]

What part of the country are you in?

[@margecampbell4667]

Foundation stones from a former building?

[@ourcafehouse]

@@margecampbell4667 yes I believe that’s what they were

[@kneelathisthrone9191]

Don't be surprised when limbs start falling off river birch as they are self pruning.

[@MazichMusic]

It really would take an excavator to get that foundation out. Shame on whoever did the store demo.

[@ourcafehouse]

Yes it was a nightmare getting out the little bit that we did. Definitely would need an excavator to get it all out.

[@juliom6260]

Yep. Better do it now 😅

[@zuzuspetals9281]

It’s too late now but you should give more room from the building to the trees. In 30+ years they’ll be larger than you’ll expect and too close to the house.

[@AdinaShoshanaSturman-os6tk]

Yikes! Camera movement makin' me a little sea sick!

[@karendooks6244]

Should be careful not to plant trees too near to the building, otherwise the roots can damage your foundations

[@Sea-cucumber1151]

River birches are awful. They will drop twigs, branches all year long, leaves constantly, then come spring they make the worst messes, pollen, worms looking pollen things, then flakes. I don’t know how a tree can make such a mess, but I will never have one in my backyard again. I can’t even describe how much mess they make. Yes they grow fast, but not worth them. I suggest you pulled them and put them far back. Your yard will never not have leaves except maybe dead of winter.

[@whitehawk22]

My yard is also a thin layer of poor soil on top of endless rocks & gravel. Awful, awful, and would not recommend just throwing dirt on top, but bulldozing the whole space to get the stones OUT once and for all. IMHO.