A long planter box stretching across the back of the space holds different trees and perennials and potted tropicals dot the paver patio for even more color. Ottobre said she can get more than two dozen poeple easily with space for everyone to move around. (Photo courtesy Sharon Ottobre)

Sharon Ottobre may live far from the Mid-Shore but she shares the same issue as many residents in the new subdivisions that have popped up in nearby counties in recent years: Limited backyard space.
Neighbors on three sides of the Barrie, Ontario resident had put up tall wooden fencing around her backyard, leaving her with less than 550 square feet.
But it didn’t stop her from putting together the outdoor oasis she had kept in her mind’s eye for years.
“It took a while,” Ottobre said, noting she and her husband Peter made it a pure DIY project from hardscaping to planter boxes and picking the plants.
“I knew I wanted a cafe because our kitchen is a cafe and this is really an extension of that.”
Steadfast on the concept of establishing zones in the space and the goal of comfortably holding 25 people, she started with the placement of a curved outdoor sofa as an anchor point and then added an eating zone, two bistro areas and a resting zone with lounge chairs.
She said she chose furniture and colors to give the space a Caribbean feel.
A long planter box stretching across he back of the space holds different trees and perennials and potted tropicals dot the paver patio for even more color.
Ottobre said she can get more than two dozen poeple easily with space for everyone to move around.
“I’ve still got more places to put stuff,” she said.
What’s more is the Canadian winters warrant packing all the furniture and potted plants into a room in the basement until spring rolls around again.
“It all stacks into one 8-by-8 room,” she said proudly.
But when it’s all out for use, it gets used.
“Every weekend,” she said. “I did it to use it not to look at it. Any gathering, it’s always at my house.”
Ottobre’s next endeavor is to have a mural install along the fence with the view of the Caribbean sea and islands, as if she and her guests were on the deck of a cruise ship, unencumbered by any backyard constraints.
For anyone in a similar spot with little space but big ideas,
Ottobre said it’s best to layout a plan and decide on a budget.
“It’s up to the individual,” she said. “But anyone can do it.”