Once their work was done, ours began. I further sealed the edges of the patio. We then brought in 3 yards of dirt that Melissa and I had to move from the alley to the planters that surround the concrete. It was a LOT of work on a VERY warm day!!!
After that, I created a step for the walkway, put down some stepping stones that we had saved from our previous yard, and then my favorite part began... landscaping!!!!
Below are some pics of the new patio. Please keep in mind that our growing season out here is very short. That means that landscape plants are slim pickings this time of year, so there are LOTS of bare spots that won't get filled until next spring. Still, we really love both the way that the patio turned out, as well as the way the landscaping is starting to look.
... and now for the pics...
Here's the step and path I put in. The caps on the step don't fit perfectly yet. I still have to rent a saw to cut them down. The trellis is an old piece of a gazebo that broke years ago. Melissa saved the side panels thinking that maybe we could use them for something else someday. The vine is a wisteria.
Here's a wider view of the patio, including the new lawn that we put in. You may be able to click on the pic for a better view. Unfortunately, the workers nearly destroyed a good sized patch of lawn while doing their work the first day. They brought stuff to protect the lawn on subsequent days, but the damage was already done. I had to do some patching once they were gone, which is why the lawn seems to have patches of lighter green in areas.
Our seating area. (It was nice to bring the patio furniture out of the garage. We can get both cars in there again!) Take note of the tree in the back before going on to the next pic.
Our maple commands a pretty focal point in the new patio. Not only is it our shade, but the trunk sits squarely in the middle of the fence. Having to raise the soil level 8 to 10 inches to meet the new patio height also gave us the chance to do a little extra landscaping around the base of the tree. So, here you can see a wood violet and some miniature hostas that I transplanted from divisions elsewhere in the yard. The mushrooms are new... from a concrete place nearby. We thought they looked cool tucked between the roots of the tree.
In the old yard, I had a bunch of stepping stones that formed a path from the old patio to the garage door. In the new landscape, I've used about half of these as stepping stones around the grill (a place for me to stand while I cook). Here's one of those stones surrounded by some new ground covers (Irish Moss and Brass Buttons).
About 3 years ago, we bought this wind chime at a local artists' fair. We loved the sound it made (I think they call it a Cathedral Chime), and it's had a place in the garden ever since. After the new patio was completed, I had a really hard time figuring out where I wanted it to go. It had to be somewhere where we could enjoy the sound, plus it is a little long so it had to have good clearance. Then, while pulling out the patio furniture, I found this hook ... and it occurred to me: the tree!!! It might look a little odd in this picture, but when you're sitting there it seems just perfect!
Well, that's the new patio... at least so far. One of these days, maybe some of you can come and enjoy it with us.
Chris
1 comment:
LOVE it!
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