Hiding the wart...

There are times in any relationship when “compromises” must be made.

This is one of those times.

It is why our TVs are above our fireplaces and why we have a pergola behind the shop to shelter the humungous zero turn lawnmower we use MAYBE 5-6 times a year to pick up leaves.

This time Brian was hell-bent on having a “whole home generator,” while I was perfectly content to cruise along with the little generator that, in the event of an emergency, only runs the furnace and kitchen outlets.

In 2009 Northwest Arkansas experienced a “once in a lifetime” ice storm. Some parts of our community went weeks without power. We lost power 2-3 times for MAYBE a few hours at a time. Got a little chilly in the house but nothing a few blankets and warm socks couldn’t handle.

Yes, I had two fireplaces I could have used as a heat source…one in the master bedroom and one in the den. Unfortunately there was a tree on the bedroom roof and another tree dropping massive limbs on the den roof. I didn’t think it was real safe to light a fire in either room.

Anywho…Brian is now convinced we need a whole home generator to light up the entire house in the event of a power outage.

While I hope I never loose power for days on end, we will certainly be prepared and he will most likely tell me “I told you so.”

Again…compromise.

So why the compromise? Well, the only reasonable and affordable place to put the giant “wart” (as I affectionately call the massive eye sore) is in the flowerbed next to my back patio.

If you check out the swing pergola I built HERE, and the back yard landscaping I shared HERE, you may note that I take great pride in my yard and I spend a great deal of time enjoying my outdoor space.

So putting a “wart” in the middle of my “happy place” did not make me happy.

Compromise. With a smile..

One of the many things that make a relationship work.

SOOOOO….the wart was placed and my creative brain had to come up with a way to “hide” this monstrosity.

The vision…first screen the darn thing. Keep in mind it must have adequate airflow so I can’t just encapsulate it in something.

I have helped a few neighbors build screens… one around an air conditioner unit and one for a hot tub.

So I know it is doable…I just need to find something I like.

So I did what I always do…I went to Pinterest and found a few things I thought I might like.

I like the look of the more “modern” horizontal boards like we built around my neighbor’s AC unit. But because of the need for really good airflow around the “wart” I keyed in on these “louvered” panels. (HERE is a good tutorial for one)

Utilizing this “louver” look will give me good coverage but also allow for plenty of airflow.

So the plan…first I had to remove the Japanese maple I put in this flower bed three years ago.

I moved it to the front and hope like heck the darn thing survives!

I raked up all the old mulch, then I dug out the 4” of compost I put in there a few years ago with the plan to turn this into a massive flower garden (that never materialized!) I will save that for another project.

I dug out another few inches of soil then set three 4x4 posts for the screen. Then I put down a few inches of sand for the flagstone. I put that down now so that it has time to settle and compact well!

My “plan” at this point is to add flagstone like I did HERE at the other house…kind of create a little “patio” area in front of the screened wart.

After I get the flagstone down I will build a screen around the wart, then decorate the area with potted plants and maybe a little bistro table.

I think it will be easier to lay the flagstone before I build the screen. But honestly it may take a few months to get the flagstone done so I may have to put the screen up first…just don’t know how long I can stand to look at that thing.

Compromise…with a smile.

Stone step and front yard makeover reveal....

HERE I shared the start of this little project!

The stone steps were a major part of this little makeover…and in all honesty the hard part. Moving these stone steps into place took some serious planning, preparation and muscle.

Now all it needed was a little topsoil and sod!

No biggy right?

WRONG!!!!!

The retaining wall was there for a reason…to keep the yard from having a severe slope and prevent serious erosion.

This was day one…

…after new soil and sod three years ago….

So it was super important to make sure that after I removed the retaining wall the grade was gradual.

First I used the leftover backfill to create a solid base where we removed the block retaining wall.

Then LOTS of topsoil and some very careful grading….

I used quality shifted top soil and made sure it was well compacted and level before putting down sod. After I installed the sod I noticed a few “low” spots, so I pulled back the sod and added a little soil.

This yard is primarily shade so I used fescue sod which is what we had put down three years ago. Fescue is a pretty grass but it does require shade and annual reseeding, unlike bermuda.

So…how did it all turn out….

I LOVE it! Love it!

By spring the new sod will bed down and seamlessly blend into the existing lawn!

Still debating what to plant to the right of the steps where I expanded the flower bed, but that will come in time. Maybe another dogwood…maybe a few azaleas.

It may appear as if the steps go “nowhere” but the seasonal water is a hair in front of them…I use the steps all the time!

My original plan included cladding the landscaping blocks to the right of the steps and behind the shade bed with native stone. Truthfully, I don’t even notice them now and I really think I will just leave it be for the time being.

Right now I am just focused on the sod….lots of water and a little bit of sun. So far, so good!

Fall is literally right around the corner so in the next few weeks the leaves will start falling…hoping the sod will be rooted and ready!

Stone steps...

Just returned from a trip of a lifetime.

A few months ago Brian said “You know, when we are 103 we will have xxxx dollars!”

SERIOUSLY! 103. I don’t know a lot of people who live to be 103 and while I love my children, I’m not all too concerned with leaving them a whole lot.

So I sat down at the computer and booked the first Alaska cruise I came across.

Seriously, the first. Thank goodness it turned out to be a good one.

So this past week we flew to Seattle and boarded a cruise ship to Alaska. This was my first cruise and since I am not a big “foody,” drinker or gambler (obviously since I came home with a lot less than I left with), I decide I would much rather fly to my destination, rent a car and see the sights at my leisure.

But I am glad I took the trip. We saw some beautiful sights and had a good time. The weather wasn’t so great and we missed a port because of it, but all in all, good. Unfortunately, I believe cruise ships are basically floating petri dishes. Travel home was a booger but I am able to recoup at home in my own bed! Fun!

So I want to share a project I started a few weeks before we went on vacation.

I have loved landscaping this yard. I shared HERE all the changes we have made outside over the last three years.

The first time we drove up to this house I knew I was going to get rid of the block retaining wall in the front yard….

In the past three years I have been slowly chipping away at it…removing as many as I can without creating a serious problem…and of course we added more topsoil and sod and that has helped a great deal.

The retaining wall is necessary along the far right side…behind the shade garden…and it really doesn’t bother me too much since it kind of blends into that flower bed.

But I really disliked the part of the wall that runs in the middle of the yard. As you can see in the “before and after” pics I have been slowly removing it…a few blocks at a time!

My “plan” was to add stone steps to the left of the flower bed then remove the retaining wall to the left of the steps and slope the yard with fill, topsoil and new sod.

Of course my “plan” entails moving HUGE stone steps into place. Not an easy task and one that woke me at 3:30 a.m. several mornings as I played the process of moving 500 pound rocks over and over and over in my head!!!!

As with any DIY project I first started looking for inspiration. Again, got to love Pinterest…a quick search of “stone steps” gave me a whole host of inspiration pictures.

One of the reasons I don’t do a lot of tutorials is because every single project is different…case in point. Lots of inspiration for different yards but very few that were EXACTLY like mine.

But looking at what others have done is helpful when deciding what you may want.

Case in point…I THOUGHT I wanted something like this look….

I could manage building these steps by myself since the rocks are smaller. But truth is, I really don’t like this look. I love flagstone…I love the “organic” look…but it’s just not what I want.

I decided I like something more along these lines….

I didn’t necessarily like the “perfection” of the cut stones, but I like the stack.

Problem. Huge stones. HEAVY stones.

But it is the look I love so I figured out how we could move them with the least amount of back muscle (something lacking around here).

Then I set off to find the perfect stones.

The first thing I did before picking out specific stones is measure for the actual “rise” so I would know how many stones I would need.

The thickness of the stone steps I was eyeballing ranged from 6” to 4”…and they were 18” x 48” (explains why the darn things are so heavy!)

The height of the wall where I wanted to put the steps was 12” from the ground to the top of the wall. So I knew that I would need at least 2 6” thick stones to be level with the top of the wall…then I would need another step that would sit on top of the wall and the bottom two steps.

There are LOTS of instructions online on how to figure the “rise and run” of steps…if you have more than 3-4 steps, I would strongly suggest doing some serious research.

Since my son and Brian were providing a majority of the “muscle” I wanted to make sure I got all the prep work done before they showed up to start moving the stones.

As with most builds, the foundation sets the tone. In other words the first step needed to be level and perfectly placed for everything else to work out.

I decided that building wood frames the size of the stones would make it a lot easier to decided where I wanted everything placed and how I wanted the rocks set. Moving wood frames is A LOT easier than trying to shove 500 pound rocks around.

It is a good thing I did that because I discovered that I needed to do a lot more digging and leveling than I thought. Then I tried several different placements, and got some neighborly input, before I finally decided what and where I liked best.

First I angled them to the right…

Then I angled them to the left….

Then I moved them to the left about 2’ and angled them to the right. I liked that look best….

Once I decided exactly where I wanted them, I made sure the base was solid and perfectly level. I used THIS paver base sand and a tamper…and I watered it down well to make sure it was well settled! Then I marked where the base stone would sit by using spray paint around the base of the form.

The the day of reconning….moving the big stones. I had them placed across 2x4s and in order on the trailer so we could easily slip a dolly under them. One person would slip the dolly under the stone and hold it in place, then two of us would lift the stone upright onto the dolly. We then wheeled it off the trailer onto plywood laid out on the ground and put it in place. The fact that the ground was perfectly leveled made this super easy.

Then we back filled behind the base stone, leveled and then place the second stone using the same method…then the third stone. Presto, bing, stone steps!!!!

As you can see, these steps are much more “organic” than the stones in my inspiration picture but they are still cut relatively uniform…. I love them!

We had a neighbor who wanted all the landscaping blocks so he came over with his trailer and we helped him load them up. I used the leftover fill to start the “slope” of the yard.

Next up….top soil and sod.

So until next time when I share the finished project….

A rock water feature...

In my last house I had an amazing two tiered water pond with a fountain next to the back patio, outside my bedroom. I loved it. I could open the window at night or sit on the patio and drink coffee and hear the water.

If I believed in the whole Zodiac thing I’d say it is because I am an Aquarius…”water-bearer.” I don’t ….. I think I just like the soothing sound of water.

Truth is the sound of water is very tranquil…zen if you will. Calming. Destressing.

I can’t really have a open pond water feature here…too many leaves!

Then I ran across this tutorial on Instagram for a closed water fountain. THIS I can have!

So I set out to build it.

Keep in mind, this is MY tutorial for my specific fountain. There are TONS of tutorials and designs on Pinterest so do a little research and find a tutorial or design that works for YOU!

I decided to place it in the corner of my front flower bed (shared my flower beds HERE). The first thing I had to do was move a few plants around…no biggy!

The tutorial calls for using a large plastic tub as the reservoir. I bought a livestock feed bin at the local livestock supply store…a 40 gallon tub that has an inside diameter of 26 1/2”. (Much cheaper than a tub designed specifically for a water feature that you can buy at the big box hardware stores.) That measurement is important when you go to buy rock because your base rock needs to be a few inches less than that in diameter so the water flows back into the reservoir. If you want a bigger rock, I suggest getting a bigger tub.

So, dig a hole…a BIG hole…large enough for the tub to sit in flush with the surrounding grade. I dug mine a few inches deeper so I could cushion the bottom of the hole with a few inches of sand (plain ole’ play sand). I think that is important for leveling and stability. It also ensures that no rocks will compromise the bottom of the tub.

Set the tub into the hole and make sure it is level…I used a 3’ level. If you don’t have a 3’ level, set a board across the top of the tub then use a shorter level on top of the board.

Once the tub is level and flush with the ground, back fill around the tub with dirt…checking for level as you go.

Water the back fill well so that all the dirt settles around and under the reservoir.

After I was certain all the dirt around the tub was well settled, I dug out the dirt around the tub about 2-3” deep about 5-6” around the tub. I filled that in with small rock I bought at Lowe’s.

I did this so that if the reservoir “flooded” there was less chance of dirt and silt back flowing into the reservoir…kind of a “french drain” thing.

As you can see, I created a little “bed within the bed” by using THIS plastic border material …keeps it nice and neat and separated from the mulch. (TIP..buy extra stakes…this kit does not come with enough!)

The next step is the metal grate across the top. I was going to have my son wield me a grate out of rebar but I found this little gate at Lowe’s and decided it would work fine.

Being the “overkill” kinda person I am and knowing this was going to have to support some super heavy rocks, I did attach three pieces of 3/8” rebar to the underside of it just to add a little strength.

I painted the rebar with Rust-oleum protective paint just so it wouldn’t continue to rust and leach down into the reservoir.

Then I lashed them to the gate using zip ties, making sure they would rest on the edge of the reservoir.

I set a square rock in the bottom of the reservoir to set the pump on…that way it wouldn’t suck in any dirt or sludge that settled in the bottom of the reservoir between cleanings. I put the pump in after the grate but before the mesh. (THIS is the pump I used)

After you lay the grate down, but before waterfall rocks, lay chicken wire or some other smaller metal mesh down on top of the grate. This is because you are going to surround the waterfall rocks with smaller decorative rock and you don’t want them falling through the grate.

I used a stainless wire panel I found at Lowes,. (can’t find it online to link). It is a 2x8 panel next to the rebar.

Cut the wire mesh to fit over the metal grate, and cut a small hole in the front so that you can get your hand down into the reservoir. Remember the mesh has sharp edges so give yourself a little room so that you don’t slice up your hand! (yes I learned that lesson the hard way!)

Then just lay a scrap piece of mesh over the hole before you set the waterfall rocks.

If you need to get to the pump, or when you want to clean out the reservoir, you can easily move aside the decorative rock and remove this panel and access everything.

Now the fun part…picking out your “water fall” rock and decorative rocks.

So off to the rock store I went.

Funny story…my daughter called one day and asked what I was doing. Told her I was headed to the rock store. She laughed…what’s a rock store?

A place where they sell rocks!!!! Big, small, gravel, pavers…the whole nine yards.

I picked out three large rocks I thought stacked nicely and would fit within the 26 1/2” diameter of the reservoir and would flow water. I took a picture of them at the rock store so I would know exactly how they stacked…

I picked out the decorative rock that will go around the large waterfall stones, on top of the wire mesh. It took about 10-5 gallon buckets, but I only fill the buckets about 1/2 full so I can actually carry them!!! You can also buy bags of decorative rock…to each his own.

I also picked up 4-5 rock shims that were scattered about…little slivers of flagstone rock that are about 1/4'“ thick…later you will understand their importance.

These larger rocks are super heavy…so make sure you have some muscle to help you load them and set them in place!

Stack the rocks like you want them next to the reservoir. Pour water over the top of the rocks to make sure the water will flow properly. You can make minor adjustments with shims later. It’s important that the water that comes up through the rocks will flow back into the reservoir. I stacked mine so that all the water flowed to the front and sides…again, personal preference.

Time to drill the hole. WOW! What a chore. I used a 12” 1/2” masonry bit to drill down through the top rock drilling far enough to “mark” the second rock. Move the top rock to the side, then drill the second rock and go far enough to “mark” the bottom rock. I drilled the bottom rock after it was moved into place on the grate…that way you drill through the wire mesh where the hose needs to go.

After the holes are drilled, stack the rocks and line up the holes….it is easier to line up the holes by using the 12” drill bit as a guide. Then snake a 1/2” water line that is attached to the pump through the holes and out the top, cutting it about 1/2”above the rock.

Clean out all the rock dust and muck from the reservoir. Just hose it down well and suck out the dirty water with a shop vac….you may have to do that a couple of times. That way it is all nice and clean and ready for fresh water.

This next step is super important.

Fill the reservoir with fresh water, just enough to cover the pump about 2”-3” and turn it on. (Oh yeah, you do need a power supply close by!)

You want to make sure that ALL the water is flowing from the top rock into the reservoir…if it isn’t, make adjustments to your rocks by using the rock shims. You may have to shim the rocks from side to side or back to front to get the water to flow properly.

Watch it for a bit…make sure it does what you want it to do! (For the record, the pump can be adjusted to flow lighter or stronger…read the instructions…I did not)

I did this before I added the decorate rocks…just made it easier to see. I did notice that once I added the decorative rocks that some “splashing” happened…no too worried about it because the reservoir will have to be filled from time to time anyway, so….

One suggestion…only fill the reservoir about 4”-5"” from the top. If you fill it to the top, there will be no where for rain water to go and you are more likely to have “flooding.” Just my thoughts.

Bingo…a relatively simple water feature!

I added one of my Colorado decorative rocks and a piece of driftwood…

I loved this little things so much that Brian and I installed another one just off the screened porch so I could hear it when I am drinking my coffee in the mornings or having dinner on the porch…added a little Dwarf Japanese Maple….LOVE!!!!!

This is NOT a hard project. Yes, it takes some muscle…but it is relatively easy and probably cost me under $300.

Perfect for small areas or in areas where an open pond water feature isn’t feasible!!!

We've come a long way baby...

So often I share the inside of this house and all the work we have done. This week I finished up another landscape project and realized I have never shared how far we have come OUTSIDE!

I didn’t even comprehend the amount of work we had done outside until I looked it up on Zillow again. The pictures are from when we bought the house three years ago. Sooooo much has changed…both inside and out!

The landscaping was basically a blank slate. I pulled out a few shrubs here and there, moved some azaleas, cut down an overgrown tree in a flower bed and pulled up some edging. But basically it didn’t have a lot of landscaping. I guess the lady who owned it for over twenty years before us really didn’t do a lot.

Fine by me…just that much less to demo!

So let’s start with the front…and keep in mind I didn’t do any “editing” on the pictures i took so you can see how things really look around here. Shade and all!

Before….

The first picture is the Zillow listing. The last two are the street views from Google Earth.

You can probably tell from the Zillow picture and the Google street view pictures…clever photography and heavy editing can really make a difference!

On the house I removed the ugly wood arch things to open up the front porch, changed out the front door, replaced the dated light fixtures, added some minor detailing on the garage door and changed out the arch transom windows.

Trimmed up all the overgrown trees…a must for aesthetics but also for safety…a big dead limb can do a lot of damage.

Removed a few flower beds and then composted and mulched the others.

We brought in new top soil and sodded the entire front yard with fescue. I removed some blocks from the block retaining wall. I really wanted to created a new retaining wall with native stone but that is another project for another time.

I moved four large azaleas that were planted by the front entrance to the side yard where I created a shade garden.

Nothing was going to grow under these trees and it features a huge dogwood …the space really needed to be highlighted! The azaleas and dogwoods are spectacular in the spring!

I planted new plants in the flower beds to the left and right of the entry. Again I am transitioning to perennials so I planted small boxwoods, chokeberries, tick seed, lirope and Stella D lilies…and of course a few potted hostas.

The bed on the left is filled with beautiful daffodils and tulips in the spring…I left those. (This is where I added a simple water feature…stay tuned and I’ll share how easy it is!)

I fill in with a few colorful annuals and I have a few pots I add ferns and impatiens to every year.

Dressed up the beds on the north side of the house with a little rock and planted a few easy plants…hydrangeas, lirope and some astilbe.

Prime example of why you should really research plants…originally I planted some Stella D lilies here and they did not get enough sun. This side yard only gets a little morning sun which is perfect for the hydrangeas and astilbe.

A few weeks ago I finished a little makeover on the side yard where grass would not grow. I added a little flagstone, some decorative rock around the air conditioner, planted some lirope my neighbor was thinning out in her yard, planted a redbud and added a little birdbath.

When I was at the livestock store picking up supplies for my water feature project, they had their azaleas 50% off. I snagged a few and planted one here and two in the side shade bed incase the older ones eventually croak!

The entire back yard slopes towards the house and to each side. This side of the yard gets a pretty heavy water shed because of a downspout. It is one reason this side of the front and back yard would not grow grass. I have to be VERY careful about any changes I make.

HERE I shared the changes I made to the side yard behind the fence.

The back yard has probably had the most dramatic changes.

These are the “before” pics from Zillow…when we bought the house….

If you are wondering what that big concrete bench thingy is, we don’t know. It was there and it is HUGE so it’s not going any where. We have been told it is part of the old farm house that was once here before this area was developed.

One of the first things we did was take out the shrubs along the back of the house and cut out the old pawpaw tree. I loath to cut down any tree but this one was just too big for the space and was on the siding and roof. We replaced it with a little Japanese Maple and someday I MIGHT figure out what I want to do with this bed. In the meantime, potted flowers will have to do!

We added a little rock and planted smaller boxwoods long the back.

I’ve never been a big fan of rock beds…I always preferred mulch. The ease of these beds the last few years has really made me a fan. Truthfully it is easy to plant in and of course pretty much maintenance free.

I added the large flower bed in the corner when we first moved in. Again, it was NOT going to grow grass under the humungus trees. I knew I was going to grow mostly in pots so I put the edging down around the trees along the “shade line,” applied some Roundup on what little grass was there, then just topped everything with about 4” of compost.

(Feel free to be envious of my spectacular wind chimes. I showed them to Brian last spring at a local garden shop…he remembered and gave them to me last Christmas. The man is amazing!)

I have always heard you should be very cautious around oak trees so as to not “smoother” their root system. We have a HUGE white oak and several large red oaks. I made sure to keep the compost and mulch thin around the base of the trees. When I plant in the bed, I dig a big hole then add a mixture of garden soil and compost before planting the plant…that way I didn’t have to amend the soil in the entire bed. With all the rocks and roots in this area it would have been dang near impossible. And again, I didn’t want to do anything to disturb the tree root systems.

HERE I shared the pathway I made with my grandad’s old grind stones.

I shared HERE the extension of this little back bed. Just what little digging I had to do for the edging and planting destroyed my elbow (don’t ask, I don’t know!)

Around this entire back bed is my next “want to” project. I “want to” extend the entire bed about 4-5’, add a flagstone walk and more plants…in other words make the entire thing bigger. Hum…maybe someday when I don’t have a bum elbow.

I shared HERE the construction of the swing…and HERE when I stained it.

HERE I shared my shop and the changes I made to it to make it more appealing. The inside is still a shop full of tools, supplies and garden stuff…but the outside had to be dolled up!

I added this bed last fall for the hostas. I split off the potted hostas this year! Everyone of these hostas are splits!

Two years ago I added a little “pergola shed” onto the back of the shop for Brian’s zero turn mower and our larger garden tools (shovels, racks, wagon, etc.) Everything else goes inside the shop.

We didn’t completely sod the back yard but over the last few years I have sodded and seeded here and there…it is a work in progress. Someday I hope to have a perfect back lawn. With the shade and sun combo it is a struggle.

I was fortunate this yard had an irrigation system. It had been neglected for years so it took several years and some back breaking days to get everything repaired and in working order but it has been worth every effort. I don’t know that I could keep everything alive without it!

I keep thinking that SOMEDAY I will get it all done and then I can just sit around my park-like setting and enjoy. But truth is, I like working in the yard…I like digging in the dirt…I like planting new plants.

There are days I just walk around with my coffee and enjoy. But in my mind I am always looking for new ways to get my hands dirty.

It is my therapy.

A CUTE GARDEN BENCH...

I saw a precious little “mud bench” on Instagram….

Cute as a bug’s ear. Only one problem…I don’t have any grandgirls…just boys. Two are too old to appreciate something like this and one isn’t old enough to sit up by himself sooooo……

What to do?

As I mentioned before there is a precious little girl next door….I borrowed her to bake Christmas cookies!

She will be 8 this summer. She LOVES to make mud pies and has a raised vegetable garden. She had a little make shift “mud table” in her back yard so I knew she would love something like this!

They were on vacation a few weeks ago so it was the perfect time to build and stage a little surprise…so off to Lowe’s to TRY to find some decent wood. Not an easy task these days!

The inspiration bench looks like it is made out of regular wood and painted. I built mine out of treated wood so it would weather well. Unfortunately that means I have to wait a few months to paint it or stain it…no biggy.

For this bench I needed the following lumber (all treated):

2-4x4x6

5-2x4x6

5-1x4x10

2-8’ deck boards (they are around 3/4” x 5 1/2”)

1-1x2x8

1 plastic storage bin with a lid

I used a skill saw, chop saw, a kreg jig and my screw driver.

Remember, 2x4s are actually 1 1/2 x 3 1/2”….and 1” thick boards are actually only 3/4” thick…it’s a racket! The lengths are what they say they are….

I had all the screws and hardware so no need to buy any but you will want 2 1/2” Kreg jig screws and 1 1/2” and 2” deck screws…and some random hooks!

I decided to make the entire bench about 29-30” tall, 4’ wide and about 2’ deep. I think it may be a tad tall for a little one so I built a little “walk bench” for the front of it until she grows a tad.

I can pretty much construct something like this in my head, but if you are a novice, make sure you draw everything out on paper using the actual measurements of the lumber. Or better yet find a plan online THAT MAKES SENSE TO YOU!

The first thing I did was cut the 4x4x6s down to 4-29” pieces for the legs (remember the top will be about 3/4” thick). I used a skill saw to cut them down.

I used the 2x4x6 for the front/back frames and the side frames. The width will be 48” wide so the front frame is 48”, less 1” so the top can hang over by about 1/2” on each side, less 7”(two side posts/legs…remember they are actually 3 1/2” wide) …so the front and back frame pieces are 40”. For the sides…24” less 1” (for the overhang) less 7” (for the posts)…those are 16”. You will cut 4 of each length…2 for the top frame and 2 for the bottom.

To attach the front and side frames to the posts/legs I used my Kreg jig…love that thing. A little glue and then two screws on each end.

Just a reminder…ALWAYS attach boards with the “cup side” down…this applies to any project. To find the “cup” look at the grain at the end of the board. In other words you want the “hump” of the grain to face out. This is important to pay attention to when selecting wood…if the side that will face out is all scarred or knotted you will want to pass.

I put a frame at the top and also 2” from the bottom of the posts/legs so I could add a bottom shelf.

After I got the frame constructed using glue and the Kreg screws, I attached 47 1/2” 2x4 boards cut in 1/2, 3/4” from the top of the bottom front and back frames, on the inside…I did that so I could use 1”x4” boards as the shelving for the bottom. I just laid the 1x4s on the cut down boards then attached them with screws.

I made the top back by attaching two 2x4 boards vertically to the back frame, then attached 3 1x4x48” boards across them with screws. I laid a 1x4x48” board on top for a little shelf and trimmed it with a 1x2. Not on the inspiration bench but something that was simple to add and gave me a space for plants and such.

For the top I used deck boards. I used my jig saw to cut out a hole for the storage bin with a lid so she would have a little “sink” to mix her mud pies!

I made sure to leave gaps between the boards like you would for decking so water could run off.

As I said, we can’t paint or stain it just yet since it is all treated wood but it was super fun to stage…some cute little containers for little plants, some plastic bins for her pots and pans (all from the Dollar Store!)…a few hooks for more pots and spoons. Even a hook on the side for a little watering can.

My neighbor has a Cricket so she made a little sign so everyone will know it is her bench!

CUTE AS A BUG’S EAR!!!

I love it, she LOVES it, and the entire neighborhood loves it and now all want their own garden bench.

Super simple to make and it will not be hard to customize it if someone wants one bigger or even smaller!

I’ll let you know how the mud pies turn out!

Another flower bed...

I’m pretty much through with major projecting on this house…at least until I find something else to tear up!

I did replace the door between the screen porch and the breakfast room.

It was set a tad low and over time the “sweep” has begun to scar the wood…so I took out the old door and “lifted” the new door by adding a piece of 1/2” wood beneath the threshold. The door is also 25 years old and metal. I went with a newer, more energy efficient fiberglass door. Not a difficult project and one you can find a TON of tutorials for.

(You can see the old door with a divided light HERE.)

When I ordered the new door I decided I no longer want “divided light” …in other words “grids.” Which meant I had to replace the glass in the den door since it is divided light as well…and of course they have to match. That door is fine and I really only needed to replace the glass insert. Again, not a big deal…love the look!

As I mentioned before, one of the ways I stay busy and “give back” is to help my neighbors with their projects. In the past few months I have helped one build a wood screen around her AC units, installed a water line for a back yard faucet, hunted plants for landscape projects, help set a large pole for a hose reel, modified a metal fence to keep dogs from escaping a back yard and did some fiberglass repair on a garden fountain.

And this week I built a “garden bench” for my neighbor…I will share that soon. Too stinking cute!

Have wagon and tools, will travel!

In between dragging my wagon around the neighborhood, I managed to get a little yard work done.

I absolutely love my back flower bed and love this time of the year when it comes to life! Every time I look out my bathroom window I am so grateful for it!

This is the view from my bathroom window! When the dogwoods are in bloom…WOW!

But I have one area in my yard that bugs me…rocky and wouldn’t grow decent grass.

Since I have transitioned to perennials and don’t have to do as much spring planting, I decide to tackle this area and extend my back flower bed.

Why do I convince myself that ANYTHING is easy? In my mind I think, oh, I’ll just put down a little landscape edging, throw in some compost and add some plants.

Silly me.

First, this area has some massive tree roots that needed to be taken out. So I had to dig the dirt and rocks (more rocks than dirt) away from them, take a reciprocating saw and cut the roots and take them out. Sounds easy…it is not.

Oh, and I cut a buried wire while I was hacking on the tree roots. Don’t know what it is but I cut it and had to repair it.

Then I had to install the metal edging. Okay, first, that stuff use to be around $8 for an 8’ piece…it is now $30 for one piece. What the heck? Second, again, this area of the yard is really rocky so creating a little trench to set the metal edging in unearthed about 4 five gallon buckets of rocks. CURSES!!!!!

So then I decided I really should use what grass was there to fill in a few bare spots around the yard…kind of like “sod plugs.” That took two days and I think I have destroyed my elbow. Don’t ask, I don’t know.

Again, rocks. LOTS of rock. I think I raked up another 4-5 buckets and honestly I don’t think I put a dent in it. I just got it down low enough to top it with about 5-6” of compost. The booger was digging holes for new plants…AUGH!

And of course the whole irrigation thing, which will now not really work well with the new bed addition. So of course that had to be moved which entailed digging MORE rock…what a pain!

I carefully researched plants to make sure I put in perennials that can take full shade during the day with full evening sun.

Another issue…this area is under a huge black walnut. Black walnuts put off a chemical called “juglone.” Some plants can grow under their canopy but others can not! Research, research, research!

The only thing I knew for certain I wanted to plant is a pink dogwood…found a decent one at a local nursery. They didn’t bother to tell me that a tree can suffer “wind burn” if you transport it in the back of a pickup truck without a tarp.

Half the leaves are all shriveled and “dead” but they swore it will rebound next year. Guess I will find out.

I added a serviceberry, some coral bells, a few flowering bushes, and a few annuals just for summer long color. I transplanted some Stella lilies from another area of my yard where they didn’t get enough sun.

All in all I am pretty happy with it…only one regret…I should have made it bigger! But it’s done for now and maybe next year I can play with it some more…right now I am too busy icing my elbow and knees!

ANOTHER COLLEGE GRADUATE!

A few weekends ago we will celebrated my oldest grandson who is graduating from college. Hard to believe! CONGRATS CAMDEN! We are all so proud of you!

The Olive Tree....

I recently decided to jump on a “decor bandwagon.”

Seems olive trees are all the rage right now. As I have mentioned before I have a few issues keeping indoor plants healthy so I have zero issues with breaking the “no fake plants” rule. If you are like me and have a black thumb for indoor plants, it is the only way to bring “life” into your home. (I kick butt when it comes to outdoor flower beds but this is where indoor plants come to die!)

Anywho, I have an olive wreath…but I was hesitant to spend a big chunk of money on a tree that 1) will go out of style in short order (think ficas, fiddle, etc) and 2) may or may not actually look decent.

So I did a little research and read reviews and landed on THIS tree on Etsy. I went with the 6’ tree. Pretty tree and very affordable but still seemed a tad short. I knew I was going to have to put it in a basket or pot so I decided to give it a little lift in the process.

I found a large pot at Lowe’s I like. To “pot” the tree I needed another smaller pot, some scrap cardboard, spray foam and decorative rocks….

I placed the small (and very inexpensive) pot upside down into the larger decorative pot…I secured it with a bit of hot glue just to keep it from moving around.

I hot glued the potted tree on top of the small pot. I used cut up card board around the small pot just to “fill in” the space and give a cardboard collar something to set on.

After all that I used spray foam to fill in and secure it all….

I use this spray foam for several reasons. First it puffs up pretty solid and kind of acts like a “glue” to hold everything super secure. Second, while it dries pretty hard on the top, it still is a foam and is easy to stick stuff in it if you want to…like for floral arrangements and such (I used it HERE for fall urns!) It is also relatively light weight so it fills these pots without adding a lot of weight like rocks would! It is also lightweight so it makes it easier to move the pot around!

Lastly…it is much cheaper than floral foam!

A few hints for using this stuff…it is super sticky…let it dry before you mess with it! If you get it somewhere you don’t want it, just let it dry well then scrape it off! (If you fail to take my advice and mess with it while it is wet, use mineral spirits to clean it up.)

It expands quite a bit so work in “layers”…let it cure well before you add more if needed. On this project I did two “layers” before I got it to the right height.

If you find that it is “too high” in spots, you can cut it with a serrated knife to trim it down after it has dried.

Since I was using black decorative rock, I sprayed the foam with black paint so it would blend in….

Then I just placed the rocks on top of the painted foam….

I like the overall height and look now. You have to “pot” these anyway, might as well add a little height to them.

I decided to put it in the corner of my breakfast room. If I want to move it to another spot, it is relatively light weight…not so much that it is a tipping hazard but not so heavy that it would be a pain to move.

You may notice I am already decked out for Easter…this little tree gave me the perfect spot for one of my newest Easter additions….

Next week I will share a bit more.

Until then….

It's time to look for discounted perennials!

A couple of months ago, out of necessity, I created a little flagstone and rock path on the south side of my house….

When I first made it, it was all crisp and perfect…then two big dogs did a little “zoomy” number on it. Now it’s not so “crisp and perfect.”

So be it…still better than the wasteland that was there before. Too much moisture and shade for grass to grow but shade loving perennials will LOVE it!

First, let me explain the difference between annuals and perennials.

Annuals last one year and in MOST zones have to be replanted every year. Perennials come back every year…in MOST zones. It is important to check your “zone” and know what you can count on to come back and most importantly, WHEN you can plant. Our last freeze is in mid-April, whereas northern states may have freezes as late as early May. Know your zone…then in my experience, add a few weeks just to be on the safe side.

THIS is a good site to check your planting zone. Again, I always add a few weeks to our freeze date before I plant. Even though the threat of a freeze may be over, new plants still struggle with cooler temps and heavy rains.

I have been trying to plant perennials as much as I can and just fill in with colorful annuals.

But man they can be pricey. A cute little annual may only cost a few bucks but a perennial can cost $10+.

Short term, painful. Long term, you will be money ahead.

One way I have found to save a few pennies is to look for perennials that have been marked down.

This is the perfect time of the year to look. Sales of plants are starting to slow a tad so stores (especially big box stores like Lowes and Home Depot) are more likely to have markdowns. Plants are more likely to be marked down just from showing stress and being root bound rather than dying from heat and lack of water. Some smaller stores are marking plants down just to get rid of them before the heat hits…especially grocery stores!

That is exactly what I did to fill this side yard with perennials…I went searching for puny plants.

I ended up finding two Redbud trees, 6 perennials ferns, 6 Lungworts, two bottle brush bushes, 2 hydrangeas and a handful of other perennials I have never even heard of….all for 1/2 off. Most big box stores and even nurseries have a place where they put marked down struggling plants. Look for them. (And it never hurts to ask a manager…this week I was helping a friend pick out some perennials and we ended up getting two free and the rest 75% off …SCORE!)

They aren’t dead. They are usually just root bound and maybe have some dead foliage. But they are still salvageable and if you plant them properly and water them well this year, they will all rebound beautifully next year!

TIP: Research each plant and make sure you pay attention to the sun requirements. This area of my yard gets no direct sunlight so I had to make sure I choose plants that could handle shade.

TIP: Make sure you dig a hole twice the size of the root, amend the soil with potting soil if necessary and cut the bottom 1” off the bottom of the root if the roots are “bound.” Water, water, water!!!!

TIP: I used a root stimulater (mainly because of the trees). You can also add fertilizer. Just make sure you follow the directions because you can burn up a plant by giving it too much of either!

I need to split my hostas. I like to wait until they are just popping their little heads up in the spring to split them. Then I can take the splits and plant them in the side yard…free plants!

MOST, if not all, of the marked down plants I picked up should survive this year…but if a few don’t I can always fill in with the hostas.

The only thing I didn’t get at a reduced cost was the dogwood tree. I have several white dogwoods in this yard and I have desperately wanted a pink one. Those aren’t on sale. Not only are they difficult to transplant, they don’t rebound well when they start struggling. I ended up buying a smaller one only because I couldn’t handle the thought of killing a big mature one. Hopefully it will make it!

Most of these plants will bloom in the spring…if this were a focal point in my yard I would have worked a little harder at “layering” the plants so that I would have blooms throughout the season…but it’s not, and I didn’t. Again, if I really have to have some color I can add some annuals or maybe even some pots later.

If you are looking for plants that will come back year after year, this is the time to buy them at a discounted price. With a little TLC this year, they will come back for years to come bigger and prettier!

The newest swing pergola....

One of the first things I did before moving in was paint all my doors black. It just made our new house feel like “home.”

One thing about my old house I have aways missed…the swing pergolas.

I had one in my front yard and one in the back. I loved them and I used them all the time!

Working on my neighbor’s deck gave me a “bug.” I have wanted another swing pergola and now I want to do a little manual labor outside.

Okay, so I didn’t REALLY want to do manual labor. My poor old body was still recovering from the deck build. But like everything else, I want what I want and I know to get it I have to put in a little time and labor…and sweat and tears and pain and agony.

HERE I posted a pretty good tutorial for building a swing pergola. And as I said HERE, if you want one, JUST DO IT!!!

I have built a few of these so for me it was a labor intensive breeze. I will say I use to be able to build these for around $200…thanks to inflation, this one cost upwards of $350 (not including the swing). And it was 8x4 vs the 8x6 I usually build.

But again, I wanted it, so I built it.

And if you want one, I know you can build it!

So a few pictures…..

I just love it…THIS is a link to the swing. Super comfy, perfect for napping!

One major change from my other swings.

Usually I put flagstone under the swing. Quite an expense…roughly $150-200 just for this little space.

Last year the City of Lowell tore out an old one-lane bridge near a house I built and we lived in when my boys were young. They removed HUGE 2” thick 16’ wood planks. My son managed to wrangle a few of them, cut them down to manageable (relative term) 8’ lengths and brought me a few. They have been stacked behind my shop…just waiting on inspiration.

And “inspired” I was. I used the planks to create a “deck” beneath the swing.

I put it down just like I would rock. I excavated about 4” of soil, put down a 2” sand base, then cut and laid the boards just like I would rock. I filled the gaps with sand and soil.. The boards are “rough” and that is okay…gives it character.

The flower pots are ones I have had for eons…they use to be “teal” when teal was all the rage. I spray painted them black and filled them with flowers. Lovely.

i am contemplating staining the pergola black. I have seen a few pictures of black pergolas and I really like the look. Fortunately treated wood needs time to “dry out” before you stain or seal, so I have a few months to mull that over.

In the meantime I have a perfect spot to sit and ponder!

That was last week’s project…this week’s was my living room fireplace. I mention HERE that I wanted to make changes. The changes are made and I am very happy with it. I had to make a few “design changes” due to issues I’ll discuss in the reveal.

So until next week when I HOPE to have the fireplace reveal….