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.