landscaping and house update

apologies.  Aside from the occasional political rant, I've been dark on this blog for months.  That's because we've been slaving away on landscaping (sod & grass seed, stone walls, fencing/gates etc.) for a few months and between that and a busy work schedule I've been knackered.  Here is my list from the past few months:

 

• 90 + 20 2' field stone wall
• 'open' 4' high fence mixing Ipe (Brazilian Iron Wood), bamboo and fir
• 8' high privacy fence of bamboo and fir
• field stone retaining wall/ planter bed along the back of the house between the house and garage
• around 2000 sq ft of lawn (both rolled sod and grass seed... kind of a science experiment) on 26 yards of dirt and 5 yards of gravel
• 14' x 10' slate patio
• Bamboo trees/plans (still in their pots since last week, alas)

     

We shifted a lot of dirt, gravel, stone, sod and wood the past few months... all the while sweating like pigs and drinking like sailors.  But I must admit it feels great to do all that manual work after years of being a desk jockey.  It is like your body taps you on the shoulder and says:  'hey stupid... this is what you're supposed to be doing... everyday!". 

We could not have got all this done without great effort from my dad who placed most of the long stone wall and framed the front fence... plus he gave me a great design based on our needs.  Thanks dad!

The good news is that we're done, basically, with the house.  The builders have a few very small items left to do, and the city is fighting with me over repair of the alleyway, but really... we're done.

<Big, slow, deep breath/>

And now, on to trees and plants... the fun part.  We've started with some bamboo plants in the back (from Stan the Bamboo Man over in neighboring Greenwood) but we'll have to work on the 'anchor tenants' over the next few months.

Comments

[Trish]

Oh WOW!!! It looks beautiful! I love the colour (much nicer than your neighbours' turquoise house... just sayin'). Do we get to see pictures of the inside?

I know it mustn't feel like it to you, but it seems as though all that happened incredibly quickly. No wonder you're exhausted!

I have house-envy. It really is beautiful. And I love Malcolm's graffiti in the concrete.

[misha]

Thanks very much Trish! With a few trees and plants it will feel like a proper place :).

I will post snaps of the inside as soon as a few last details are finished... within 2 weeks.

[misha]

oh and as soon as the bamboo grows up a bit you won't see the turquoise house next door :)...

[Susan]

Just for the record, the planting the bamboo was NOT fun. Digging 4 2 - 3 foot deep holes was especially unfun -- and I only did 1 plus.