The flagstone was supposed to be delivered on Friday. I of course wait around all day for the truck, only to get a call about 3 pm that they can't do it today, how about Monday. Well, no, that doesn't work - Sam is only available on weekends. So, Gary (husband) decides our truck can handle a 2800# pallet of stone and runs up to pick it up. Meanwhile, Sam and Cory work more on the prep. Checking grade.
After compacting 3" of crushed rock, we add about an inch of sand and level that off. (I am using "we" very loosely...)
The stair landing is the first set - perfect stone!
The patio is definitely taking shape, looking great. I'm pretty good at pointing, not so much at placing.
End of another wonderful and productive weekend. More to come...
WOW!!! Gorgeous and an amazing project! You will love it so much, and get so much use out of it. Very impressive. Thanks for sharing the pics---taught us all how to do something like that. I love the stone choice. Great work!
Omigosh - it's absolutely wonderful!!!!!
So nice!!
Love the Mom/son picture
Huge thanks to my son. He has been doing almost all the work single-handedly. My wrists can't lift those heavy rocks, and my husband tends to "rattle" in Sam's head too much. We found the best solution is for me to just hang out nearby pruning and such until Sam yells for some help. I think his creative juices flow better that way.
Beautiful!
So does Sam do this for a living or is this is hobby? It looks like he has a great vision. Thanks for sharing the project with us. It's fun to see it come together.
Sam is a landscape designer for Classic Nursery in Redmond. Prior to studying for his L.A. degree, he worked for various landscape companies as an installer. So he has good vision and can also put it all together. Lucky me!
Definitely, LUCKY, LUCKY you. It looks wonderful. Kudos to SAM.
Well, lucky you. And luck me because I live about 3 miles from there. Hmmmmmmm.
It could not get any better. Absoulutly beautiful.
Oh, that's beautiful! I can just envision sitting by the fire looking out at the pond with a nice glass of wine!
HMMMMM indeed, katie59. Me thinks you have something in mind. I'd love to have a place like that to enjoy w/o mosquitoes buzzing me.
Susy, funny you bring up the glass of wine -- I have thus far used that methodology for tweaks to the design. After a day's work, I retire to the deck with my trusty chardonnay overlooking the patio/outcrop area and cogitate/envision what comes next. Very relaxing. Looking forward to doing the same on the patio soon. Also can't wait for the actual planting out - that will truly be the frosting on the cake!
Ahh, no wonder it already seems so welcoming and relaxing- you're building that right into it as you go! Are you going to "christen" it by anointing it with a little of your favorite chard?
I also am looking forward to seeing it all planted out....
This dang weather is putting a crimp on the next steps -- bringing in soil to the outcropping, and re-grading the lawn area for seeding. It's currently just a quagmire, difficult to even walk on without landing on one's keester. Mud soup. Might make use of the weekend for plant shopping.
Work on the patio is on hold so Sam can have a weekend with his girlfriend (final year at Central). Gary and I add in the dirt/compost mixture for the planting areas.
Next delivery was a sand/compost mix for leveling the lawn.
I also took some time to go plant shopping at various local nurseries. My favorite is Christianson's in the Skagit Flats. No tulips opening yet (soon, though, many are ready to pop), lots of daffs, and of course the snow geese.
This message was edited Apr 10, 2011 1:05 PM
That is amazing! This project looks more extensive every time I open the thread. It is going to be incredible. I love the way you positioned the pavers arouind the fire ring and also the helpful son with his arm around your shoulder in the photo. There is something about an expanse of garden with thick black compost spread out awaiting plants that is like starting a new adventure. Curious here though....what did you get when you went plant shopping?
The only thing I bought was a little 4" potential for between the flagstone at the outer edges of the patio - erodium reichardii, an alpine geranium. Very cute little plant, with tiny pink blooms. Anyone have any experience with this? The tag says 'may be evergreen in temperate climates' -- I'm thinking probably not. I have several hardy geraniums and none are evergreen.
Other than that, mostly just made notes of who had what for how much. Something new and different for me will be to move forward with an actual planting plan - don't recall ever being that organized. I'm hoping to put a large order with a native nursery on Camano and then fill in with what he doesn't carry, or add some pop here and there.
Ornamental grasses around the outer perimeter, and Springcolor is potting me up some starts (thank you thank you).
I've mixed a sack of erosion control grass seed with one of those cannisters of wildflowers and a pound of crimsom clover to seed the upper hillside. Hopefully that will blend in with the existing pasture grass which we will let grow with only a couple mows (likely early spring and late fall). I'm hoping the wildflower will (a) actually grow and (b) reseed itself not only where it is planted but also into the rest of the hillside. We'll see.
Also planning a focal point in the outcropping with a Japanese maple, perhaps one of the red ones. My cousin in Mukilteo has a side biz / collection of about 900 J. maples and I'm sure I will find something of interest there. Here is his web site if anyone is interested: http://amazingmaples.com
That's the general plan, I'll know more when Sam has worked up a diagram. It will definitely be a departure from my other beds which have more of a cottagy feel to them. I will likely start another thread on ideas for the main planting area -- it is invaluable to get great input from other PNW gardeners. So appreciated.
This message was edited Apr 10, 2011 5:50 PM
The project looks amazing! How exciting!
It is all so exciting, and I appreciate so much that you are sharing with us. I'm crazy interested in how the meadow/hillside wildflower area will turn out. It sounds so spectacular and I wish I had that kind of acreage to think about a meadow planting. Please continue to share with us!!!
And I love the snow geese pic! Beautiful area of the country. We pass thru about twice per year en route to Orcas Is.
After a weekend off, Sam finished up the flagstone on Saturday. This is a view from our upstairs, which shows the placement of the stones. I love the ying-yang kind of look to it. The smaller boulders scattered here and there will be worked into the outcropping to hold the soil in place and add accents to the big boulders - perhaps this weekend's project? Oh yeah, I guess it IS Easter... But, time's awasting, I want to get to the PLANTING part !! (And we do have a wedding/family campout to host mid-June.) It will all fall together somehow.
I love love love the boulders!
Fabulous!
Beauteous for sure!!!
Thank you. This project moves forward mostly on weekends so progress is a bit slow. Weather has also hampered us along the way. Sam comes up again tomorrow and will continue working with the rocks - he has a knack for placing them (and can also manhandle them around much better than I). I'm hoping the weather holds so we can get a lot done. One bright side, with all our recent rain, it was easy to see where the low spots are...
Looks really good.
Bonehead, what a project. It is coming along nicely. Please let me know how the erosion control grass sead and wild flowers do. I have been considering the same thing for a very steep hill. I live in Kalama Wa. . . . Hills, clay and rocky is my constant challenge.
Sam building the final fire ring - the metal ring was a temporary template to place the flagstone around (and will be used down in the lower pasture for another fire ring). I like the campsite look of this, smaller boulders of similar type as our big ones, good spots to set and prop up your feets.
Holly relaxing against the recliner rock.
Another hose down, apparently we need to do this frequently to get the sand to settle in. You can kind of see how the smaller boulders are holding the bank up in an informal way. Once we get some plants in, it will make more sense I think.
The remains of our maiden fire -- perfect evening for it (last Saturday) and we have now figured out that we likely will need some low-volt or solar lights along the steps. I don't want anything too obtrusive but it was a bit sketchy walking down in the dark.
Any place with a recliner rock and informal boulders is my kind of place.
I have to keep correcting my first read of this thread title though; it always looks like Backyard Renegade when I first see it.
