at long last THE NEW PATIO

Hi everyone -- thanks to all of you all over again for the wonderful welcome. Attached some before and after pictures of my new patio --well, actually before and during; the afters will have to wait until tomorrow and the planted afters even a bit longer. Still, I am so happy I can hardly breathe!

On account :) of holding my breath during the entire project expecting disastrous eventualities that never occurred....

I would babble on, but why bore such fine people. Here is before looking at the garden

actually that is a very early during -- alas, the gods of images are against me. for some reason I don't understand, I can't get any of the first pictures I took to upload.

thats ok, you don't have to see my shame.

here is a much later during.

ok, one more time

another attempt --looking at the house

OK -- heres the secret-- I just had to rename them! here is before looking at the garden front

and here it is with the top level being worked on

looking at the house before - see above for after the second level is in place

What excitement!! Now for pots and furniture. A huge job. It must totally change the feel of your garden. Looks lovely.

On another note - joy to you for your mega rose. Only in BC.

Inanda

It looks like it's going to be lovely. I like the way you did the two levels. It's going to be so nice for you to sit out there with the garden all around.

Sandy

that's making such a change, you'll be so pleased with the changes I"m sure. It's looking lovely.

Linda

That is going to be gorgeous.

Great job, Hortensia...but aren't you going to miss all those weeds? And how's about that crew...are they interested in travelling??

rosemary

Looks fantastic! What a difference to the yard! It's going to wonderful to see out there and relax. What is that tall airy looking tree in the first picture?
:) Donna

yes the absence of those weeds is making my heart bleed.

SO nice to be able to go out of the house without falling into an instant weeding frenzy.

attached a better picture of les guys, also showing all 3 levels of the patio fairly well

thanks again for the kind words.

the tree is albizzia julibrescens -- fairly fast growing, blooms in the summer little puffy pinks on top of the branches. Don't know hardiness rating off the top -- ok, just got off my duff and looked it up -- zone 8, sorry.

this is the hottest part of my garden and I push my zone here, trying to see how far I can go. better get out there and do it some more!

What a great design! I love it!

les guys did a fabulous job! Wow, you even have a pond! I'll have to do a google on the tree.
:) Donna

thanks again. I realize I didn't give the credits -- the design is by me in my other persona (Hortensia Garden Design) and the construction by a fabulous local company: Rampton Stonescapes (aka Les Guys)

I've worked with them before on other projects, but let me say it is a whole other experience when it is your own!!! and the representative "customer" is your dearly beloved, with whom you must wrangle details as you go along.

M

Looking real nice hortensia, reeeal nice.

hortensia that is a wonderfull change. Do you supply men with all your garden designs? LOL
What stone did you use?
I'll look for the pots and furniture as inanda says. That pond looks very interesting too.
Ann

Hi Annabelle -- the two brothers who own the company were trying to remember how long we had known each other, recalling that my youngest was a baby when we met, we settled on 13 years. In all that time, I haven't managed to keep either of them. LOL

Maybe you know of the (Canadian) satirist, Nancy White? She has a song that starts

"Jesus in the garden will you look at that guy, he's got the slicked down hair, he's got the gleam in his eye. The ladies go...whooooo... as he goes by. and I just bet he can tango!!!!"

running through my head as I watched all that rapid sweaty action in my own back yard.

oh well.

Sure, I can supply them.

Its up to you to keep them.

back to topic. The stone is Yorkstone hydra pressed slabs in natural in the centre and Old Country pavers in charcoal around the perimeter. Using the two together was my idea-- the guys were skeptical at first, but really liked the finished project.

Part of the reason i work with them as often as I do is that they are really creative and interested in making things work in new and exciting ways. The two stones are different heights, but they never once said that awful word can't -- just figured out how to make it happen.

I think you can tell from their faces what they thought of the final product.

M

ps, still wrestling with the pond a bit, but love those fish!!!!

Wow, three levels and a pond. I didn't see that before. It looks really great. I love the design.

Sandy

thanks Sandy -- I'm really happy with it, but to be honest, the design arose from the difficulty of trying to cope with a large oddly shaped surface that sloped BOTH west and north. And the fact that it is our only really sunny sitting area.

Having spent all day pushing wheelbarrows of dirt around, (we are making the steps to the back ourselves, now) I think I prefer the hard work of telling les guys what to do.

they look better sweaty than I do.

I have relatives in Campbell River, btw, so it is a nice neighbourly kind of feeling talking to you.
M

Great, maybe we'll meet some day if you come up to visit them. Have you been up this way much?

Sandy

yes, actually -- to visit, of course; but also for the last few years we have gone camping with friends (and my dad) at Buttle Lake. Started a couple of years ago when it was the only place that wasn't on fire. (remember that!!!?) and then my daughter and her friend wanted to go back, so it just evolved into a tradition.

My aunt lives over there -- she is only a couple of years older than me, in one of those weird generation overlaps, and we are always threatening to get together; but time goes by.....

I really like the area though. I grew up on the sunshine coast, which has changed a lot without offering much in the way of amenities. The island, especially the north island seems so much more like the coast I grew u on.

interesting to note, isn't it that you are zone 8a and I am zone 8b -- be interesting to compare notes about what does and what doesnt.

Marian