This Year's Project - Stone Patio, Screen Porch & New Beds!

Song, I found you!!! So happy to see the project underway.

I am beyond impressed with the way it is looking. You have really made it into an outside room. My back hurts from thinking about laying those stones.

We bought a nice JM Autumn Moon at Baystate Perennials in Whately, near Deerfield, recently, but they only had a couple for 90.00. I have been looking for some special ones in nurseries all over New England and keep finding the same ones too. I saw a 'shirazz' and a coral bark one, both very nice but pricey. I would think the best place to see some might be Sylvans in Westport, Ma, near New Bedford. I bought all our initial trees and shrubs from them in the early 80's. They are a great nursery. They use to do wholesale only. I need to go there this summer as I haven't been in a few years. It is huge, but very orderly. But Victor knows far better than I about finding JM.

http://www.sylvannursery.com/index.html

Here is a collage which includes a picture of our little Acer shirasawanum 'Autumn Moon'

Again I must thank you for all your help getting my stream in place. We love it. We went to Garden in the Woods recently and also to their propagation farm in Whately for a truck load of special plants to use the stream area. It is starting to look more natural. Patti

Patti,

Your stream is looking incredible!!! What did you buy for plants for the stream? Love your JM too! Where did you see the Shirazz? I've read so much about that little beauty, but I hear it may be risky in my zone. I haven't been able to find one around here. I did contact Sara at Maplewoods Farm and she'll be getting back to me today with some suggestions for the perfect JM.

I'm hoping to start planting my new beds next week. Other than the JM, my other thoughts include japanese irises, weigelia (sp?). I have two sambucus nigra 'black lace' that need to be moved. What are your favorite perennials for sun (6 hrs)? I have so little experience with sun-loving plants.

Patti - I am also interested in your opinion regarding the arbor. You had previously indicated that the style I choose would be important. Do you think the arbor pictured above would work here (fourth picture from the top)? It is wrought iron - similar color to the french doors and the top is arched which mimics the semi-circle windows. I don't care for it in it's current location and thought it might work at the entrance to my patio (from the yard). If not, what would you suggest? I plan to move a white clematis I've had for years that seldom flowers where it is now to climb whatever arbor I go with.

Songs Of Joy.................your patio with drainage away from the house should be just fine. Actually the water problem is what brought our patio into being. We needed a major French Drain system first. That opened up the soil over a vast area that became our patio. All of our drainage ran downhill and piled up at the house foundation. We literally dug the drains down below foundation levels and altered the flow away from the house. The project worked. We no longer have a wet basement. More than half the expense is underground in the form of drainage.

Song, Thanks. The list is long....ha. Would you expect less. I will post it later. Glad you are liking the stream.

But first the arbor. That one is a great shape and color for the entrance. It might look a tad slim and be missing as much of an entrance statement as you might like, but when it has some sizable plants around it and climbing up it, I think it will be perfect. I actually think it will be more inviting than a larger wooden one. If it needs anything it might be to get a small run of similar black iron low fence to add wings to it that would more define the entrance area. I would definitely use it and think how many more plants that you can buy with the found savings.

I saw two Shirazz, one at Country Gardens in Hyannis. Nice 4 foot or so and one in either Springfield, Ma at Sixteen Acre or at a nursery in Chicopee, Tarnow.

Plants? I love having a big clumps of Sedum Autumn Joy for early to late interest. I use lots of Geraniums some bloom all summer, Brookside, Rozanne, Splish Splish, Johnson's blue and Jolly Bee. Caryopteris late blooming blue and is a shrub-let, Alliums, especially the white ones, but I have many clumps of others too opening now. Echinops, Eryngium and Perovskia which all have great structure. I love dianthus especially the gray ones as edging even when not in bloom. They do super well at our VT house. I can't live without lavender, Hidcote or Munsted. Love Baptisia, but then what don't I love!!!! Crazy Daisy Leucanthemum is a favorite daisy and I do like lambs ears and nepeta for fill. It is raining out or I would walk through the garden and keep writing. Oh, Bee balm and Euphorbia and a zillion lilies. Have fun. Patti

Docgipe, glad to hear my drainage should work. We've actually never had problems with our basement getting wet - even with all the water that funnels down that roof, but I don't want to risk creating a problem with the patio.

Patti - Thanks! I trust your judgement on the arbor so I'm definitely going to give it a try there. Now I'm off to look up those plants! (I really should be working...LOL!)

I second the suggestion of adding "wings" to the arbor to give it more substance. It is going to be a stunning finished project!!!

Yes, I'll have to look into that. Another question on the arbor - it may not be visible from the photo, but it currently has a gate as well, which is removable. Should the gate stay or go? Here's a better picture of the whole arbor...

(I plan to replace the granite bridge here with a large bluestone slab leftover from the patio and add bluestone stepping stones instead of the gravel path - but that's another project!)

I tend to enjoy the gate in place. Does it not invite one to open and see what is on the other side. The whole arbor design is a piece of art in itself. A splash of blue slate will pick and support the patio in my opinion. When it gets rusty it will be even more desirable to me. With or without the gate you have a most desirable center of interest set that plays into the total you are developing. Well...........is it not mostly for your enjoyment? The call should be yours.

I totally agree. Done right means you like it, period.

Can the gate become the wings? I can't remember if this is your front door? Or if, like me, you have few uninvited visitors thus no gate is needed. But I agree that you can decide whether to keep the gate at a later point after it is planted. Then it will be obvious if you need to define the space more with the gate in place. "Gradients of intimacy" are best defined by halls and doors, but it may be that the arch is perfect without the gate. Easy for you to enter with all those inevitable big boxes of new plants!

So stop being a slacker and more that granite! You are amazing. And I agree that a more natural stone will make a better bridge into you stream area.

Nice soft rain going on here, which is allowing me to catch up on journal work and labels. Plus play on DG But I should be out planting the veggie garden. One week late already, though many of my seedlings are fat and happy on the porch.

Here is the new planting in the woods list.
Most are from Bay State ,Nasami Farm Rick's Custom and a few other places, plus I have added a few more this week from the Brent and Becky sale that have yet to be included. I also am listing today all the seedlings that I have yet to plant so I will be adding to this last later today. Of course I had a lot already which are not listed, plus all the bulbs. It is going to be full soon. I told you it was long and yes, I am broke. Patti

(193619) - American Mayapple, Mandrake Root | | Podophyllum | peltatum | dell iris bed
(193436) - American Spikenard | | Aralia | racemosa | dell iris bed
(193449) - American Umbrella Leaf | | Diphylleia | cymosa | dell south bed
(193693) - Asiatic Primrose, Capitata| Noverna Deep Blue | Primula | capitata | dell
(171208) - Bear’s Breeches, Oyster Plant | | Acanthus | spinosus | dell south bed
(193708) - Bear’s Foot, Stinking Hellebore | Miss Jekyll | Helleborus | foetidus | dell iris
(197439) - Beardtongue, Beard Tongue | Stapleford Gem | Penstemon | | dell iris bed
(191750) - Bellflower | Samantha | Campanula | | dell iris bed
(193726) - Big Leaf Golden Ray | Gregynog Gold | Ligularia | hessei | dell iris bed
(187908) - Black Mondo Grass | Nigrescens | Ophiopogon | planiscapus | dell south bed
(187909) - Black Mondo Grass | Nigrescens | Ophiopogon | planiscapus | dell middle
(187905) - Bleeding Heart | Alba | Dicentra | spectabilis | dell middle bed
(186491) - Bloodroot | | Sanguinaria | canadensis | dell south bed
(191754) - Blue Corydalis | Blue Panda | Corydalis | flexuosa | dell iris bed
(177722) - Blue Sanicle | | Sanicula | caerulescens | dell iris bed
(193433) - Canada Anemone, Meadow Anemone | | Anemone | canadensis | dell north
(193654) - Cascade Penstemon | | Penstemon | serrulatus | dell iris bed
(191757) - Coral Bells, Alumroot| Midnight Rose | Heuchera | | dell iris bed
(187901) - Coral Bells, Alumroot,| Dolce Key Lime Pie | Heuchera | | dell middle bed
(193660) - Coralbells, Alumroot, Alum Root | Sashay | Heuchera | | dell iris bed
(193649) - Cranesbill, Hardy Geranium | Orkney Cherry | Geranium | | dell iris bed
(191752) - Creeping Broad-leafed Sedge | Lemon Zest | Carex | siderosticha | dell south
(192820) - Crested Gentian | | Gentiana | septemfida | dell iris bed
(193455) - Curlyheads, Ochre Clematis | | Clematis | ochroleuca | west walk west side
(191367) - Threadleaf Japanese Maple | Inaba Shidare | Acer | palmatum var. dissectum
(186489) - Downy Rattlesnake Plantain| | Goodyera | pubescens | dell middle bed
(193444) - Dwarf Crested Iris | | Iris | cristata | west walk west side
(193440) - Dwarf Crested Iris | Cristata Alba | Iris | cristata | dell south bed
(193420) - Dwarf Lake Iris | | Iris | lacustris | dell middle bed
(171562) - Fairy Bells | Night Heron | Disporum | cantoniense | dell south bed
(193418) - Fairy Wings | Nanum | Epimedium | diphyllum | west walk west side
(171551) - False Spirea| Ellie | Astilbe | x arendsii | west walk west side
(171353) - False Spirea, False Goat’s-beard | | Astilbe | chinensis var. taquetii | dell iris
(174224) - False Spirea| Obergartner Jurgens | Astilbe | x arendsii | dell iris bed
(193589) - Flowering Tobacco | Hummingbird 11 lime | Nicotiana | alata | west walk west
(197444) - Foamflower | Pink Brushes | Tiarella | | dell iris bed
(197436) - Forget-Me-Not | Bobo Blue | Myosotis | sylvatica | dell north side
(193686) - Fortune’s Net Veined Holly Fern, J. Holly Fern | | Cyrtomium | fortunei | dell
(174042) - fothergilla | red licorice | fothergilla | xintermedia | dell iris bed
(193419) - Foxglove | Glory of Roundway | Digitalis | | dell south bed
(192794) - Japanese Maple | Autumn Moon | Acer | shirasawanum | dell south bed
(177485) - Gentian | Royal Blue | Gentiana | makinoi | dell middle bed
(193597) - granny bonnet | lemon meringue | aquilegia | | west walk west side
(193683) - Hairy lipfern | | Cheilanthes | lanosa | dell middle bed
(193695) - Hairy Toad Lily | Variegata | Tricyrtis | hirta | driveway walk
(191755) - Hakone Grass,| All Gold | Hakonechloa | macra | dell south bed
(193710) - Hart’s Tongue Fern | | Asplenium | scolopendrium | dell middle bed
(193665) - Heucherella, Foamy Bells | tapestry | X Heucherella | | dell middle bed
(193663) - Heucherella, Foamy Bells | Burnished Bronze | X Heucherella | | west walk
(193284) - Himalayan Mayapple | | Podophyllum | hexandrum | dell south bed
(171549) - Hubricht’s Blue Star, Narrow Leaf Blue Star, | Amsonia | hubrichtii | dell iris
(193441) - Indian Physic, American Ipecac | | Porteranthus | stipulatus | dell north bed
(193458) - Indian Pink | | Spigelia | marilandica | dell north bed
(193452) - Island Shooting Star | Dodecatheon | clevelandii subsp. insulare | dell iris bed
(186490) - Jack In The Pulpit | | Arisaema | triphyllum | dell south bed
(177719) - Japanese Forest Grass | Albo Striata | Hakonechloa | macra | dell south bed
(193562) - Japanese Painted Fern | | Athyrium | niponicum var. pictum | dell south bed
(187903) - Japanese Sedge | Evergold | Carex | hachijoensis | dell south bed
(193453) - Jeffrey’s Shooting Star,| | Dodecatheon | jeffreyi | dell middle bed
(193725) - Jerusalem Sage, Sticky Jerusalem Sage | | Phlomis | russeliana | dell north
(193687) - Korean Tassel Fern, Holly Fern | | Polystichum | polyblepharum | dell iris bed
(193737) - Ladies Mantle, Lady’s Mantle | | Alchemilla | erythropoda | driveway walk
(193709) - Lady fern | Encourage | Athyrium | filix-femina | dell middle bed
(171574) - Meadowsweet, Queen of the Meadow | Aurea | Filipendula | ulmaria | dell iris
(193591) - Mealy Cup Sage | Victoria Blue | Salvia | farinacea | west walk west side
(193583) - Mealy Cup Sage | Rhea | Salvia | farinacea | west walk east side
(193429) - Merry Bells, Sessile Bellworts, Wild Oats | | Uvularia | sessilifolia | dell iris bed
(171587) - Mukdenia | Crimson Fans | Aceriphyllum | rossii | west walk west side
(186492) - Nodding Mandarin, Spotted Mandarin | | Disporum | maculatum | dell south
(193682) - Northern Maidenhair Fern | Adiantum | pedatum | dell south bed
(171595) - Ornamental Onion | Alba | Allium | thunbergii | west walk east side
(192805) - Peltoboykinia | | Peltoboykinia | watanabei | dell iris bed
(193456) - Pink Turtlehead, Lyon’s Turtlehead | | Chelone | lyonii | dell south bed
(193422) - Prairie Smoke,Purple Avens, Old Man’s Beard | | Geum | triflorum | dell iris
(171217) - Rodgersia | Chocolate Wings | Rodgersia | | dell south bed
(193727) - Scarlet Avens | Mango Lassi | Geum | | dell south bed
(193587) - Scarlet Sage| Red Hot Sally | Salvia | splendens | driveway bed
(174244) - Scented Nodding Ladies’ Tresses| Spiranthes | cernua var. odorata | dell iris
(197424) - Scottish Harebell,Harebell | Olympica | Campanula | rotundifolia | dell south
(193285) - Sharp-lobed Hepatica | | Hepatica | nobilis var. acuta | dell middle bed
(171215) - Shavalski’s Ligularia | | Ligularia | przewalskii | dell iris bed
(192808) - Shredded Umbrella Plant | | Syneilesis | aconitifolia | dell south bed
(193689) - Shuttleworth Ginger| Velvet Queen | Asarum | shuttleworthii | dell iris bed
(193438) - Slender Blue Flag Iris | | Iris | prismatica | dell iris bed
(193955) - Slender Crested Male Fern | Linearis Polydactyla | Dryopteris | filix-mas | dell
(177447) - Spotted Bellflower | Plum Wine | Campanula | punctata | dell middle bed
(193698) - Sunset Fern | | Dryopteris | lepidopoda | dell south bed
(186485) - Sweet Wakerobin, Vasey’s Trillium | | Trillium | vaseyi | dell north bed
(171567) - Thick-stemmed Wood Fern | | Dryopteris | crassirhizoma | dell middle bed
(192816) - Three-flowered Gentian | | Gentiana | triflora | dell middle bed
(193657) - Toad Lily | Gilty Pleasure | Tricyrtis | formosana | dell iris bed
(193696) - Toad Lily | White Towers | Tricyrtis | | dell south bed
(186486) - Trillium, Wake Robin | | Trillium | grandiflorum | Dell Iris bed
(193427) - Twinleaf, Helmet Pod, Ground Squirrel Pea | | Jeffersonia | diphylla | dell iris
(187208) - Variegated Japanese Aster | Aurea | Kalimeris | yomena | dell iris bed
(187206) - viola | delta pure white | viola | | west walk west side
(187204) - viola | cutie pie | Viola | | west walk west side
(171218) - Voodoo Lily | | Sauromatum | venosum | dell north bed
(186484) - Wakerobin, Stinking Benjamin | BEIGE | Trillium | erectum | Dell south bed
(193697) - White Baneberry, White Doll’s Eyes | | Actaea | pachypoda | dell iris bed
(193653) - Wild Evergreen Ginger, Little Brown Jug | | Asarum | arifolium | dell south bed
(193714) - Wolfsbane | lamarckii | Aconitum | lycoctonum subsp. neapolitanum | dell iris
(177451) - Wood Spurge | Orange Grove | Euphorbia | amygdaloides | dell iris bed
(193426) - Yellow Fairybells | | Prosartes | lanuginosa | dell middle bed
(197426) - Yellow Foxglove | Carillon | Digitalis | grandiflora | dell north side
(186487) - Yellow Trillium | | Trillium | luteum | Dell Iris bed
(171584) - Yellow Wax Bells | | Kirengeshoma | palmata | dell north bed

Holy Toledo Patti!!! I must come visit your place someday! What a list!!! It will look wonderful. I love woodland gardens.

I am renting a backhoe this weekend to grade the back yard a bit and to move 30 yards of compost/soil mix into my bedding areas. While I have the backhoe I'm going to try to lift the granite bridge with it and a chain. Hopefully I won't do any damage to the stream!! That granite is way to heavy - so I'm definitely going to cheat and be a slacker on that one, LOL!

As for the gate - I do like it so I think I'll start off with it on and see how that goes. I don't actually close the gate - I like to leave the gate doors about 3/4 of the way open. (I think it looks beckoning and inviting that way.) This is my backyard so there will be no visitors coming through. I agree docgipe - I will welcome the rusty aged look!

Ok - one more question: what to do about stairs?? There will be three sets of them coming down into the patio. I worry that introducing another material like wood might be too much. I'm not a fan of granite as it looks too formal and I think it might clash with the bluestone. Any ideas? I'm not good at these types of design situations. I know when I like something I see, but I don't always know what will look best before I see it.

Leftover bluestone? Or fieldstone.

I thought of bluestone - but I don't have enough large slabs. Or are you thinking mortar?

Can do that too - a few more little jigsaw puzzles.

I think I've had enough puzzles for this year. I never did much care for them... Do you agree that introducing wood might be too many different materials or am I overthinking this?

I'm having a family reunion a week from Saturday at my house. It's a good thing I thrive on pressure because I've got my work cut out for me.

Again, that's a personal thing. I would not use wood. Aside from other factors, it has a limited lifetime.

Actually the steps up out of a lower area always look nice when made of the surface material of the area you are entering or leaving. At the top there should also be a small landing as wide as the steps and however long it needs to be to look nice in its surroundings. I made mine as wide as the flower bed that breaks the terrace retaining wall and the grass lawn. I'm in trouble here. Try this.... the landing width was as wide as the steps and went on out to the edge of the terrace retaining wall flower bed.

Places that sell the blue slate often have risers and treads cut.......or will cut the pieces to your measurements. That gets into some bucks because it is all diamond blade cutting.

Too funny that you would ask about transition steps. We always had stone steps banded in wood to transition between a wooden deck and the stone paths. It looked great for years but recently after one very naughty, but loved, dog began secretly digging under the deck causing the stones to fall though that the stairs needed to be replaced. Dilemma. Wood vs Stone?

I discovered her wicked digging when I fell through the top step of three in April and almost broke my leg. I could not get my foot out without help from my DH who heard me shouting as he was about to go to town. A big law suit if anyone else had fallen through. DH fought to restore it with stone, but I said that I wanted it all wood. The carpenter came and agreed with me, plus the price would be way less. No I don't love it as much as the stone and knew I wouldn't, but the stone guys would take months to even come to give an estimate. I needed it done immediately, so it seemed as if we had no choice. Once it turns gray, it will blend with the stones.

Now that summer is almost here, those steps have planters on them so they are even less visual. I made them a tad wider to accommodate big pots and my aging self. If you have wooden furniture or planters in your garden room that will help tie the wooden steps with the whole. And being that your house is wood, they will look great once they weather.

A bigger issue could be hand rails. I don't know if you will have to comply, as you do live in the "live free or die" state, so perhaps it is not an issue. Many places have code for a CO or for a mortgage or insurance that require hand rails. If that is the case, consider iron to match the arbor.

Enjoy your backhoe. We had 20 yds of mulch to move this spring with a wheelbarrow, and I cried uncle and hired some guys to help even before the truck arrived. Instead, I polished my pointing skills. We have about 3 yds left to use when we finish up the new addition to my "slacker" bed ( I kid you not) which still needs mulch. I named is so because I took so long in digging it over two years. Sad mess for a long while, but looking better. Patti

Can you reverse the arbor so those open gates swing towards the house? Wings again that would possible define a hall like space to your garden room.

Love your energy and focus. It is going to be wonderful no matter what you do. How is kitty? Patti

Docgipe - do you have a picture of your steps? I've done a bit of googling. I definitely like the look of bluestone steps. Most of the images showed the steps stacked on one another without any riser. I don't think this will work in my situation because the difference between house and patio is about 2 feet and the treads are not thick enough. I'll keep looking...but I'm getting ahead of myself. I haven't done any work on the patio since Sunday because I've managed to come down with the flu and I'm useless for manual labor! The clock is ticking. . .

I cringe just hearing your stair mishap, Patti! When I first started thinking of steps, I wondered if I could somehow inset thinner pieces of bluestone in a wooden frame for the tread. Sounds similar to what you had, if I'm understanding correctly. Kitty is good - although she's turns into a little imp this time of year. I, of course, spend every spare moment outside, which she resents. She follows me around the yard, but from within the house - jumping from window to window - and talks to me - I imagine she's telling me how rude I am for ignoring her so. Sometimes she'll climb the screens to really get my attention!

Glad kitty is better, but sorry you are not.

Yes, ours had a wooden riser packed with dirt/clay with then had hand cut stone fitted into a wooden frame which was constructed in 1982 by a nice Scottish stone mason. If the dog hadn't crawled under the deck and excavated it from behind, all would still be good. She was hunting for voles. When she hears them she goes nuts. Crazy dog with very good hearing.

One solution we thought of after the disaster was to build a shallow riser with a wooden step then set a frame on top and then inset that frame with stone set in mortar or a bonding material that would secure the stone to the wood. But we don't have good access to stone on this sand pile, nor could I see doing it without laying down a concrete pad which would mean removing part of the deck. She had dug half way to China. Olympic fan. Patti

I will be glad to send you a pix of my steps but............my retaining wall creating the need for steps was built with man made blocks and caps. I used those part of the total picture blocks and caps glued together with modern cements to build my steps. The apron or landing at the top is built of brick that plays back into my patio surface. The blue stone slate would have made me a more desirable artistic and emotional set of steps. I looked at cost and effort while knowing that doing what I did was not adding another material and a whole lot less involved. I would need to wait for a new day and afternoon sunshine to take that picture if you see any value beyond these written words. We are into a few days of rain projected.

Songs of joy,
where did you get your bluestone? thanks!

Erin - I got the bluestone at Swenson Granite in Amherst. I believe there's one right there in Concord too.

Welcome to DG, neighbor!

This message was edited Jun 8, 2008 2:27 PM

Bluestone slate source...............We have several slate mines in Pennsylvania. They sell direct to the consumer and whole to the trade. I went to the retail outlet of one of our mines. Actually I went looking about to locate a soft gray with tan tones slate. Some of our retail nursery firms sell slate. My five accent pieces 1 1/2" thick weighed just over a ton.

Thanks! We do have a Swenson's. I think I want to copy docgipe's patio exactly! (although salvaged brick costs a lot more up here!). My dh is from Williamsport, so he knows Montoursville well (he talks about cosmos at Celini's all the time...).

Just thought I'd update with more recent pictures. The patio and screen room are finished - well sort of...there are a few pesky stones that still move a little when stepped on and we need stairs still. Here's a shot from the backyard...

Here's the screen porch. . .

View from inside the living room. . .

Wow! You have every right to be proud of that project. I have seen a lot of stone work because I love random stone, slate and brick any way it gets used. That is right up there with the best. Everything you have done shows nicely as one peeks from there to here from any angle. Congrats. Now let it soak in while you enjoy it and putter it with your decorum.

And from inside the master bedroom. . .

The little pond will have a small waterfall which isn't running yet. DH is at Home Depot now getting some supplies. Maybe it will be running by tomorrow. In the background is my larger watergarden (the stream). Planting is still in progress.

Beautiful! You should be proud. Great places to hang out.

Thanks Doc!

I took last week off to get it finished (had a family reunion today). It was the most grueling vacation ever :o)!! I still have a lot of planting to do and a lot of finishing touches but now I can do it at a slightly more relaxed pace.

I have roses and clematis growing up the arbor

In my corner bed I have climbing hydrangea, dwarf hostas, astilbe and impatiens

The sunny bed (between arbor and little pond) has pink yarrow, purple coneflower, variegated miscanthus, japanese iris, globe blue spruce, purple salvia, rose bushes, silver mound, spirea, and two other things I can't recall the name of. I plan to put a japanese maple to the left of the pond.

Here's a cute bicycle planter I found.

That's it for now. I'll post more as progress continues. We made a complete mess of the lawn, probably have to wait until fall now to reseed which is disappointing because it's such an eyesore!

I will suggest that you get a few pounds of winter rye grass and plant a cover crop where you plan to reseed. Till it in when it gets four or five inches high. Till it a couple of times keeping the rye down and making good organic content for the fall seeding.
Buckwheat would be OK too. It tills down even easier. Any cover crop will set you up for a super good result early this fall. My choice of grass would be the least expensive sun and shade contractor or playground seed. By next summer you will be in real good shape with your fall seeding. Seeding suggests a light helping of any low number organic fertilizer to really get it going nicely. My long time stand by is Fertrells 4-2-4 which I use to grow everything. I really like the less expensive grasses that give way to your natural native grasses as the lawn develops. You may assume I am lazy and to cranky to fool with better grasses.

Wow - absolutely beautiful. Now you need some rest before you can really enjoy it. Must be wonderful in the morning with your coffee!

THAT is a seriously beautiful project!!! Stunning work Songsof Joy

Songs-Gorgeous! You really did a beautiful job. What a lot of work. Can't wait to see the waterfall. Now you need a vacation to recoup from your vacation! LOL
Becky

Careful with the Lady's Mantle .... It can take over, and will volunteer everywhere. I know mine does. I like having it, esp. the way it holds perfect spheres of water on its leaves.