Most of you who know us, know that we like projects. I was worried once we had a baby the projects would stop but apparently I was wrong. Brandon and I have been talking about a deck/patio area since last summer but have waited to do anything since we were working on the bathroom last year. Home Depot had pavers on sell last week which peaked Brandon's interest and began the conversation again. We went and looked but of course the ones on sell were on sell for a reason but we found what we wanted at Lowes for not much more and decided to get started now before it is miserably hot! When he got started, Addison and I were hanging out watching the work and the next door neighhbors came over to visit. They shared a story about when their first son was born (who is now in 8th grade), the husband decided to build a deck in the back yard. They weren't home from the hospital a few days when he got this wild hair and left her alone with the baby for hours on end each day while he worked on the deck in the back yard. She and I decided this must be the opposite of nesting. Before the baby arrives, the mom is busy cleaning and preparing the house for baby's arrival. After the baby arrives, dad feels the need to "get out of the house" and starts these monstrous projects. We were all laughing about it and he said she still gives him grief about it all these years later. Anyway...
Here is Brandon's plan which I had a real hard time understanding no matter how long and hard he tried to explain it. We stood outside in the space and he pointed out what he wanted to do and I still couldn't picture it. He plans to do a pathway from the gate to the side of the house, a small patio with steps up to the porch, flower beds around the two trees (crepe myrtle and Japanese magnolia) and a row of shrubs along the house behind the patio. Can't you see that in his plans?!?
Brandon's PlansThe first step was to till up the grass and make a clean foundation to get started. We asked around to see if anyone had a tiller, we didn't find one and Brandon contemplated doing it manually which I thought was crazy. I on the other hand, called AAA Rental All and found one in no time, so Brandon caved and went to pick one up. It made for quick work but not easy. Brandon said it was still pretty physical using the tiller and I reminded him a shovel would have been a lot more physical.
Brandon tilling the soil
After a little work with the tiller Brandon had the area cleared of most of the grass and started marking the areas as he had planned. Here he is indulging my continued documentation of the progress.
Only once he had cleared out the grass and used the shovel and rake to delineate the areas could I finally see his vision and truth be told it did resemble his plans. Here is what it looked like then, you can kind of see the pathway from the gate to the side of the house, the area where the patio will be, the beds around the two trees and the shrub line along the house (behind the patio area).
Next he decided to work on the sprinkler system. Luckily the lady who lived here previously was an avid gardener and already had a sprinkler system installed. According to our neighbor, she had a lovely landscaped area here so that made it easy for us. There are a few large sprinkler heads in the lawn and smaller ones inside the fence. Brandon wanted to replace some of the heads and remove some, mainly the ones that would now be covered with pavers.
Digging up one of the sprinkler heads in the yard to replace
Replacing the sprinkler heads inside the fence I had the door open while I was documenting his progress so I could keep an ear out for Addison who was snoozing in her swing. During this time, I thought Millie was hanging out in the back yard but was surprised to look up and find her taking it all in from the doorway. She's such a good dog...just sitting there watching us work, not even attempting to leave the house. Willie would have been out the house and running down Government Street in a heartbeat but not Millie, she actually behaves herself!
Millie supervises in the a/c, she's such the pampered pooch!
Brandon attempted to cap off one of the pipes where the walkway will be because obviously you won't need/want a sprinkler head underneath the walkway, only to discover we bought the wrong size caps. He got new caps yesterday but the monsoon prevented him from working on it.
He wants to work on it for three days this weekend. Hopefully during that time, he will get the area leveled and sand put down for the foundation, maybe if we are lucky, he may even have time to started putting down some of the pavers!?!
Stay tuned for more...
