Showing posts with label Landscape. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Landscape. Show all posts

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Sourcing Bricks


Time to construct a permanent walkway to the Carriage House. Right now, we have a gravel path. I troll Craigslist (love it!) every other day looking for cheap or free bricks. I see plenty of salvage bricks around town and when I run, but I'm reminded daily by others that it is a felony to pick those bricks up. I finally scored some bricks today. They are not free, but they are cheap and he is going to deliver them for free. Deal done!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Outdoor Inspiration: Claire and Nick’s Arbor


Have I mentioned that we’ve had more than our fair share of May showers? Now that the constant gray sky is gone, I’m back at work on my outdoor rooms and can’t this jasmine arbor out of my mind. It frames in the space, but lets the sun shine through and welcomes you to the back yard of their house. Sound familiar?

Monday, June 1, 2009

My Green Workout


It is official. The gym membership is gone. Like everyone else, I’m cutting back on some expenses. I’ve also found that my little home improvement projects are a great workout! Last weekend I worked on my pile of bricks and was sore for days. The search for more salvage bricks continues. After over 15 years in the neighborhood, my good neighbor across the street is moving to Virginia…and I’m getting ready to pick up some stray bricks.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Rain, Bricks and Budget

It is something like day 10 of continuous torrential rain and thunderstorms. Prior to this, the past few months were very dry so working on my landscape was not a priority. This weekend I decided that I might as well use the rain to my advantage and started work on my landscape plan (courtesy of the very talented Cornelia). Another motivation is our next book club meeting, which will be at my house.

During demolition and construction, the guys would start digging and hit a brick. There bricks were everywhere. I asked them to put them off to the side with the hopes that I could use them as pavers. Well after several hours of digging, carrying and stacking bricks, I can tell you that I have 50 full bricks and that much and more in partial bricks. What to do.

Budget ties all my weekend’s tasks together, as everything is free. With all of the rain, I decided to take the chance and try to propagate some of my existing ground cover and creeping vines. A friend’s circular patio was made entirely from salvaged bricks. Val would just ask for them when she saw a pile on a construction site. I’m going to troll craigslist and keep my eye out for some more free bricks.

Lets hope my body can take this. My hands are used to typing, not laying brick. The last time I did this – the back patio on the main house, I said, “Never again.”

Thursday, August 21, 2008