Front yard work-landscaping by the skin of your teeth...

Befores
This porch thing was on the house when we bought it...the sides have been taken down by the time this pic was taken- there was lattice work on all the sides. It was horrible.

A few years ago I built the path to the second door (there wasn't one when we bought the place) and put in some dogwoods and a big rock.

NOW

The dogwoods got too big so we replaced them with grasses. I pulled the mulch up and replaced that with river rocks...The porch was cut down and made to look like a normal persons porch

The pavers you see by the door are to fix the walkway. The last 3 ft or so dropped in the past few years and the water pools there during rains. It needs to be fixed.

This still has mulch in it- it will be changed over to river rock too....

closeup of my porch......I'm going for a boho old southern look...

Fall leaves start me thinking about next spring....

because those thoughts keep me going through the Michigan winters....

I have to start planning the outside plantings and deck sometime in January.. so it's time to get some inspiration pics now.

The Mr. won a custom fire ring last week- you know the large metal rings that stand a few inches tall that you can build a fire pit in the middle. That means another seating area.... I happen to like this one a lot....

I have a green Coolaroo that is like the white one above....

I love how this seating area looks..very fresh and clean and comfortable. I wonder how it holds up to daily use and being outside in the elements?

Outdoor stairs

I have a hill behind my house, going down it is the only way to get from the upper yard to the lower yard. It needs to be safe, but it also needs to be attractive- as you can see it-clearly-from the living room. Also, when it rains, it becomes a raging waterfall.

I am considering putting in stone flagstone steps- like the idea pics above. With a slight curve (pulling the stairs away from the house) they should direct the ragine torrents of rain water away from the basement. Larger stones should be safe to walk down- for both the boy and the old dog.

This just might be a fall project.

casual modern outdoors....

no idea where this came from, probably Apartment therapy. Love the butterfly chairs, even if my dear husband does not.

this is a DIY planter made w/cement blocks and succulents.

oh....to have a roof garden.

It's too hot to spent much time outside today- so these pics will have to do for now...

stay cool

Porches and outdoor spaces

We are lucky that we have a great back deck- too bad it needs a coat of paint and a few less bugs! But, figuring out what to do with it has me googling porches and decks..... here are some that caught my eye...

from southern living  I love that galvanized planter and the grasses...

from apartment therapy The general rustic-crappyness of it all is wonderul- and I think I am capable of DIY this..

I have that fireplace, just not willing to let it live outside...

I want the welding dept of my Univ. to make me a few of these to put on my hill...

From apartment therapy again, good use of big box supplies- just cement blocks..

I need to gather me some branches to make the boy a tee pee...