Four years ago we built a patio and pergola in our backyard to act as the central gathering space in the garden. It’s time for an update on those projects and to share some lessons learned. What comes to mind first is finishing the patio in 97 degree heat. Wish I could go back in time to say “Damn girl, take it easy! Finish it
Backyard for Entertaining
We all dream of having the garden where you can do it all: relax and retreat, entertain friends, grow some veggies, and the list goes on. But it’s a real challenge to do it all in one small urban lot. The garden I am sharing with you is a great example of how a well-planned space can accomplish your long must-have list. It sure doesn’t
Snow Delay
It’s a winter wonderland in Portland right now. Yesterday we made tremendous progress with the driveway using pavers. I had about 1/3 of the concrete blocks set into place when it just got too cold, with this biting chill in the air, for me to continue. I assume that 90% of the time when snow is forecast for Portland, the news channels are just trying
Garden Tour
The Fo-Po Garden Tour was a lot of fun, and it was some serious motivation for us to get things wrapped up and the yard looking good! We met some really nice people and I am always happy to talk about plants with anyone who will listen. There is so much to recap… where to begin? First off, the patio is now complete! The final
Patio Progress
I am officially tired of working on the patio. The project was a good idea, and I am sure there are lots of benefits of working on it ourselves. But I’m sick of it. We spent all day Saturday working away outside. We filled the dug out area with fine gravel from Mt Scott Fuel. Then we rented a compactor thing, which Jay was nice
Patio Plans
Of course I need another outdoor project! 🙂 I have been wanting to build a patio in the backyard for some time, but have struggled with the best material options. There have been a few ideas floating around, but I was really starting to lean towards getting some nice flagstone and just going for it. It would be the most expensive option, but it would