On the weekend of April 6–9, our wonderful friends from Ontario are coming down to help us do the first major garden construction project. We’ll be transforming the East side of the house, where the side porch is, and the front of the house on that side as well.
There’s been quite a bit of work going on to prepare for that day:
- schedule a weekend everyone can make it… CHECK!
- remove old steps and lattice from front of side porch… CHECK!
- replace rotting crawlspace walls and waterproof… CHECK!
- find a local quarry for stone… CHECK!
- install new waterline… CHECK!
- file taxes so refund can pay for it… CHECK!
- purchase pinch bars, more shovels, and heavy-duty chain… CHECK!
- purchase marking paint and stakes… CHECK!
- put window wells on basement windows… CHECK!
- order 30 yards of soil, 12 yards of mulch, 4 yards of gravel… CHECK!
- rent skid-steer with 5’ toothed bucket and two more wheelbarrows… CHECK!
- schedule stone delivery… CHECK!
- pick up friends at airport… CHECK!
- go to quarry and choose stone for delivery… CHECK!
- work and play hard for a whole weekend to build a garden… DONE
- celebrate… DONE
- see the cherry blossoms in DC with friends… CANCELED… MORE GARDEN
- take friends back to airport… DONE
- enjoy garden and friendships… TODO (FOREVER)
Click on the thumbnail below to see some pictures of the prep work.
Jim, thanks for directing me to this website when you came into the office today. You have mentioned on your occasional visits that you were having your garden done: Wow! Such a simple phrase for so magnificent a concept so exquisitely executed. Your friends from Canada are consummate artists: I have never seen so many unique and beautiful stones in one place (except, maybe, the Grand Canyon), with such thoughtful design. Your foliage and flowers are lovely, too–but it’s the stonework that is the standout. I feel sorry for your neighbors! Some of them are going to get huge honey-do lists because of your project! I have a question: where did you and your friends find such beautiful stones: collected from your travels? shipped from Canada? I’ll look forward to your reply when you visit Rexel HV again. Sincerely, KSenior