"Every house where love abides
And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home sweet home
For there the heart can rest."
~ Henry Van Dyke

Friday, February 4, 2011

On the rocks.....

This is a rock garden just outside on the terrace between my studio and our living room. Normally this would not be a style I would choose but it is practical for this area due to the large windows there. We thought it would be a simple touch to the sitting area near the house as we plan to plant up the rest of the garden heavily in comparison.

But the rock garden needed a facelift. For years, the previous owners have swept dirt and junk into this area and it showed. If you look at the photo above you can see the results after cleaning it up from the photo below which is before we started.

You can see the anti-weed membrane sticking up through the pebbles and it is just very dirty looking. We found broken wine glass, clothes pins, plastic wrappers, plastic from toys, etc. and lots of leaves and so much dirt that weeds started growing in it.

We removed everything right back to the membrane. Once the membrane was swept, we started to first filter out the less dirty pebbles to put them back. A good half of them had to be washed though. It was hard work which we sometimes continued even when it turned dark. A friend laughed when she saw it and asked if the beauty police were coming to visit. I laughed back and said the beauty police live here. *grins*

The fountain did not work and we wanted to see if we could figure out if the pump was broken but instead Jos discovered this. If you look closely on the photo, you will see that the end of the cord has been cut straight through most likely with a hedge clipper. Jos plans to pull up part of the terrace to retrieve the remaining portion of cord and repair it.

When the frost season has passed, I will plant another decorative grass. We marked a spot for it with a tile.

Now my large lanterns are standing in the rock garden and I think they look like they belonged there all along. It is so pretty from inside the studio or living room to see the candles lit.

Our gardening makeover has started and this was hard work but when I see the before and after photos, it was well worth it. We have major plans for both front and back which we are going to work on as time and weather permits. For now, I can sit on the terrace in the coming spring to enjoy the rock garden and hopefully by then a working rock fountain.

15 comments:

Roberta said...

Wow, Heidi, the rock garden definitely looks so much better. You and Jos have such a way of making things look good. Love the lanterns and I bet it looks just wonderful when looking inside out.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Jackie's Stitches said...

It's so pretty! I love the lanterns lit at night. You and Jos are doing such fantastic things with your new home.

Pondside said...

What a lot you've accomplished in your new house, Heidi. I've had a nice catch up - life has been upside down here, so I'm just now able to really read what's been going on. Wow!

Kathy A. said...

You rock garden is wonderful Heidi. It did need a good cleaning. Love your lanterns. They add such a gentle touch.

Jantine said...

Wow, that makes a huge difference! It looks great and I plan to come up and see it in person soon (very soon LOL).
I remember washing our pebbles when there was too much sand in it a few years ago and it is an incredible job!

Leslie said...

I think it is nice to have a really diverse garden. The simplicity of your rock garden will look great with anything else you do to the garden. It's Beautiful.

Littlebit said...

Oh, Heidi, it's quite lovely! Love the lanterns there. Hope you have the most wonderfully productive weekend.

Mad about Craft said...

The night time view is beautiful! I do love outdoor lights like that!

Willy said...

Heidi wat ziet dat er sfeervol uit met die lantaarns. Zo'n kleine oppervlakte met grind vind ik niet misstaan.
Groetjes

Susan in SC said...

Your hard work certainly paid off! It is so pretty now. Love the lanterns!

Linda said...

I love those lanterns Heidi! And to be able to look out at the candles burning in them would be so delightful for me.

Linda in VA

Brigitte said...

There seem to be unpleasant surprises every now and then. But this spot in your garden looks so delightful now. I love the lanterns and how they illuminate the gravel bed. Looking forward to seeing your garden in the summer.

Melanie said...

This rock garden is gorgeous! I can only imagine how much work it took to clear all the yucky stuff out of it. I love those lanterns and how they really add charm and beauty to the rock garden.

EFT Manual said...

Oh my! I so love the way you styled and presented these decors with rocks. It's absolutely stunning!

Nancy said...

Well, there is no doubt you two will not stop until it is done. Then of course, you will find more to do after that. LOL.
Have fun, it is looking very pretty.
Love you, Mom