I’m so excited! Later this week I will hopefully get my delivery of materials for the front yard. I can’t wait! I’ve hated everything about this side of the front yard ever since the snow thawed and all the weeds and ugly pink stones were revealed.
My first mission was to get rid of the weedy “lawn” and the unwanted plants so I dug it all up and made a neat little pile under the cherry tree.
Then I bagged it all and had a guy remove it and a bunch of other unwanted stuff. I’m telling you, every time I get a chance to get rid of stuff, weedy lawn or other, I’m on an instant high. To see all this disappear sent me right in to space!
I put an ad on Blocket (our Craigslist) and got rid of all the pink slabs in no time and then I ordered the gravel/sand sub layer that goes under the final layer of gravel. Two cubic meters of the stuff.
But before that could be shoveled out I laid a special membrane (the white sheet in the photo above) on the soil to keep any future weeds out. I used the same method at the old house and it worked really well. This time I didn’t hire one of those machines that stomp the ground to make it super solid but instead danced around on it myself and watered it all down. I’m thinking its such a small area and we’ll only be walking on it, parking bikes and picking cherries so there won’t be a lot of wear and tear.
And here it is, all prepped and ready to receive the gravel and a few other bits and bobs later this week. Yay!
It's all looking really great Benita! Can't wait to see the finish. You have really got stuck in with your house - there's no messing about with you is there? ;-)
And no stopping either by the looks of it. However I'm sure you're also looking forward to having most things done so you can sit and relax - especially before the cold weather comes!
Posted by: Robyn | July 26, 2011 at 07:27 AM
What an improvement! The anemone is gorgeous.
Posted by: Monica | July 26, 2011 at 08:25 AM
I would have probably made the mistake of leaving the gravel area too small. The front looks so open and big now that the area is so clear. Do you have an American style post box, or what's the metal thing on the side of the entry? Near the bush?
Posted by: Leena | July 26, 2011 at 08:33 AM
brilliant! how's your back? i redesigned our garden when we had a flat in london, and we had to carry a tonne of pebbles through the house. i can remember serious requirements for epsom salt baths. x
Posted by: elisa rathje | July 26, 2011 at 08:54 AM
Brilliant work!! Your neighbour's garden looks sweet with the circular tree arrangement going on too.
Posted by: Hxx | July 26, 2011 at 08:55 AM
Looks great!!
Posted by: Judith | July 26, 2011 at 09:25 AM
It is! A white one :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | July 26, 2011 at 09:37 AM
My back is fine even after shoveling those two tons. I was surprised that I wasn't very sore!
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | July 26, 2011 at 09:38 AM
Already looks neat and tidy.
Posted by: Zosia | July 26, 2011 at 10:13 AM
Looking forward to seeing the result! =D
http://bloobreyplace.blogspot.com
Posted by: Bloobreyplace.blogspot.com | July 26, 2011 at 10:15 AM
This looks so much better. I don't like when I go to visit someone and their front entrance is blocked by foliage that I have to maneuver around. I also don't like it brushing against me as I'm walking by. Neat is good. :)
Posted by: devil | July 26, 2011 at 02:00 PM
That's so cool! I have one in the backyard holding some gardening stuff, it's black though.
Posted by: Leena | July 26, 2011 at 02:56 PM
what a complete difference already!
Posted by: Tina Slocm | July 26, 2011 at 03:10 PM
It looks great and the weed blocker was such a good idea (will really save so much time and energy for you in the future)
Posted by: homestilo | July 26, 2011 at 04:29 PM
How come you didn't post a photo of yourself dancing around on the gravel and stomping it down? :-) It looks great! HUGE improvement. Look forward to seeing the full finished look!
Posted by: Dana from CT | July 26, 2011 at 04:34 PM
That's ONLY because I didn't have anyone around to take that photo.
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | July 26, 2011 at 04:36 PM
Wow, that looks terrific already. Looking forward to the final product!
Posted by: Kari | July 26, 2011 at 04:52 PM
2 tonnes and no backache? if you're ever in need of a career change! x
Posted by: elisa rathje | July 26, 2011 at 05:14 PM
Wow- it looks so much more restful to the eye and pristine. The neighbors must enjoy watching your energy!!
Posted by: Vicki K | July 26, 2011 at 05:30 PM
That's a great idea! For gloves, a trowel, clippers...Love it!
Posted by: Lisa Flaherty | July 26, 2011 at 05:40 PM
You are amazing! Fantastic job! The area looks so inviting now!
Posted by: Lisa Flaherty | July 26, 2011 at 05:43 PM
I am so inspired by your endurance...I'm so tired when I get home from work it is really hard to get motivated (head hung in shame). You set a great example...I think I need to create my to do list for the rest of the summer. Can't wait to see your results.
Posted by: Carolynn | July 26, 2011 at 06:05 PM
oh hooray, it's going to be fabulous. We recently did the same thing to a large part of our backyard: lots of digging out, (hand-)tamping, weed cloth, literally tons of gravel (all carried through the basement by buckets!)... it was hard work but SO WORTH IT. Good luck with the final touches!
Posted by: blake @ salt teak & fog | July 26, 2011 at 07:49 PM
i'm with carolynn on the endurance. do tell.
and, i just wanted to say -- this theme keeps coming up for me when i look at your projects -- flooding an ugly old world with beauty. yay.
xxx
Posted by: jeannette | July 26, 2011 at 08:26 PM
I'm flabbergasted nearly every day I come to you blog and see everything that you get done. Career, Willie, Pets, Friends, and you're either creating or perfecting pleasing design or working like a lumberjack. WoW.
Posted by: Querencia | July 26, 2011 at 09:26 PM
Benita, you are one amazing woman! I am so impressed with all the (literally) hard work you are doing. Is Wille helping? Or any other male friend helping you out on the heavy stuff? You are doing so many great things to your house on a daily basis - it is a shame that I sometimes cannot even get myself to unload the dish-washer. You are a wonder woman!!
Posted by: zewa | July 26, 2011 at 09:59 PM
Wow! What a transformation! It looks great already - looking foward to seeing it completed too!
Posted by: Rebecca @ beautiful square feet | July 26, 2011 at 11:02 PM
Looking goooooooood!!!!
Posted by: Noga from Israel | July 27, 2011 at 03:08 AM
what a "visual" - Benita doing a happy-dance to settle her front entrance. Your neighbors must love watching all the action after having an older person in the house before you, Willie & two cats arrived!
Good Luck with the next project on your list.
Posted by: christine e-e | July 27, 2011 at 03:16 AM
love it! nice work. i love anything that decreases visual clutter. :)
Posted by: erin lang norris | July 27, 2011 at 05:58 AM
I envy you, even with all that hard work you did (and still have to do). Here in Texas (USA), it has been over 100 degrees (F) for 25 consecutive days. It's just too miserable to go outside and work at all (other than watering to try to keep the plants (even the natives that like heat) alive. The situation in our backyard is getting really bad.
Posted by: Sandye | July 27, 2011 at 06:34 AM
You are the Queen of Yay! Great work and definitely a great look too.
Posted by: G.Sims | July 27, 2011 at 07:36 AM
Wille does help when I need him. On this occasion he was spending time with Martin though which to me is much more important than two tons of sand :).
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | July 27, 2011 at 08:14 AM
It's been "hot" over here too for weeks but nothing like 100. I wouldn't get anything done in those temperatures either. I remember going to the zoo in San Diego when it was 101 and it was too hot to even look at the animals.
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | July 27, 2011 at 08:17 AM
Great idea with the sheet... It had me thinkin
Posted by: Melissa @ LA Furniture | August 03, 2011 at 09:40 PM