Full Frontal

More progress on the hardscape for the front garden this weekend. The spent Mexican feather grass is catching the morning sunrise next to the new front patio below, filled with pea gravel.


We started putting pea gravel along the paths, which really changes the overall look from something that was decidedly Texas (with the decomposed granite) and with higher contrast to a look that's a bit more subdued.

The simple stairs we built to bring people up the path from the driveway.


And the FRONT WALL!! I can't believe that it's basically finished.



Full disclosure: we could've never done this work without a great guy named Pedro. Last weekend, when we were sitting outside admiring our work, he drove up and in very stilted English pitched himself to us as someone who could build the wall. He showed us pictures, and I got a good vibe from him, so I agreed. Right then and there--last Sunday morning--he got to work. He came back again yesterday and finished the job. He knocked out the second section of wall in 4 hours flat. Amazing. His skill level is high, he's very nice, and I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for some help.

Front Garden: Progress on Paths and Walls

My thighs are burning from squatting over and over and over again. Who needs boot camp when there are front garden projects?

This weekend, we made a ton of progress on the paths and wall. Here's a view south to the patio on Saturday morning and then on Saturday afternoon. The patio and paths have taken shape, with all the decomposed granite base layer in place.

This is the beginnings of the wall that surrounds the dry/xeriscape bed.

And here it is basically completed.

I couldn't be happier with it, actually. And a neighbor already stopped by an exclaimed that it's like an extension of the living room. Perfect!

We could never have made progress without the help of our good friend Tina (who we still owe a Counter Cafe burger, if you ask me):

Tamp it girl!

Front Garden: Embryonic Stage

Some very small things are beginning to take shape in the front garden. Here's the basic strategy: We're putting down about a 4 to 5 inch base layer of decomposed granite. This is a really common material in Central Texas, and is good for making patios and walkways, as well as mixing it in to soil to make it better. I'm hoping its a good, solid base for the stones.

We're then using this really creaky old press that we borrowed from a neighbor to pack down the granite. It's filled with water and is quite heavy.

Then, 4' x 6' limestone blocks are being used to line the walkways.

Once these are all in place, we'll back fill with garden soil on the garden side and fill up with decomposed granite on the path side. Then, we'll pack it down some more before adding a small layer of pea gravel on top. We've chosen pea gravel as the topper because it'll match the back. I actually love raw decomposed granite for paths, but I think the pea gravel will soften it up a bit and give it that Texas-Japanese-Modern-Cottage look that I'm going for.

As with all things these days, we'll see...

Let the Games Begin

Witness: 8 tons of 6 in. x 8 in. white drystack limestone and 1 ton of 4 in. x 6 in. drystack. Just delivered to the house from Austin Landscape Supply (which, strangely, is in Georgetown) by my good man Ricky with his little toy.

Let the games begin.

Beauties and the Beast

I just can't get enough of this American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana). It's one of my favorite shrubs, and this one in the back corner keeps getting more and more luscious purple berries. They are so bright and colorful that I can see them from the kitchen. It's a nice thing during this hard, dry time.

I know I post about the desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) all the time, but this too is proving to be a great little tree. It's going through yet another bloom cycle and it filled with pink, nice smelling blossoms right now. It's just outside of the kitchen window. Nothing better to keep my mind off doing the dishes. I've also spied hummingbirds visiting this tree.

Our writing spider (yellow garden spider: Argiope aurantia) and her prey, which is probably one of the large black bees that's been visiting the turk's cap. She knew what she was doing by constructing her web of death in that bank of perennials...

Front Garden: The Big Dig

More progress is occurring in the front. I posted the circle of sand on Craigslist and a nice couple from Kyle jumped all over it. They came over for three nights in a row and dug up the sand and took it to their place in Kyle to build a back patio.

I love that these materials aren't going to waste.

We also had some people help with digging out the soil where there will eventually be a new front terrace, wall, entry path and front patio.

Here's the front terrace taking shape:

The entry path. We found some old entry sidewalk cement under there. The white PVC pipe is an eventual conduit for any electricity for lights and tubes for drip irrigation:

The location of the new front patio: