We drove down this morning and found the front cleaned out and graded, trench for drainage pipe dug and piping set up for the walkway and patio for us to see.

After some discussion and exploration of alternatives, we settled on Steve's original set up for the path and patio perimeter. The plan was to widen and curve the walkway and he achieved that beautifully.


It is somewhat hard to see from the photos, but we widened the opening from the driveway and curved the walk to the front house door. The huge square planter was reduced in size to accommodate the walkway and added a curve to mimic the curve in the walk. Perfect!

The front house now has a larger landing in front and access to both houses improved.


The patio in the back has also been curved around the planter by the wall. We added a curved planter under the main window to take the place of the leaky box planter that was there before.








Follow me now through the side walkway, also new concrete to the new back patio!











Now an expanse of gorgeous stamped concrete.

We spent a great deal of time getting the colors chosen for this warm grey and brown mottling to get the look of "been there all the time" stone.

I do believe we got it right!







If you look closely, it looks like stone with all the ridges and variations, which after a wash and sealer applied, will show even better!


And we are not done yet. . .

If you haven't heard, the San Clemente beach house has been a little soggy of late. Countless filling of cracks, leveling of doors and sweeping out rain and stashing of sandbags had been a telltale sign that something was amiss!

Pat got on the ball and one competent structural engineer found. . . one giant mess in the making! As Aunt Rose, rest her soul, always said, "it's going to get a helluva lot worse before it get's a helluva lot better!" No truer words!!

Pat, Taylor and I went down yesterday to inspect the mess. . . and mess we found! The fence, which was falling, officially fell. The ground was being excavated, broken sewer lines being repaired, foundation lifted and now decisions to be made. Since the area needs regrading, much that is here, soon will not be here and that means a blank slate of sorts. I love a blank slate!

Another remodeling project!


In back of the house, the "lake" is gone. The asphalt forever gone! It actually looks more spacious! The back step is gone and the entire area regraded so no step is needed, hence, no more deep pool to collect rain runoff! We'll actually have an inviting little patio!

You'll notice all that new pipe. The bath and kitchen sewers in both front and back houses are being re plumbed.


The old clay and cast iron pipes met their match of soil and corrosion and leaked into the side walkway beneath the corner foundation. Along with the gutters dumping excessive rain runoff into a gulley, the corner foundation had sunk about 2 1/2 inches. Now raised, interior doors aren't closing on their own anymore!
New sewer lines are going in. So, we had a couple of long meetings with the engineer discussing the new cement walkways, patios and driveway to come. The place will have a new face lift and color scheme.

Hopefully,kitchens and baths will be working again in a day or two! Terry, me and the boys are going down this weekend to see how the concrete pour goes in the back of the house. Once approved, everything can move forward!!

One of my favorite hobbies is Gardening.

For me, it crosses my love of shopping, my love of remodeling, and my impatience of getting things done. It's the best of all of that!

I love shopping in the gardening section, the nursery full of possibilities. Beautiful flowers, the promise of fresh herbs, the coolness of shade providing greenery as well as the shade lovers that grow underneath. The sunny color splash of sun loving annuals and the long lasting durability of perennials.



Roses. I love white roses. so pure and clean. So fresh amidst of sea of green. Carpet roses, long stem or bush, I love roses.









These long stemmed beauties were planted over 50 years ago by Terry's Grandfather!

They are so lovely to see outside the kitchen window as I stand at the sink. A profusion of color to wake me up and put me in a good mood for the day!






Little periwinkle blue flowers trailing over the edge of the pot on the front porch are blooming well ahead of the tall white gardenias to come.















Underneath the birch in the front, society garlic blooms with its lush green leaves sprawling wide under the boughs of the trees. Bend closer for the pungent fragrance of fresh flowery garlic.






On the shady side yard, hydrangeas are just starting to flower. I love the expanse of the plant, so lush and full. The flowers surprise me every year ranging from pale pink to deep blue depending on the care I've taken to acidify the soil, the watering, the feeding schedule

As you can tell, these blue blooms got more in their breakfast than. . .




these dark pink blooms living in a more alkaline soil condition. Am I surprised? I know someone would go hungry when I ran out of soil conditioner and I was not industrious enough to get more before this bloomed! But, still, I love these demanding lovelies! Now, after seeing such a plethora of them in Rehoboth that year, they remind me of a great summer vacation memory!




Walking to the back yard, it is 10 degrees cooler under the shade of the avocado trees. The cool sprawling jungle of Boston Ivy clings mightily to the arbor. (Terry jokes that it alone has held up the fence and hopes it does for many more years, as you can see looking closely the separation happening at the top of the fence!) In a few short months, this green glory becomes a showy red and gold and just transforms the yard!



Beneath, the new sod Terry painstakingly tended is growing lush and green and feels heavenly underfoot.











Moving towards the back deck, my new shopping finds are waiting patiently in their humble little pots for their new home so they can show off.








And you may have thought I was done with the new slate walking path and bench niche, but no! I had to plant baby green dichondra seeds between the stones! And it, too, is sprouting up green, cool, and lush!



Follow this path and you will find. . .




Terry's herb garden. Neglected for years of dog abuse, this corner is now back springing to life with flavor!

Chives!









Basil. . . espisote (sp?) a Spanish herb












French tarragon. . . rosemary












and what garden of Terry's could not have Peppers! The spice of life!


Cool!

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