Monday, February 3, 2014

Change in the garden . . .


Last April I wrote a post titled, Our Garden Room.


We love our garden and use it as a room throughout each season.


But, over the last year, I have tripped more and more frequently on the uneven cobblestones and Lulu has a penchant for digging between the cobblestones.


So, we hired a contractor to create a flatter surface with no ruts between the stones.


Lulu was quite disturbed that she was not allowed to help dig up the stones so she sat and watched the entire process from the sofa.


All the stones were removed, stacked while the workers prepared the area, and then relaid evenly across the yard.


Walking and sweeping are so much easier on the flat surface and I no longer have to pull weeds between the cobblestones.


Lulu has been digging up nearly everything I plant so when I planted two different types of lavender today, I put my little ladder and an old screen in front to hide the plants from "the digger".


With no rain and voluntary water rationing in place at the moment, the garden is not as beautiful as I would like.


There is lots of work that still needs to be done.


But, this one little change has made our "garden room" a far more functional space.

66 comments:

  1. Oh I just love your garden and the cobblestones looked charming before and they look amazing now. That has to be a lot better to walk on, and even further on the plus side, no weeds in the cracks! Thanks for visiting me, I appreciate every kind word.

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  2. Your outdoor room is so charming and cute! It sounds like the Mad Digger keeps you busy!

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  3. I can see the difference already!!!! I just love the way it turned out Carol! And I was laughing out loud at the shot of Lu Lu looking out the window!! What a hoot! I think your garden room is such a warm and inviting place!! And good idea with placing the ladder there to keep miss digger out!! A very lovely week to you friend! Nicole...and by the way I just love lavender!!!

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  4. Oh- I love it. I am so glad you were able to re-use the stones that were there instead of putting in a concrete pad (not that YOU would-but some would). It is just lovely....lovely...lovely.....xo Diana

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  5. Carol,
    Your garden room looks so inviting and the cobblestones charming. I'd enjoy sitting out there too with the view and scent of lovely flowers.
    The photo of Lulu watching the workers from inside on the sofa is adorable. Thank you so much for sharing that precious shot. Today we had snow blanket us in Philly that totaled 8 inches of extremely heavy snow. Plus another snowfall coming early Wednesday morning. Your post has me so wanting Springtime.
    XO,
    Vera

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  6. Did I miss what you put between the stones? You have very pretty garden.

    XO,
    Jane

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  7. That looks so nice and so much safer for you. It is so nice you were able to reuse the stones you already had. I hope it rains soon.

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  8. That Lulu is so funny watching the workers - that's her yard and she is keeping her eyes on them. I love the patio the way it turned out. I have stone also and I need to do something as I am afraid that I will fall and break my hip. If Lulu is chewing your plants get some Bitter Apples Spray and spray on the plant. Won't hurt the plant but Lulu will not like the taste of it. Or hot pepper works too.
    Didn't get much rain, may be Thursday. Have a great week.
    Mary

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  9. Your new and much safer patio looks great! It is wonderful you were able to reuse the stones. And I love that you planted some lavender :-) That is awesome, Carol! I think I could tear out my front yard and replace it with lavender because I love the purple wave of color but my husband would flip out!

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  10. Wonderful space, Carol. I'd spend hours in your garden room. Redoing the stones was a good idea. You'll enjoy it more now that you don't have the weeds. '-)

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  11. Your garden is completely lovely! I love that you have interesting objects as well as plants and that you clearly love to use it. The newly laid cobbles do look more practical and will blend in soon enough and not have that 'new' look about them. I love lavender too. Hopefully Lulu will ignore it once it is settled in. Thanks for sharing your space. Eleanor x

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  12. AHHHHHH......I am relieved. I am so because as I was reading and watching, I thought the stones were going to be totally removed never returned. I love the cobblestones, I even love the way the greenery grows in between, but you are so right; too much weeding and the uneveness causes uneven walking.

    But I am SO RELIEVED to see that you put them back, and now it's even better. Bravo my friend...you always find the perfect solution with never losing the character! LOVE!

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  13. Gorgeous! What a beautiful fix. I love lavender too and hope the digger does not find it. LOL! Your garden looks like such a wonderfully inviting space. I love it!

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  14. wow, that looks great. i love the stone work. is that mural on a flat rock? that's so neat!! i am always amazed how folks can paint on such small pieces. details are so fun. ( :

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  15. It looks wonderful and oh so WARM and cozy and SNOW-LESS !!! :) Such a bright cheerful spot :)

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  16. I love the way the patio looks now and I think your garden is lovely. Have a great day!

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  17. That looks fantastic, and I love that you were able to use the existing stone. I bet no tripping will happen now. If you want some water for your garden I can send you a boat load of snow :)

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  18. So much better, no more "near falls." Love the pic of Lulu watching the workers :)

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  19. Love the new and safe look! I love your whites and blue on your home, bright and awsome! Oh Lulu must have had a fit!

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  20. So beautiful, what an amazing space full of light and colour...trust me my garden is dull and grey and wet!...big job with those stones and gorgeous Lulu :)







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  21. Your new patio looks beautiful and I am sure you will love the low maintenance. It all looks so pretty, as I look out my window at the snow and dead looking plants with single digits....I just want Spring!

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  22. The new surface looks so good! You do realize that seeing anything green at all looks pretty amazing to most of us.... we aren't as cold as others here in Texas but there's nothing green. :) Can't wait to see that garden room again as the seasons progress.

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  23. It looks wonderful. We have a similar problem with our walkway. We put bricks in a few years ago and grass is growing everywhere and when it gets wet we have actually fallen. Later this year we are going to take the bricks up and redo the whole thing.

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  24. I love the new look...love your whole garden area!!

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  25. Love your new garden room - it still has the charm of cobblestones but is now an even surface and keeps Lulu from digging. I did something similar to mine a few years ago and had the bricks cemented down and put some of my evergreen plants in big containers. Nice that you still have some dirt for plantings.

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  26. Oh I love your new look...especially the wee ladder to keep the digger out!!!!
    Oh I long for that heat and sunshine. We are expecting more snow and we already have over 5 feet of it.

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  27. I love the newly laid cobble stone. What a difference that made. You have an amazing garden room.

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  28. The change looks great, Carol, and it will be so much more pleasant for you, not having to worry about taking a tumble. I like the colourful touches you've added here and there and hope you get the rain you need soon. Here, there is snow expected tomorrow.

    Karen

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  29. I love your garden space and the redone area is so nice. I too would need a flatter surface to walk on. Lulu makes me smile. Enjoy the garden and i hope you get some rain soon!

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  30. Carol, your garden is so inviting - feel like it would be lovely to sit and dream there. We finally had a 70's day yesterday only to go back to the low 40's today - I honestly think this weather is bipolar this year. But, soon we will be enjoying daily siestas on the patio .... Cathy

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  31. I love the new garden 'flooring'... it was beautiful before and it is amazing now. This is a great start, even if it isn't as you would like. Very pretty space. I could sit there for hours. I also love the painted surf board, perfect for your space.

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  32. I can definitely see how this makes the surface much smoother. Those guys did a lot of hard work! I wish I could somehow package up freezers full of all this snow and ship it off to California where you truly need it. Scary that it's been so dry.

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  33. I cannot even tell you how much I loved this post!! I am so longing to be outside playing in the dirt and seeing my flowers bloom! What a wonderful idea to call it a garden room! You have so many beautiful things and the new patio is beautiful. LuLu is too cute watching from the sofa too!
    ps, I about flipped when I saw the grey puffy heart in the second photo of your header! LOVE it!!
    Hugs to you and LuLu.
    Amy

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  34. I love it all! ♥

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  35. What a BIG job! Your garden room floor looks great!

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  36. The new patio looks great and love the photo of Lulu looking out the window. Do you guys have rain barrels so when it does rain you can catch the water and help you out when your watering is restricted?

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  37. It looks great! So much easier now too with no weeds to pull between the stones. I love that look and would love to have some areas like that in our back yard. We're thinking of taking out all or most of the back lawn and some plants to save on water and maintenance. Good luck with your lavender. I hope Lulu behaves! ;-)

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  38. What a great outdoor space to sit & relax ... and watch your dog dig up your hard work ;) The cobblestones did look cute, but why risk twisting an ankle! How nice that the same stones could be used for the flatter surface. Good luck with your lavender plants. Our previous dog used to dig in my garden, and I know how frustrating that can be. Enjoy your new space! Wendy x

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  39. Sweeeet !! I love your outdoor room. It is beautiful. xoxo,Susie

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  40. I am LOVING the change! I know that when I walk on cobblestones in downtown New Bedford, I am always twisting my ankle!

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  41. You'll enjoy it even more now! It's beautiful! We have a courtyard that we use a lot with a plain concrete pad. It would be nice to do something more interesting to it. I love what you've done! Sweet hugs!

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  42. Your new cobblestone looks so pretty and fresh :)
    Susan

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  43. I love your outdoor room! The newly laid stone looks so nice and much easier to walk on. I'd love to do something with our boring concrete patio, as we use it a lot when the weather is nice. I love being outside with flowers blooming all around. Hurry spring!

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  44. I just love your garden room, and I'm so glad you had it improved for your use. Lulu is SO CUTE watching the workers out the window. It's hard for me to imagine having a garden to enjoy in February, especially when we're to get lots of icy stuff tonight!
    Mary Alice

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  45. Love the photo of Lulu watching the workers. The stones look so much safer to walk on now...and very beautiful.
    hugs,
    Cindy

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  46. What a very nice space. One thing I miss living here in AZ is green! It is so difficult to have anything grow here! I love the change you made and it seems very inviting! Enjoy!!

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  47. What a wonderful refreshing of your garden area. It looks so nice and safe to walk on! Hope you get rain sometime!

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  48. It looks like a million bucks now! And I can't believe how big Lulu is!

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  49. Such a sensible solution - and very attractive. It seems that the trees here shed something 12 months a year, so sweeping becomes a year-round chore. Anything that makes it easier gets my vote!

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  50. I love it! And so much safer. Don't you just love puppies and their shenanigans? Mimi

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  51. Carol, it looks so much neater, cleaner and of course, prettier, not to mention safer!! Your garden is already so colourful and a very relaxing place to enjoy the beauty of your warm and sunny climate! Just gorgeous!

    Poppy

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  52. Glad to see that we won't be reading of your demise via a cobblestone accident. It looks beautiful! I'm sure you are relieved that it is done. I wish I could send you some of my moisture! It would probably be melted by the time it got to you!

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  53. Carol,
    Stopping by for another visit this afternoon. Just had to look at sweet Lulu on the sofa again. Extremely precious photo.
    Maybe you can on add to your future posts Miss Lulu adventures because I know I sure would enjoy it.
    XO,
    Vera

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  54. That looks like hard work! I love the picture of Lulu surveying it all! Sarah x

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  55. What a lovely patio to spend time on since it's not raining! We have (again) a violent storm in Brittany: a school in the village next to mine had its windows blowns by the waves last night!

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  56. Love your cottage by the sea! It's perfectly decorated with some great vintage pieces. Thanks for commenting at the altered past...it led me to your blog!

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  57. How pretty, such a charming garden. My garden looks like a blah, can't wait for spring....Christine

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  58. Carol, I am so glad that you kept the cobblestone! I thought you were getting rid of it completely. This will be so much nicer for upkeep and being more level. Your garden looks lovely. Mine is as white as snow. lol! The ladder looks cute as well as serving a purpose.
    hugs,
    Jann
    Jann

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  59. It looks so much more welcoming, neater and definitely is a safer place to enjoy your lovely climate and setting.

    I'm so glad you kept the stones! I can only imagine how much work this was to achieve! Few things are as labor intensive as garden work, especially that which involves moving large stones. I'm sure you're so happy it's done!

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  60. Oh I love it! So pretty! xoxo Jen

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  61. oh what a pretty transformation! I bet you can't wait to entertain out there now. A friend of mine put in a small sand box area for her dog to dig. She then sprayed a repellant on her flowers she got at Petco and the dog didn't bother the flowers again. But if you have cats wandering around it doesn't work so well.*the sandbox idea

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  62. It looks lovely, and so much better for dining al fresco !

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  63. I loooove it! ahahahah so sweet little LULU watching from the sofa!!! made me smile so much! well, good job, it looks great ( I already looked so, to me)!!
    big hug ciaoo
    Lisa

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  64. Wow what an undertaking. Glad you got a good contractor. That picture of Lulu staring out the window is adorable. Our furry little family members have such personalities.
    The outdoor room looks great.

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