Our design talent with the clients help often includes being able to truly make , as the saying goes, a  “silk purse out of a sow’s ear”.

This is especially fun in 2 decks that we worked on last month.

Do Over Decks

The first deck was a “do over” where we re-vamped the existing deck with an additional wide staircase that serves as “sitting steps” when entertaining.

If you look to the right of the finished deck you will see latticing there to hide garbage cans and recycling.

The client had fabulous taste in choosing the dark “Pottery Barn style” color stain, the chartreuse potato plants and blue pots.

This deck serves as a separate “room” from the terrace and furniture located below to the left.

Let’s take a look.

Do Under Decks

This client had an upper deck where the sun beat down during the day, and 3 dogs to accommodate at her new residence.

Rather than just laying gravel or an expensive stone patio for her, we made a deck under her deck.

Her pupsters can get to the deck and stay within the fence, as well as be let out on the upper deck to run down to the grass area below.

She can visit with the dogs on the lower deck, as well as entertain people on a hot day.

The deck surfaces cut down on the mulch and dirt factor that the dogs track in on their paws and fur.

In the age of trillions of garden magazines and TV shows telling us what the trend for landscaping is, sometimes it’s just fun to go quirky! I have collected a few pictures in my travels that may give you some ideas for a different look on your garden and life!

Board Fence- No pickets

This first fence is made of flat topped redwood where pickets are cut off square and arranged with varying heights.  There is a real casual air to this design. It looks like the neighbor found some boards, cut them and slammed them up with a few nails. It was in an exclusive area in California so the artistic spontaneity of the fence was definitely planned.

Use an Old Tree Stump

Do you have an old tree stump you just don’t want to pay to take out?  How about using this idea of incorporating an old stump with a fence/gate.

I guess it will rot someday, but at that point you could just pay to grind the rotted stump out and put in a regular post.

I think it is totally cool and saves some money.

Hummingbirds Anyone?

Can you see the red hummingbird feeders between each window on the upper story of this hotel?

God bless the guy who changes out the sugar water for the little hummers every few days.

Scrabble on Stone?

This is an idea I would love to incorporate in someone’s yard, if they thought they would use it.  The inlaid stone into the terrace can be for scrabble, chess or checkers.  This one is congratulating a wedding couple at their brunch after the wedding day.  What fun for the kids and grandparents-   be outside and play a board game.

We Could Learn Something from this Redwood Tree

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could learn to go with the flow like this redwood tree’s root system?  This tree was growing just fine, using what Nature gave it to be strong.  Unbelievable.

Not Every Plant is Perfect (but that’s OK!)

I was dead heading a perennial garden last month, and came across this mutant white cornflower.  Isn’t it cute!  I think the whole plant is a mutant.  Talk about hybridizing.