Thursday, March 5, 2009

Our latest project


Good morning everyone. We've been working on a project since last Thursday. This project came about because someone came into our property while we were sleeping a couple of nights before. We knew this because the cable with a no trespassing sign that hangs across our driveway was down, and the door to one of our vehicles was left open. We figure it was a lost drunk, as they have stumbled into our property up front before to sleep it off. Having them in our back yard was not nice at all. That is our space.

We had some sections of privacy fencing that we had curbside shopped, when someone took theirs down and cut it into 16" to 36" sections, more or less. They had lots of life left in them, also an aged patina, so we loaded them into our van and have had them stashed and use them as needed.

I know some could not, would not use this fencing, because it doesn't look so great, but heck once new fencing is up for awhile it will look the same. We are not 'normal', we live frugally and simply and we are recyclers and hate to see usable stuff go to the landfill. We already have fencing we put up years ago, that this fencing just blended into. Once the plant life has filled out and taken over, by twining, covering, etc. you won't see most of the fencing anyway. What is so nice, is the privacy and enclosed feeling that it adds. We already had most of the front enclosed, this just finished it off.

We are in a severe drought that's why you see so much sand. I only water my gardens and beds to keep things alive, grass doesn't matter. Once we get rain again, it will all come back.

Below are two pictures before.






This picture if taken after. We still have an arbor/rooflet to make over the gate, but we are working on the driveway gates first.

You can see a 'Faux Bois' (false wood in French), chair, sitting in the shade. Friends of ours, who own the antique shop next to the one I manage, gave us these, as they needed a lot of work and they didn't want to mess with it. They bought these in France. These are more primitive rather than grand as some of the really great Faux Bois pieces are. We are more primitive and rustic than grand, that's for sure, so these fit in really well with our style.

Here is a little info about Faux Bois. ~ Ferrocement Faux Bois is a very popular and much sought after category among serious antique collectors. One of the most notable of whom is Martha Stewart, who collects antique as well as modern works executed by the very few remaining artisans still practicing this craft. Sadly, there are only a handful of artisans alive today who are capable of executing Faux Bois at the masterwork level.

For more info go here Faux Bois in Concrete

Also The Artistic Garden



I did tighten up the rock/boulder border and planted some things.




This is our driveway with the cable going across it. You can see another curbside shopped piece hanging on our back fence. It is 10' long by 4' high. I told you we aren't normal, and this will probably prove it for sure. The fish is made out of fiberglass. I am a Pisces, so we brought this monster home.




That's it for now. We're off to work on the lattice/pvc pipe gates for the driveway. Will post about them later.

FlowerLady




5 comments:

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I like how it turned out! I think we should all try to recycle and not waste perfectly good things. I personally like more rustic style than formal any day. Hope that helps to keep trespassers out.

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Hi Catherine ~ We hope it helps to keep trespassers out also. We finished the driveway gates and hung them yesterday. DH was tweaking them today, so that we can lock them at night or when we are away. We lock the iron gate at night also. ~ I look forward to plants growing up and over the fencing and blooming in the beds.

FlowerLady

Anonymous said...

Hello FlowerLady, Thank you for visiting my blog. I was sorry to hear that you had someone invading your space. However your fencing looks great. Good luck with keeping the trespassers at bay!

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Good morning Hostabuff ~ Thank you for visiting and chatting. We hope it keeps the trespassers at bay also. We got the lattice gates for driveway finished and think they look too stark so will be coating them with a wash of house paint color. Then they will blend better with their surroundings.

FlowerLady

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I think your whole property is very cottagey and inviting, but hopefully you won't continue to have trespassers.