'Holding patterns'

You know what I've learned in the past few months? Some projects are just so huge that they never are really 'done', they just go through 'holding patterns.' But I'm actually getting used to this way of doing things... and slowly but surely... we're chipping away at it!

So do you remember our hillbilly swimmin' pool?

The one smack dab in the front lawn?

The one the kids used to throw beach balls in to torment me?

Here's a refresher pic...

In actuality, that is just the center of our circular driveway that would flood everytime it rained. Got many suggestions for this space... koi pond, fountain, duck pond... but I always wanted it as a 'green' space.
So here is Holding Pattern #1, tah-dah! At this time I would like to thank all the little people (aka Savannah, Christian, and Ty) and our landscaping crew (aka Shawn and I). We worked on the drainage, hauled in tons of dirt, sodded, did stonework, and planted a few twigs, er, uh, I mean trees... or what will BE trees in 10years.

This is where you need to have a vivid imagination. In the NEXT Holding Pattern, there will be a much larger curved bench, with pots surrounding it overflowing with goodness. Then the mulched area will be oozing with yummy plants spilling over the rocks. Can you see it?

This pic doesn't do the sod justice. Shawn did this part all by himself, can't claim an ounce of it. It is so comfy to walk on. It is the only decent grass we have so far.

I decided to do bigger, chunkier, rocks here and I love the look. I look forward to the spring when we will add yet more dirt and I will put little plants in all the crevices. I never used pine needle mulch until we moved out here. I always preferred the shredded or nugget bark mulch. But it doesn't work out here. It either blows or washes away. So I started using the pine needles and they are quite the natural fit/look for the land and it packs down so well that nothing moves it, not even dragging garden hoses across it.

AND here is one of the 3 twigs in my planting bed. They are coral bark (can't remember the fancy name) Japanese Maples. Alisha and I love these maples, although I must admit that I have killed a few in the past... lets hope I have learned from these sad incidences. It took me forever to figure out what I wanted as the trees... in the end I loved several choices and had to make a decision. So we went to my favorite DREAM nursery... you know the one... the one that you THINK you will be able to afford 3 trees at, but you were lying to yourself?!?!! So there were plenty of huge, gorgeous, coral barks there... for a mere $359.00 EACH. Drat! So then off to Lowes we go... they had these for $68.00 each and then, lo and behold, we get to the register and they are 50% off. So the twigs is was! The $359.00 trees were pruned drastically and had more the shape of a redbud and I loved the look, so I will attempt to prune mine the same... I'm an optimistic gal, snort!

So I am happy with my little 'oval' and won't give it another obsessive thought UNTIL spring!