Backyard Make Over

September 12, 2008

Backyard Make Over

I just can't stand it any more...I need to share pictures of Dewey and Betsy's Backyard Make-Over. About once a week I make the trek to Mt. Washington to hear and see what Betsy has in visioned for her backyard. It is so much fun! I kinda wish I was twenty years younger and had studied horticulture in school. But I can tell you that right about now our kids are probably thanking their lucky stars that never happened.

Back to the Make-Over...I have to share some of the hundreds of pictures that I have taken over the last few weeks. The picture above is what we started with. It was taken from the kitchen window. This is our birds eye view. We take turns looking out this window when trying to place things in the yard.

The first thing we had to do was connect two existing islands and make it into one huge island. Big enough for the claw footed cast iron tub that Betsy bathed in when she was a little girl. She found it in her Dad's yard just rusting away. I am so envious. I have been looking for one just like this forever. I have my eye on one at Tater Ridge but Herb wants $400. No thanks, way out of my price range. I'll keep searching.

I know for a fact at first Dewey thought we had lost our minds. To help him understand we made a little side field trip to our backyard...he is starting to see the vision. One problem...he wants to clean everything up and paint it so it looks better. We keep trying to explain to him that the more rust something has on it the better.

I'm always on the lookout for things to use in the yard. I was walking thru Betsy's house and saw this lamp. Betsy said that she was somehow going to remove the bulbs and use it for a coat rack in her room. Good thinking, but I think it looks way more terrific in the backyard. We put a large candle in the middle and three smaller candles around the outside edge. You can not imagine how good it looks at night. Even all the Anderson men thought it looked great...and that is saying something.

We were on a roll. The clothes line poles needed to be replaced. Mark and I had built ours last summer so I wrote down the materials list and gave it to Betsy. Then I took a picture and sent it to her so they could see how you put the things together. All's well. But oh, no. They needed to be moved for two reasons...they obstruct the view from the kitchen window, and one is leaning inward. I get a frantic call...HELP! PLEASE! No problem. One morning while Dewey is out running errands Betsy and I dig up the two poles, dig new holes and remove all the concrete. By the time Dewey gets back...we are ready to put them back in concrete. Mission Accomplished!

We were able to move this birdbath...which weighs a ton!...closer to the tree to give more room for tub and all the flowers that Betsy wanted to plant. After I left one day , the pair, dug up and replanted flowers from their yard and some from Daniel's yard. When they all spread and bloom in about three years it will be more beautiful than it is now.

The shower head has been installed. The pump hooked up, bathtub filled. All we need now is some floating lillypads and water flowers. I love it! You can hear the water all the way up to the kitchen. I think Betsy and Dewey are thrilled with it. I wish you all could take a trip to Mt. Washington with me to see it for your selves. It is awesome...and I am still so jealous.

Finsihing Touches...