To Make Something Beautiful....

You must first start with something ugly. That is a quote from someone famous whom I can't remember. On Friday, Ben, Matt Hall and I busted up an old concrete patio with a jackhammer. It was 97 degrees and the electric breaker that I had reserved for rental was somehow rented to someone else. So, we were stuck with using a two-stroke engine breaker. Ben was nothing shy of wrestling the beast for 4 hours while Matt and I sucked oil and gas fumes all morning. The inside of my nose was burning horribly. It was epic. Ben is hard core. We left the job site with a mound of broken concrete to be disposed of on Monday. The transformation into a formal patio lined with a cedar raised bed will begin on Tuesday. On Friday, the homeowners should have a beautiful new outdoor living area.

My outdoor living space just got more beautiful. No matter how much work I did in the backyard, the cyclone fencing made it look depressing. So, a couple weeks ago, I hired Ben to build a new cedar fence. I finally decided to go with a horizontal design based on a building I saw on N Greeley Ave. The slats are 1/2" apart to allow for air flow and light but to also give a good amount of privacy. It has transformed the backyard into a lively yet calming area, and the neighbors love it too. Last night, Matt took some time lapse photos of the yard in the glow of the circus lights. Check it out, then come over and hang out with us this summer.

Palm Springs In PDX

This is our most recent installation. The client, who lives in the St. Johns neighborhood, told me she wanted a "Palm Springs in PDX" landscape for her front yard.

Working with a ranch house filled with everything retro she wanted to get rid of the boring front lawn and chain link fence. She had a very specific idea in her head of what she wanted, and working with magazine photos and plant ideas from Cistus Nursery, we created the unique landscape.

First, she hired a contractor to build the cedar fence. Then, we removed the existing grass and started with a blank canvas. 7 yds of river rock were brought in, and a concrete contractor was hired to pour the 4x8' concrete slabs on site. After battling on-and-off rain showers all day, we finally got the concrete fisnish just perfect. (smooth finish, not brushed). We used 2x2' pre-cast concrete pavers along the side of the house for access to the back yard, and installed a new tiny lawn just big enough for a lawn chair and a little jack russel terrier.

The plants were hand selected by the client. They include a prickly pear cactus from Rare Plant Research(yes, they are hardy in our area), small barrel cacti from Cistus, a blue variety of yucca, a deep purple cortyline and phormium, and other small accent plants such as succulents and grasses with a blue hue that looks great against the grays and purples.

The house now stands out in the neighborhood, and the entry into the mid-century styled house is just as dramatic.

DIY Flagstone Patio

A re-found this article recently and wanted to share it because I am currently working with 3 clients who are planning on doing the landscaping work themselves after I come up with a master plan for them.

The article is from Northwest Renovation Magazine, and it features me in what I think was my first year in business. It's a step by step guide to laying a stone patio. It's one of my favorite parts of the labor side of the work. Very zen....

It works the same for using concrete pavers.

So here you go...http://www.nwrenovation.com/20livingpatio.html

Also, Ben and I just finished a very unique job today. I'll post the photos soon...

Welcome Back, Winter!

COVER UP YOUR VEGGIE STARTS AND NEW PLANTINGS! - it's going to freeze again this weekend. Saturday morning temps are forecasted at 31 degrees.

I won't even go into how bad this news upsets me. We deserve at least 8 months of 80 and sunny this year!

Best Tip Ever!

One of my clients gave me this tandem bicycle as a tip! It even came with that case of beer!!! We were pretty stoked after work that day.

Also, check out how awesome my assistants Ben and Sam are.....Superwonderful has it goin on!

C'mon, get modern!

This is a sweet, little store on E. Burnside called Life + Limb. It is just what we need to get through this never-ending, grey, cold Spring. How about a sunny southern California style cactus in your living room?

The owner, Molly is bringing hot-climate plants and mod containers to us PNWesters. I've been doing a lot of work lately with clients that own mid-century/modern or ranch homes, and I am going to be offering a lot of Molly's products in my designs. I would love to use these bird houses as usable garden art (of which, I am not normally a fan of.) And, the large agave and aloes can be brought outdoors and planted in containers in the summer.

Stop in and say hi to Molly. 1716 E Burnside.

Where My Inspiration Comes From

There are lots of things and ideas that inspire me, and it when it comes to starting and running a business, inspiration is essential. Of course, I spend endless hours looking at garden design books, and nature and architecture are ongoing sources of creative inspiration for me. But, there are times when I have to dig deeper to find courage to continue. (Matt's encouragement, and my dad's advice only go so far).

Sometimes I look to other small business owners for encouragement, and that definitely helps. - "If they can do it, I can do it!" Sometimes I find inspiration in surprising places. The images of the old women in Mexico carrying supplies on their heads and in their arms (sometimes with a baby wrapped up in their too) have stuck with me, and I think about their strength and perseverance a lot. Also good to remember the importance of weight-bearing exercise for strong bones....

Anyway....my new inspiration is this woman - Aunt Mary. She is over 50 years old and riding her bike across North America. - California to Florida. Not only am I inspired, but am also extremely jealous. And, as many of you know, I am an avid cyclist, and I think about her on her bike for 58 days. I wonder how many times she wants to quit, how many of her muscles ache, and how many times she gets angry at passing motorists that drive too close. All of these things can make you feel defeated really quickly. And it takes will-power, determination, belief in yourself and your abilities, and a little bit of insanity to keep going. That's exactly what I need some days when I doubt my ability to run a successful business.

So, Mary - thanks! You are inspiring me everyday. Hopefully that gives you some strength to turn the cranks on those tough miles.