One of the projects I've been working on for a few weeks was our overgrown forest of our lanai.
Funny, as a kid it was called the pool deck (the public pool deck!)
….I'm all sorts of hoity toity these days.
It was too much for me to contain, too much for me to clean up (the droppings!) too much for my visual brain to take in.
It was a mere four years ago that I spent weeks re-doing all the plants on the lanai….you know, so they would be small and easy to manage.
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| May 2010 |
Then one day I woke up and it looked like the jungle.
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| May 2014 Al Capone AND Amelia Earheart might be in there….one would never know! |
I asked. I begged. I pleaded. Then I threw money at my lawn guy: I need help!!!
He is a kind one; who also enjoys when people throw money at him.
So, he and a helper ripped almost everything out
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That was not a job for Suz….I just knew it would be too much for me.
I'm getting OLD dagnabbit!
We came up with a simpler plan and he also reconfigured the irrigation as well.
Since we were going to go even simpler on the ground, he offered to put in a few hanging plants with a drip system. I shouted YES!
I thought he meant a coffee drip system…but whatever.
Once the landscaping part was done, I needed to pressure wash and re-stain the concrete.
( I did all the potted plants myself because I'm a pot head!)
I'm so digging my blue pots!
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| Ground orchids overlooking my crotch orchids. Serendipity! |
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| Bromeliads in various colors & varieties |
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| Go ahead and admit it, this is the prettiest stained concrete you've ever seen. |
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| All I need now is a cocktail with an umbrella…..and a cabana boy to deliver it! |
When are you arriving? Please, don't bother bringing anything….unless it's in a chilled bottle!
Have a great weekend. I will be MIA next week with my wonderful people in town and us getting ready for the graduation festivities.
Don't do anything crazy while I'm away. But if you do, take pictures!
XOXOXOXO
WOW!! First off, I couldn't believe how much all of you plants had grown. What a difference 4 years make! I do love the made over pool area and the blue pots are gorgeous!! I did spy something familiar, we have the same frog you have by the pool sitting by our pond. :-) When can I come over, I have a chilled bottle ready to go. ;-) Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteUm wow... It's amazing! But holy cow, your first 2014 picture would make me scared to death that a Boa would wind down from a tree or something... (do boas hang out in trees? I don't know...) Anyway, it's BEAUTIFUL... I will be down with a dozen cold bottles of anything you want if it means I can hang out in your gorgeous, snake free, hoity toity lanai for the weekend!
ReplyDeleteThat's like a resort in your very own backyard. You've done such a beautiful job out there. Total heaven!
ReplyDeletei rather liked the jungle! :) enjoy your week!
ReplyDeleteThat's a LOT of work! It looks wonderful. Enjoy your crazy week :-)
ReplyDeleteLooks wonderful, now you can see the beauty outside of the screen. Have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteHave a most wonderful week. Carry plenty of tissues to graduation.
ReplyDeleteWOW! It looks wonderful! I am a tad (okay, a lot!) jealous of your beautiful pool deck. ;)
ReplyDeleteGood job on the lanai. I feel so fancy saying that. lol I just have a patio...and no pool...and definitely no cabana boys either. LOL Enjoy the festivities...looking forward to hearing about it all. : )
ReplyDeleteoh my...every winter I wonder why we are here and not THERE :)
ReplyDeletecome visit!
DeleteLooks great! We don't have any in ground planters on our lanai and with the cats I am very glad for that. I'm a pot head too but even those can get totally out of control. I just whacked back a bunch of my plants a couple of weeks ago and you can barely tell. Henry likes to hide out there like he's in the jungle.
ReplyDeleteit looks great!!! i am very impressed and cannot wait to see it in person! {i don't think a chilled bottle is an appropriate gift for the graduate?}
ReplyDeleteHello There, We just got home from a great week--which was a terrific 'healing' experience for me --as I recover from gallbladder surgery followed by that wicked infection... You'll have to check out my blog post today (if you haven't done so yet).
ReplyDeleteWOW---such a huge change in your lanai. Looks like a totally different place... I love it... You did GOOD.
Happy Memorial Day to you and yours... Let's never forget those men and women (past and present) who were/are in the Armed Forces and have done so much to give us the FREEDOM we have today. God Bless ALL of them and God Bless the USA.
Hugs,
Betsy
Oh, it's gorgeous! You and your yard guy/pool boy did such a great job. It's hard to believe the growth in all of those plants since you posted the "before" picture - your climate is amazing. And I am loving the turquoise pots! They are the perfect accent to that stained concrete. Well done - now enjoy the parties with your peeps and please share afterward, when you've caught your breath.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful!! You would never have to leave that back yard...except to get more cheese!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's looking good. An easy garden plan is always best, in my opinion. I'm not into garden upkeep.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely place to relax. Exciting times for your family. I have enjoyed the fb grad. photos.
ReplyDeleteStained concrete is great! I miss our stained driveway we had in Tempe, AZ. They don't seem to be as 'into' that sort of thing here in the mountains of Virginia anyway. LOL What are they? Behind the times or what!! And bromeliads are one of my favorite plants... You did good on your re-do. Very nicely done!
ReplyDeleteI'm on my way!!! :D It looks GREAT!
ReplyDeletehaha coffee drip!! you are so awesomely funny! love those blue pots too and they way it all turned out...on my way!
ReplyDelete