The Pond at the New House, finished!

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It’s nearly June and I’ve been working on the yard like mad. It was pretty much a moonscape when we bought the place, so I have much to do. The first area I tackled this Spring was the pond. The previous owner did the hardest part, digging the big 3′ hole, as well as lining it and adding the filter box and pump (see the “BEFORE” pics). I dug out the stream and hole at the top for the filter box, lined it and added all the rocks. (thankfully there is an great rock place right up the road from us). I’ve been adding plants and the dwarf Japanese maple bit by bit and now it’s done! Feels good to have one big project completed.

I have bits and pieces of other projects done as well, but will wait to post those images until they are complete. Still a long ways to go but making headway! Other projects I am in the middle of: Adding a cutting garden to the side of the house and adding 3 small raised bed vegetable gardens on the lower level. (Working on the inside of the house as well, mainly painting and wallpaper) Yard projects still to go:

Painting the fence, Staining the decks, Adding walking paths on the lower level, Adding a low rock retaining wall/planting bed on the lower level, Adding a bit of artificial turf (for Max the Pug!), Landscaping two bare areas behind the house, Planing along the back fence (likely lilacs and snowball viburnum), Adding a graveled seating area on the lower level. Painting the arbor, Painting the house. All this and then the upper level by the entry, which will require a landscape contractor. I sure have my work cut out for me! It is very satisfying work though and I know I am adding to my property values 🙂 So without further ado here is the pond project:

BEFORE:

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Recycling Halloween into Thanksgiving, Part 2…Outdoor Decor Redo for Zero Dollars

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Fall, Part Deux! As I said in the last Thanksgiving post, because I go a bit over the top for Halloween and Xmas, I like to chill things out a bit in between and go for a simpler look. It took me about an hour to “recycle” Halloween into Thanksgiving out front. Here’s what I did:

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How I Made a Tropical Backyard Oasis in Denver on a Cheap-Ass Budget

The air is cooling, (I actually had to put on a sweater last night). Fall is upon us, and all too soon I’ll be putting the garden to bed and hauling out the snow shovel. With that in mind, I thought I’d share my yard with you before the first frost hits and I’m crying over shriveled leaves.

The backyard is ever a work-in-progress. A constant battle to create something that feels tropical in dry-as-a-rattlesnake-fart Denver. (OK, MOST of the time it is dry here, the recent crazy rains not withstanding.) I think this year is the best yet for my little tropical oasis. Ready for the tour? Here we go…

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An Industrial Found-Object Garden Delights! More Fun Ideas to Steal for Your Garden…

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Deep in the Heart of the industrial Rino Arts District lurks a little Secret Garden full of recycled wonder. The immensely talented artist duo Sabin Aell and Randy Rushton took a run-down industrial factory space and transformed it into something Ultra-Cool…

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Part 3! Big Crazy Bohemian Garden…it’s Not Mine, it’s Tiffany’s. (Lots of Fun Ideas Here!)

Like all good things, this series must come to an end…

Part 3 of the Big Crazy Bohemian Garden.

(Part 2 HERE)

(Part 1 HERE)

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The greenhouse. It’s pretty killer…

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Part 2! Big Crazy Bohemian Garden…it’s Not Mine, it’s Tiffany’s. (Lots of Fun Ideas Here!)

Part 2 of our 3-Part series on the amazing bohemian garden of mask-maker extraordinaire Tiffany Smyth

See Part 1 Here: Big Crazy Bohemian Garden

Let’s just dig right in shall we?

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The first thing you’ll notice is the blue heads. I love the blue heads. What a creative edging! The heads were leftover from a failed project..

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Big Crazy Bohemian Garden…it’s Not Mine, it’s Tiffany’s. (Lots of Fun Ideas Here!)

This week we’ll be wandering around someone else’s garden. This wacky & wonderful garden is chock full of fun and unusual ideas using found objects, leftovers, chickens and more. This creative space belongs to mask-maker Tiffany Smyth of Denver. If you don’t know Tiffany’s masks, you need to http://www.artsmyths.com Once you see the masks, you’ll understand the garden. I’ll be covering this garden in 3 blog posts this week.

Without further ado, here is post #1:

Fairy Garden & Porch

The yard is gently divided into different zones with creative fencing and edging. The Fairy Garden is on the North side of the house, with the entry marked by a curved arbor.

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Bringing the Tropics to a Denver Backyard…Bromeliads in the Trees, + Painted Birdcage Bonus

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Bringing the Tropics to a Denver Backyard…Bromeliads in the Trees

I was inspired on a recent trip to the Denver Botanic Gardens by this tree full of bromelaids. Such a fun tropical look! Here’s what they did:

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One of My Favorite Gardening Tricks – Curly Willow Branches: DIY Tree, High-Impact on the Cheap

One of My Favorite Gardening Tricks – Curly Willow Branches: High-Impact on the Cheap

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This trick is an oldy but a goody.  I learned it years ago in my Floral Designer days and have used it many times, both indoors and out…

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Perhaps the Best Outdoor Garden Lighting Idea Ever…DIY High-End Looking Glowing Orbs for about $3

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This is one of the Best Outdoor DIYs Ever. I mean it. So simple, so high impact, so freakin’ awesome. When I first saw this one, I had one of those smack-on-the-forehead moments of “Why didn’t I think of that?!?”

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