The patio is transformed ....

Hi everyone

I thought I would show you what the patio looked like once it was updated.

I could not wait to get the wooden patio furniture back in place to see what difference the removal of the fountain made to the space. I love how the paving slabs have come up so well after being jet washed.

I seized the opportunity to repot my random plants (mainly peonies) in to matching grey pots that had been freed up by moving the box topiaries - much cleaner in their matching pots ....

Some sunlight today & some visitors spurred me on to putting out the patio cushions too ...

Some lovely Autumn colours amid the greenness of the garden. I find the intense greens very calming in the garden, especially as we have birds enjoying the space, frogs under the leaves, hedgehogs at night & overwintering to hibernate under the hedges & of course our resident house rabbit too  ...

The wall on this side was added from the repurposed walls of the fountain to match the other 2 sides

Tea or coffee with your biscuits?

I'm loving the new space without the fountain ...

I am not ready to pack away our summer garden lanterns yet either ...

The back hedge has been trimmed back to 10 foot tall, the side one to 12+ foot tall (It is not my hedge so I cannot trim it lower) which provides a stunning green backdrop to the garden .... 

The topiary have taken to their new spaces - I was so relieved that the patio chaps removed them with their heavy, dense root ball & planted them next to the patio for me. The 3 larger box topiaries took all 3 men to move each one  ...

It all looks Winter ready now - neatly trimmed back, the house rose tied in against winter winds, the box topiary settling in & the hedges trimmed back in to compact shapes to minimise winter weather damage. I look forward to being able to pop outside on to the patio on good Autumn days to enjoy the garden & the updated patio. Another job ticked off my list ... 

Do you have a to-do list that keeps your occupied? Thank you for stopping by & taking the time to read & leave a comment ... 

 Dee ~♥~

The patio is updated in time for Autumn

Hi everyone,

Has Autumn come upon you as unexpectantly as it has for me? I am working through some Autumn jobs to get the garden ready for the long winter ahead so when I look out on it, it is pleasing to the eye in the dark months.

Do you have a constant list of jobs to be done about your home? I write them down to remind me of those niggly things that need to be kept on top of.

A chance conversation with a student this week reminded me of the thoughts I have had about changes to our patio & when his Dad followed up with a call & visit,  I just knew that change would happen at last.

I love our private garden & outdoor space. This was what it looked like when we bought some years back. I was glad it was more or less a blank canvas so that I could make it my own ...

The fountain worked by plugging it in on an extension cable & when working, it was very pretty, especially as we like to be outdoors in the garden, eating, relaxing & gardening ... ...

However, some time back the fountain worked intermittently.  I cleaned it out properly, thinking that might revive it ...

... and for a time it did, before it stopped again. The cables ran under the patio so changing the pump was complicated.  The 120cm square brick structure restricted the patio space ...

Two winters ago, the fountain stopped working;  we contemplated having the patio redone but it was not a priority until the student's Dad said he had an unexpected 2 day slot so he could remove the fountain, neaten up the space & trim the hedges before winter.  I seized the opportunity ....

While having my favourite breakfast in the conservatory, I flung open both patio doors so I could look at the space & decide which changes are needed ...

I had only a few days grace so I moved the fountain stones & the topiary to see if I would prefer them off the patio, while firming up the planning in the days before. One of the topiary pots could not be moved as it had come apart, another was broken by the box topiary roots too. I moved them about in their pots to decide where they look best ...

A powerful jet washer made light work of the years of accumulated dirt while the fountain walls were carefully dismantled so they could be repurposed at the far end of the patio.

 We did not know what to expect under the fountain walls so finding just a slab size square gap was a great result as that could be filled much more easily, rather than taking up large sections of the patio. The change suddenly progressed smoothly & quickly ...

The fountain walls were repurposed to make a matching wall on the side of the patio & then the topiary were planted out because their roots had broken their large planters.

I am hoping the large box topiary will really settle & grow abundantly now they are planted out ...

What a difference a day makes - the space is now light, bright & very useable. I am so glad that a chance conversation meant the space is transformed at last. It is much improved without the cost & time of redoing the whole patio . Sometimes less is more ...

The patio will be used much more now, especially as the trusty chimnea is ready with logs to keep Autumn chills at bay.

Do you keep a to-do list with things that need updating? Thank you for stopping by, your company & comments are always appreciated ...
Dee ~♥~

Tuppence - a winning puppy ...

Hi everyone

I have been down in Dorset for their 7th Annual Hat Festival.  More about the hats later but first, let me introduce you to Ms M's gorgeous cavachon puppy Tuppence.

You might remember her from the wedding posts when she joined the Vizsla's Apollo & Aura as part of their pack in France. You might have spied Tuppence dressed up in her Cupid Collar at the wedding in France.

For the Dog Show part of the Hat Festival, her cupid collar was repurposed on to a silk fascinator top that Ms M already had. The lovely Jane from their shop, sewed it on to the fascinator top & added an elastic band to it.

However, Tuppence only had a red collar so I wound broad blue ribbon around her spare collar & then hand stitched it so to form a perfect blue collar to match her Cupid Collar hat & lead.

All hatted & ready for the competition - A Wondering Star daughter accompanied Ms M & Tuppence took FIRST PRIZE for best puppy - YAY - go Tuppence ...

After being so cute & well behaved, she went off to the pub with A Wondering Star & co - being so cute is tiring so she curled up in Pat's organic, fair-trade basket & had a nap ...

Before being carried back home as the champion she clearly is - tired out after her busy day ...

The basket photos are curtesy of A Wondering Star - pop over to her blog to see more of Tuppence.

I hope you have enjoyed Tuppences antics. Thank you for stopping by & for taking the time to read & comment - your company is always appreciated!
 Dee ~♥~