The Patio

During the guest house project the patio became the work area.  Everyone dumped their 'whatevers' right in the middle of it and left it there.  The pile grew and grew until I finally tackled it and cleaned it up a few days ago.  It is such a relief to have it done.  The plants in the pots will eventually be planted in the new stone planters out front.
 

We put this new chair next to the lower pond so people can sit by the pond to relax and soak in Mother Nature.  Eventually we will have fish in the ponds again.  The last fish were eaten by a blue heron that found our little oasis right in the middle of the big city.

I continue to work on the new outdoor kitchen area. I bought an olive tree and hope I can keep it alive over the winter.  He will be coming inside.

I really don't like these black metal candle sconces so they will be replaced soon.

Years ago, I bought this wood and copper bucket from a local cooper and now I have the perfect spot for it. 

This area needs a lot of work which I probably won't get to until Spring but I placed these two Fu dogs at the entrance to great people as they enter.

I've shown this table before but I have to say, placing this by the kitchen door has turned out to be one of the better decisions I made in this project. I am constantly sitting things here that need to be taken into the house.

The Halloween crew seem to enjoy their new location.

Hedgewick, the owl, has settled into his spot in the toy woods very nicely.

The 'creeping jenny' looks like a chartreuse comforter on my raised bed.

The old man birdhouse wears a heavy coat of Persian ivy.

I pick up old baskets at thrift shops for a few dollars and use them all over the garden for deadheading flowers and pulling weeds.  They last for a surprisingly long time.

Little cement critters are lurking under many of the plants.

This large cement hand beckons you to come closer.

These iron bats float over the vegetable garden.

Four bunnies sit on the corners of the raised bed.

And a witch, of course there is a witch.

Little cement Cotswold cottages are nestled under the oakleaf hydrangeas.

Each day we walk through the toy woods and gather sticks that have fallen to use as kindling for fires in the outdoor fireplace.  We haven't been building any because of the heat but as soon as we have slightly cooler evenings, fires will burn.