One of the biggest joys of blogging is following reader projects and getting inspired to take on a project myself. We learn so much from one another. One of the favorite projects I'm following is this sweet cottage renovation by John Baker and Juli Daoust up in Canada. So, I'm super pleased to be able to share my own big project this spring. This is the biggest I've undertaken in years — a new garden for Sara Kate (you might remember our old one).
This project is only halfway through, but the summer is coming on. The big idea? To build a new garden and dining area near our family house in the country where we could grow food, entertain and Ursula could play within sight of the house (and keep out the deer!).
The inspiration? To construct everything on perfect sightlines from the house to a point in the distance, where we'll eventually move the Ursula's big bird hotel. I worked for a few weekends with pencil and paper to plan everything and figure out the dimensions (geometry is so cool). Everything you see here is laid out on an East/West axis — everything lines up — which is very satisfying when your eye catches the symmetry.
NOTE: We've had a lot of help with this project. Thanks to Phou Vahn (landscaping) and Chris Gauger (carpentry), we've been able to do everything you see here quickly and our weekends have been spent planning, planting and figuring out what has to happen next. Enjoy!
Oh, and the furniture is all from Bobo Intriguing Objects, and I bought it all at the Highpoint Market last month — fabulous source!
Finding the right site for the new dining area and double garden so that everything lines up on the east/west axis.
The furniture I bought from Bobo Curious Objects arrives, and I seal the table with teak oil.
The beds have been leveled and top soiled so that we can now lay the boxes down evenly and do our final geometrical siting - and then FILL them (time is ticking and we had to get planting).
One night we photographed an amazing full moon rise along the garden axis!
Filling the boxes and planting in one weekend!
The patio is done! Amazing work here by Phou Vahn.
The fence is going in around gravelled gardens and we bring down all the furniture and eat for the first time. Amazing work here by Chris Gauger, the carpenter.
To Come! Taking more pics this weekend. Here's a sneak peek.....
Images: Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan
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Love this! Can't wait to see the progress...I really love seeing spaces come together, especially gardens. Here is a link to my own garden project and how-to: http://livefortheseason.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/ten-diy-steps-for-building-a-beautiful-vegetable-garden/
It's looking amazing...can't wait to see the completed project!!
Ugh. Gorgeous. Can't wait to see how it all fills in, and I am OBSESSED with those chairs you got! Keep us updated! :)
Absolutely gorgeous! Seems that the table is awfully far from the house though... here's hoping you have lots of willing hands to help haul out dinner. Lovely lovely lovely!
Yes it's all looking fabulous and the chairs look great. It's wonderful to be able to grow the food so close to the table too. The soft fruit should be arriving in my garden in a couple of weeks (Northern England) mmmm breakfasts of warm strawberries.
so nice! I have a big table like that under our pergola. Every spring we treat it with tung oil and it's good to go for the whole season. It is weathered, but that is the charm. Plus, my brother built the table for me about 10 years ago, so we see changes in it year after year.
Can't wait to see some "greenery", thanks for sharing!!
This is perfection! Look out DH, I think we've got a new project!!
GORGEOUS yard transformation! We've been working on our front yard transformation too! Having so much fun! Almost done with the front and then moving to the back yard!
Oh come on, what a cliff hanger! Please come back with more pics as SOON as you are nearing completion. This looks like an awesome project and I can't wait to see how it turns out.
Where are those chair from?!? Loving them!
Love the floating patio in the middle of the yard. Am wondering if we could do the same, only with a roof shelter and some screen-roller-shades to block out all those bugs down here in the South. Very inspiring!
Looks FANTASTIC, Beautiful. Love the craftsmanship. It is so wonderful to have such a great outdoor space. Love the planters and wood fence! Very inspiring!
Alright, come clean, Maxwell. Where did you get the chairs?
Yes, the chairs are wonderful! I have a couple of ancient ones that need new seats. Wooden slats would be perfect ... I wonder if we could figure out how to do it ourselves?
We just posted our completed front yard transformation! So excited! Can't wait to incorporate some of this post's ideas in our back yard! Just had our first crack at our back yard last night!
Not sure why a table so far from the house.....I would of chosen a grouping of comfy chairs and a fire pit