Saturday, September 22, 2012

A Cottage Pocket Garden

I love little spaces. 
Maybe it's because I'm the youngest of 5, 
and that's all I could eek out of my family home growing up.
I found all sorts of hidey holes in our yard where I could curl up with an apple and a book.....,
(or a bar of chocolate and a comic.....)
(don't tell my parents)
Sooooooo.....
today I'm going to show you guys one of my terraces....
I know! 
right?
ONE!!!!!
I've got two!!!!!
This is my barbecue terrace.
Not to be confused with my lie on my @$$ and read terrace.
See my grill on the left at the back?????
It's plumbed into the house's gas supply, so I never have to deal with a propane tank.
I am living large I tell ya, 
living
 LARGE!!!!!
Let me show the class how I got to this point of grilling bliss..... 

When I first bought my condo, there was no terrace here.
Just a rectangle of crab grass with no way to get to it.
Not that you'd want to get to a rectangle of crab grass,
unless you're a crab.....
Although, I don't think crabs have lawns.
And if they did.....
I don't think they make lawnmowers small enough for them to use.
Okay, now I'm just being silly.....
Speaking of being silly.....
You wouldn't believe the idiot I have been dealing with over the last couple of days, 
so he says......

WAIT!!!!!
I'm supposed to be writing about design......
I'll tell you about that later.....
BACK TO THE GARDEN!!!!

This terrace is off my dining room.
I changed the window in the room to sliding doors, and now I can get to my new terrace!!!!!
Here's a shot looking into the dining room when I bought my condo.
So I changed the window to this.....
I like it better.
Sooooooo.....
Now I had a way to get outside, I needed to make it purty....
I had a bluestone terrace installed in a round shape.
Why round you ask?????
Because it's more expensive that way!!!!!
The mason has to cut the stone.
why can't I do anything
 the simple and easy way?????

I have had this garden table for eons.
EONS
EONS
EONS!!!!!
I made it out of the top of an old white metal table from 
Scandinavian Design.
For those of you over a certain age.....
(you know who you are.....)
remember that store?????
I put the top on a resin figure of Pan.
I am no longer thrilled with this design decision.
But I have it, it works, so I've kept it.
Didn't look that great with the old, rusty, dirty, white top.
 Ruins the overall look.....
There's old chippy cool.....
And then there was my table.
Then I met Amy Chalmers.
Then I found out about chalk paint.
Then I realized that I was not a prisoner of dirty white tables.
Bwa ha ha!!!!!
So I whipped out the Annie Sloan Graphite.
And painted up this baby.
(first I washed the top with a little soap and water.)
The whole thing took almost no time at all.
Two coats later and it looked like it had a stone top!!!!!
Past the round terrace and grill is my little rose arbor I put up.....
This is how the back looked the first year I live here.
I could see the condo units behind me.
So I planted climbing roses on the arbor I found online.
Installed a Kousa dogwood behind it, 
and have had the association let those round bushes grow up and together.
So now.....
I can't see anyone behind me.
And I hope they can't see me either. 
 I had stone steps added outside the new doors with platforms on either side for my cement dogs.
I tried to fit in all the things I loved when I moved to the condo.
The little tree on the right is a tree hydrangea.
It fills in over the summer and ends up like this in the late summer, early fall....
I ringed the whole area in large hosta that have a wonderfully fragrant flower that blooms in the middle of the summer and perfumes the night air.
I love leaving my windows open in my family room for the wonderful scent.
They have large white trumpet shaped flowers that get really wet and drench me when I'm grilling.
I'm too lazy to trim them back.
Oy.

I've run out of things to talk about.
Now I have to go grill my chicken.
Today is the sell by date on the  package, so I can't put if off any longer.
Latah, Gatah


Photobucket

13 comments:

Nita Stacy said...

Oh...I love this little terrace. I have just the spot for a place like this. Love it so much! Just another great space done by you.

Lee said...

Love those huge hostas~if the deer don't eat ours, the flowers bring hummingbirds (love to see them feeding naturally since I am too lazy to put out feeders). You do have a way to make your home and yard your own~Thanks for sharing!

Late Bloomers said...

I am dying to put a patio in here... someday. Yours is quite the inspiration!

The only thing that gives me pause is that fact that my little garden area along which this dream patio of mine would go is where the garter snakes live. I know, I know, they're harmless... but they still freak me right out!

Ang
SoLongFarm.blogspot.com

Sandra@Beneath this Roof, Within these Walls said...

This area is right out of my dreams. How I love it, and would love, love, love to have it!! I have three acres, yes, three acres--three acres of weeds, and stones, and dirt. No garden. I have decks. Ugly, bare decks,with some cheap resin chairs. The umbrella got torn up in a sudden storm, so no shade on the decks. Yuck. I have a few potted plants on the front porch. I buy them, plant them, talk to them, water them, pray over them. They die. I replace them. The new ones die. Sigh. But your terrace!! Now there is a little piece of heaven.

April D said...

BEAUTIFUL! But the overwhelming response here was, "She has the Kit Kittredge CHAIRS!!!!!! Wait, they're REAL SIZE???"

Which by the way you did not tell us anything about.
:)
LOVE the table base...
and top!
~april

Anne Boykin said...

What a lovely spot! I enjoy your blog ... you're funny, in a good way.

Nutbird said...

Now that is really funny, when a classic outdoor chair is referred to as a 1930's American Doll's chair! When we moved from New York City to the suburbs, I found two of those chairs in the attic above a stone shed that we had. Kind of like a miniature barn. My husband didn't like them and they needed rewelding on the seats. So He Took Them To The Dump! You can't win every arguments. I am still annoyed. Men!

Anonymous said...

I was excited when I saw the post title BUT then remembered in Betsy's whack a doodle world that it didn't neccessarily mean you were ACTUALLY going to talk about your garden ;-) but you did and I have waiting to see and as always you never disappoint. Very lovely. Serene. Relaxing. Lush. Those chairs! Have loved them for decades. Once knocked on a stranger's door to offer to purchase 2 armless versions on their front porch...to no avail. We plumbed our grill into the gas line also since we live in So. FL Hurricane Country. Love the hostas, trellis, hydrangeas & transformed "stone " table. Suzi

Maureen said...

A very lovely and peaceful retreat you have created. I especially love the round terrace you created and I would never ever think of doing a terrace in the round...that is why you are the decorator! Stealing that idea for my next abode! Can you tell me about the dogs flanking your doorway? Are they concrete or the newer resin ones? Do you leave them out all year round? I hope you talk about these in your next blog? Thanks!

Brenda Pruitt said...

I would love to find a place with just a terrace for my two little dogs. I'm tired of yard upkeep.
Brenda

Elizabeth and Gary said...

Hi Betsy,
What a wonderful terrace it looks like such a quite and peaceful place, a soothing place to be. I love how you had your grill line plumed...a very good idea. It sure beats having to replace the tank. The french doors were the perfect touch letting the outdoors in. I want to live in your condo :)
Have a sweet day, Elizabeth

Shirley@Housepitality Designs said...

You can make any size space, inside or out, beautiful beyond words..A very nice job on the table...the garden is so lush and colorful...it must be wonderful sitting out there and enjoying the beautiful surroundings.

srpprcrftr said...

Your patio is so cozy and love those hostas. They don't grow too well here in our area of CO (west of Grand Junction). we have way too much alcali in our ground.We had huge gorgeous hostas that grew like crazy at our house in KY, so loved those plants.
I found you thru a link from Graphics Fairy and am now a new subscriber.
You've sure made your patio alot more private, good ideas.

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