The Rock Stream + Glimpses of What’s to Come
How does time fly by so quickly? For Week 3 of the One Room Challenge to already have come and gone–it’s crazy!
We are throwing a backyard bash for Scott’s birthday this weekend, and I have a huge list of to-dos, but let’s start with everything that went on during Week 3…
The Hunt for Patio Furniture
“Out of Stock” is the theme of 2021. I have spent entirely too much time searching online for patio furniture. We all know there’s a unicorn’s chance of finding a decent price with quality to match. So, Revi and I went on a search in local storefronts to experience the comfort factor, and she’s the perfect shopping buddy. Even at 4, she knows what to say:
This one is comfortable. I like these pillows. Is that color pretty? Should we buy this one?
Will we find a set that we love, can afford, are able to transport home–at the right price??? Phew. It’s a lot.
Pallet Wall Down
Did you see on Instagram that we took down the pallet wall?!?
If you know me, you already know that there is NO WAY I would give up my beloved pallet wall. But, what’s happening here?
Stay Tuned.
Illumination Feature
With the pallet wall down, the string lights we had hanging across the patio last year also came down. And, while we loved the soft light on summer evenings, I’m hoping to do something even better with them! That means I need to find lights IN STOCK. Ugh.
The search is on.
The Rock Stream
It has arrived. The moment I’ve waited for since last May: A way to manage the excess water from the pool, the filter and the slight grade of our yard. Week 3 saw us finalizing the rock stream, and I love it!
After finishing up this paver landing in Week 2, we were set to take on the drainage area. The black pipe seen near the top center of the photo above is the “french drain” system that Scott & my BIL installed last summer. The problem? It actually works, which means we get run-off water in this area. The reason it’s been a problem is because the landscaping was unfinished, so there was always a good chance of stepping in mud.
This black trim that we used for the pavers last week is a great option when creating sections of landscaping materials. I want grass, mulch and rocks. They need to be separate in an effort to keep everything from running together. We added the strips in place, and Scott cut the joining sections so the black strip would bend and shape. Important, since I wanted the “stream” look to curve and get bigger as it went down the hill.
We planned to have it open wider as it went down, ending just near the base of the bush, trailing off into the surrounding mulch. So, we placed it how we wanted it, using the stakes to keep it in place.
It took about 6 bags of rock to fill this space. We spread remaining mulch into the area to the left in this picture. But, what about the area on the right? That’s what’s left of the mess created by the pool dig.
We needed sod, and I had a plan. I knew exactly where I was going to get it. But, I had to harvest it myself.
This fence area on the opposite side of our yard has always come off as severely neglected, so it was time to clean it up.
Harvesting your own sod is a lot of work, but it’s definitely a project that’s worth doing if you’re ripping up grass from one section and you need it in another small area.
The Finish
I’m thrilled with how it looks in this area–even if the whole space is not quite done. Because it will be! The rock stream came out exactly how I wanted, the mulch filled in easily, and the sod looks awesome.
Check back next week as I explain how I lost an entire evening digging pavers out of the ground in an effort to finish this corner–and how buying ONE is a better idea than loading up a car of pavers to then decide you don’t love the color. Oh, DIY. You keep me on my toes.
As always, visit me on Instagram to see stories about these projects.
