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| Hand-made ironwork. Stools for the courtyard? Randy hasn't found any yet that would work. Ironman Dave could weld them as well? We'll see. |
New pictures arrived this morning from Randy in LA, in the midst of his front yard makeover. The new ironwork looks out on the project. If you look closely in the bottom photo, you'll see Randy consulting with Nicole, wife of contractor Dave, and mother of two.
Randy continues:
. . . In case you're wondering, the two saplings flanking the walkway up to the house are dwarf peppermint trees (agonis flexuosoa / "Jervis Bay After Dark")...they're only available in that size container, and are hard to find; we got lucky. While small and skinny now, they'll have a growth burst next spring, and ultimately get 15-20 feet high, forming a canopy over the flagstone walk-up. The dwarf version is basically grown from a shrub -- then trimmed and pruned to grow as a tree.Gracia [Randy's sister] and I researched the hell out of this particular tree (after gonging scores of trees that were either too big or too invasive).The bigger tree you see here is a crape myrtle, this particular type called a "Catwaba." The flowers are a dusty pink. That tree will probably double in size over the years.
We're still searching for the right-size, right-style birdbath for the circular, raised planting "pod" that will be visible from the big living room window. (Those few stones you see off the main artery of the walk-up lead to that planting pod.)
Late this afternoon, sipping cocktails on the "veranda" during a design session, we had at least 12 people stop and chat us up. One elderly lady in a straw hat said she wanted to paint the house (no, not the trim and such, a real oil painting) after we're done. And a neighbor came by with a bottle of champagne, as a gift for the curb-appeal beauty being supplied by moi.
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| Great beginnings. Always hard to see at this stage what it will look like when mature. . . but in LA climate, you'll find out fast. |
