The light hits so nicely in the afternoon, although I'm yearning for MORE daylight hours. I need to get the chimney flues placed, I probably shouldn't plant in them until March just to be on the safe side. Although it's been so mild, I likely would be fine.
I feel like I've been in a frantic state of cleaning indoors and out. The carpet measurer gentleman is here now. It seems there is more to it than my tape measure methods, haha. Below is a 42" stock tank leftover from the duck days. I've decided to move it, maybe use it for a cutting bed - haven't fully decided.
I removed the Banksia from the stock tank and put it into this empty spot. Some partial shade in the summer, in my garden the Banksias like that.
As I got closer to the bottom of the tank, I was reminded I had filled it with a few plastic water bottles to eat up some of the space.
All done, well not really. Here are some longer shots, this pathway goes along the bottom of the slope.
In a protected shaded afternoon spot, I added Mahonia eurybracteata 'Cistus Silvers'
The rest is tbd.
From the greenhouse, I noticed one of Ivan's curiosities (I don't know what it is) has a tiny yellow bloom.
As did the cute little snowball-y Mammillaria gracilis cv oruga
And onto the inside. BEFORES
After 15 years, family of 5 - every SINGLE room has some sort of stain on the carpet from one of us. This one is mine, bleach.
Kitchen, doesn't look so bad in the pictures. However, some drawers don't close all the way - fronts are on the brink of falling off. Wobbly everything. Microwave is burning up as it's over the cooktop. Why do they do that? This is our 3rd microwave! Ikea table will be given away, plan is to make the island longer - bonus will add storage.
Basically, an open galley style kitchen is the closest way I can describe it. These photos are really disguising the wear and tear on the cabinets especially. There is also a crack in the granite behind the sink. Hi Vincent!
I'll repaint the walls as well. I like the green, but am ready for a change. A change of green, that is.
I have to include a more typical picture -wine bottle on the counter, blankets everywhere and fruit covering the table. *The tv cabinet in the family room on the right will get the heave ho.
And, I really need to do better in this area. Right inside the back door is my catch all. Pruners, scissors, garden gloves, seed packets, cat treats - blah blah blah. I like to think I'm fairly neat, but this is the first area to get cluttered.
On we go, I've been through bathroom remodels before and I know the timeline is rarely nailed. Fingers crossed!
That first outdoor shot is great even though the flues aren't set up yet. I love the new Mahonia - I'm not acquainted with that one. As to the interior renovation work, best wishes! I hope the plan comes together quickly and gets completed on schedule. Our "kitchen" remodel in 2019 became more than that and took almost 3 months longer than it was supposed to. I'm still glad we did it but I'm also happy its behind us...
ReplyDeleteIf the Mahonia is half as pretty as the one pictured on the Cistus site, I'll be happy. I dread having to use a half baked kitchen in the garage but it is time.
DeleteWow, I thought the later photos were "afters" because the kitchen looks good! But I get what you're saying about little things needing changed. Fun changes in the garden, too. I love Mahonias--keep us posted on how it comes along. Your garden is so fun and unique!
ReplyDeleteThe photos are lying, the cabinets are so bad in person. I except a drawer front to fall off before we get to the demo stage. Thank you Beth!
DeleteA kitchen remodel is no fun. But if it's time... I discovered a trick to areas that catch clutter. Baskets. Yes, that'll catch clutter, but it looks more polished. Until you can go through the baskets and empty them.
ReplyDeleteBaskets are a good idea, to contain some things. At least one for the garden tools!
DeleteThat first photo is gorgeous! I noticed last night when I was driving around 5:30 how much lighter it already was. Seemed sudden. You know, some of your photos fit perfectly for the Shadow Shot Sunday blog hop! Come join in sometime!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, it is lighter in the evening - I welcome that! The shadows are great right now, I'll try to jump in.
DeleteThe photo at the top is DREAMY! Mahonia eurybracteata 'Cistus Silvers' is a good one, did you mail order or get a chance to shop there when you were up? It's really fun to see how different they all are, since they're seed grown there is a lot of variation. Thanks for the project before photos, fingers crossed it's not too painful along the way!
ReplyDeleteThank you, that late afternoon light is so nice. I mail ordered, I've never been to Cistus but am a big fan. I'm hoping that afternoon shady spot will make the Mahonia happy. Their photo is gorgeous. I need to pick up paper plates!
DeleteA lot of work and investment, both inside and out.
ReplyDeleteThe cost of the upgrade inside sickens me. And we are really doing a basic upgrade. The installation of the cabinets is more than the actual cabinets. I wish I was skilled enough to do it myself.
DeleteYour back garden seems fuller and more grown with each post I read! Mahonia eurybracteata 'Cistus Silvers' is a gorgeous addition; I hope it grows to look as lovely as the Cistus' photo.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Before kitchen photos. I'm sure it would be worth the effort at the end (-easy for me to say...) and you are going to love and enjoy it for many years to come.
Chavli
Thank you Chavli, when I feel like nothing is filling in - I will look back at photos and be joyful for the growth. Oh my, their photo of the Mahonia is insane. I'm hoping it will be happy in it's spot. I fluctuate from excited to uneasy at the reno, but it is past due.
DeleteI looked at photo #3 and I thought you had a pet tortoise. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe gutted our kitchen in 2022.. we did the entire redo ourselves. It was a big project. We had tile floor to smash and get out, we put in wood flooring. The old title floor had seen its days. Anyway, each day our old bones sore from the last .. my husband would say, I am not 25 anymore. Hee Hee!
Good Luck!!! I am looking to forward to following along.
I had to go back & look, I see the tortoise! Funny, we do have several pet tortoises in our town. They apparantly are very curious and get out of their backyards quite often. The NextDoor alert goes out for tortoise escapees. I'm SO impressed you did the reno yourselves, even wood flooring! I wish I was capable of that.
DeleteI always enjoy visiting your garden and the first photo is especially beautiful! I just love the collection of cacti and succulents, and it looks like you have a Ponytail Palm, something we can only grow as a houseplant here! Good luck with your kitchen renovation. I remember when we had ours done. It's a lot of work, but the end results are worth it!
ReplyDeleteThank you, the Ponytail Palms are beautiful in or out - I only wish they grew at a faster rate. I look forward to the finish.
DeleteIt won't be even remotely warm where I live for quite some time. I hope you're enjoying you new carpet. I do think there is a lot to measuring it, only because it'd be very costly to get it even slightly wrong.
ReplyDeleteStill waiting on the bid, but I can't wait.
Deleteyard looks gorgeous to me! (Winter finally arrived in Laramie brrrr)
ReplyDeleteThank you Hollis :). Oh, I hope you're enjoying some snow!
DeleteI love the shadows cast in your yard in the initial shots posted. The first pic shows such a lovely bounty of your plants. So gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThank you Bea, that was nice to hear on a gray day!
DeleteUn sogno come sempre vedere il tuo giardino di succulente! La Mahonia è molto bella, mai vista qui! Auguri per la ristrutturazione!
ReplyDeleteTi faccio un caro saluto!
Grazie Gabriele! È sempre bello sentirti, il tuo giardino è un paradiso. Tanti auguri anche a te :)
DeleteI loved your first picture. It's so nice and green and warm looking, unlike my snow covered garden in New York State. Oh, to be warm (just not too warm).
ReplyDeleteThanks Alana. Snow is lovely, everything so quiet. I hope you get a blast of sun soon.
DeleteWhat a beautiful succulent garden. So many wonderulf plants.
ReplyDeletePigletinportugal
Thank you Piglet!
DeleteI am always amazed by your gardens and can appreciate how much work and effort is required to maintain them. Thanks for the kitchen tour and seeing yours made me no end of envious because our apartment kitchen is woefully small by comparison, but then it takes less effort to maintain. BTW we also have a microwave above the stove, which was not our design and seems just as ridiculous as you have suggested. We did not have a microwave when we moved in and were quite happy without one, but when a kitchen do-over was done by management, one was added despite our requests that it be not be.
ReplyDeleteWell, that seems extra dumb *of your management. To add one above the hot stove when it wasn't even wanted. It seems like a common way to design a kitchen, I think to get out of a vent hood? Anyway, it makes zero sense. Thank you Bea!
DeleteLove your garden! Must visit (I commute to the Bay area...practically!)
ReplyDelete