September 2009

This year is our first real landscaping adventure. We've grown things, but not to the degree we're currently tending… so, naturally questions abound.

This one's about grasses. Our purple fountain grass — creating a border along the fence — took a hard beating in the rain last night. It's been falling over to some degree, but now, I think it might be down for the count.

What to do? Trim it back to the base to let it grow next season? Fortunately, most of the other grasses remained standing.

The finishing of the "sitting wall" (skinned with Eichler siding and capped with block caps) and some new hope for the Kwanzan Cherry… and for God's sake… enough of the figs! (a few dozen are wonderful, a few hundred are a yard full of rotting fruit)…

We got rain chains.

Admittedly, the idea of cutting downspouts was less than appealing, so these were a great, period-appropriate solution.

Let's see how they do in the rain, though… Fingers crossed.

One of the things we love about our house is the hole in the middle of it.

Seriously, the atrium is one of those essential Eichler characteristics and we're quite happy we've been able to revert ours to the original intent/design (after being covered for years). We're still working on some sun-control in the office, but otherwise, the open space — even in the rain — is wonderful.

The work out there is drawing to a close, too… final plantings (although lots of grow-in needed), irrigation, painting, trim work and even the purchase of a table help to make it a finished space. (plantings: "Heavy Metal" Switchgrass, Japanese Aralia and Oshio Beni maple)

Oddly enough, our search for a nice modern outdoor table landed us at Ikea. While there's lots of great modern designs, budget and availability were key. We found a dining room table made of aluminum and glass that we love. Granted, it'd be better if it were white powdercoated (rather than black) and had a wood or plastic top (rather than tempered glass), but those can be future 'hacks'. Presently, it's a great rust-free (although not dust free) and super affordable way to enjoy the space.