This year's Oh My God Project

Just when I thought 2008 might be the year where I didn't come home and say "OH MY GOD. What are you doing???" I was sorely wrong. One Saturday afternoon I received a phone call from Eric while I was at a client's house and I KNEW he was up to something" I even said something to my client that he was ripping apart something at the house but I wasn't sure. So, I came home to the deck remodel in the infancy stages.

I didn't really say Oh My God until he got the beams and framing done and saw how big it was. The deck is now known as Deckzilla....just look for yourself. It's as big as my living room and kitchen area together!


There it is from the slider door...please disregard the agility equipment in the back or you can just imagine it as some garden feature. Below is the master mind behind Deckzilla! I give Eric credit were credit is due...he designed the deck himself and he did a wonderful job. He's planning a hot tub (some day...far down the road) for the deck and that was one of the reasons it was so big. Plus, he built the stairs going to the patio near Lake Larson to frame the views of the pond. It's very cool and it really does make our large backyard seem like the little backyards I love to design in the point section of Newport and the East Side of Providence. He done good I say. He's working on the finish work right now and has to build the railing. Next year, he's going to build seating into the railing but I think he's started to get burned out on this project.

Now, I can also start planning the rest of the backyard planting wise. I really hadn't done much around the back because I was waiting on this project to be finished so I can see where stairs were going, and stuff like that. I can start to think of things myself. I doubt I will do a lot this fall but will be ready to hit the ground digging in the spring.




There's nothing earth shattering going on in the garden here...the veggie garden has definitely appreciated all of the rain we have been getting. We've been picking watermelons, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, cukes, green squash, and various herbs. I just planted the peas and the lettuces and have to get my broccoli and tatsoi in the ground. Maybe this weekend I may get a chance to get to that. Here's a photo of Lake Larson from the steps that come out on the patio....it looks pretty good for the end of the season. The fish are big, fat, and happy which is great! That thing down in the left hand corner is a filter for the chlorine in the city water. We have a little leak by that little waterfall which Eric has to fix.


Lastly, I'll share some autumn photos of the project that won last year's excellence awards. The Jones had sold the house and I had a chance to meet with the new owners and look forward to helping them learn how to maintain the landscape. Thankfully, they are gardeners and they said the landscape was one of the reasons they bought the house. I am so thrilled at how well this landscape matured. I think it's pretty awesome if I say so myself. :)