Stone Raised Garden Bed Completed!

The coping along the top edge of the raised bed are some concrete pavers that I picked up at the local home center.

The next step will be to build a frame over the raised bed for netting to cover the plants, so that my family can enjoy the vegetables instead of the deer.

A look back at some completed projects

Here's a look back at a few completed projects a year or two later.  First up is the back patio barbecue command center.

Looking north towards the front of the house:

Looking over the counter to the fireplace:

Looking south towards the chicken coop:

As I have done the projects, I have tried to maintain consistent, repeating elements in the hardscape design to create a sense of unity in the yard and gardens.  Both the front and rear patios incorporate the concrete pavers set in a diamond pattern and use concrete columns and baluster railings.  Both patios also use stone (for the counter in the back, and for the patio surround in the front).

On to the front patio!

Here you can see the walk to the front door.  The first concrete columns that I made form a small pergola that frames the garage doors.

Coming up the front walk is the pergola that frames the entry door.

Here is a look back across the front patio to the front walk.

More patio work

The fall weather has been holding out really well, so I have been able to get more done than I anticipated.

Here's a view of the new curved stairs I was able to pour to incorporate the old hot tub pad into the patio.

The stone skirt is also done about half way up.

The stone skirt is all done on the south side.

You can also see the pillars I have poured for the baluster railing I will be putting in.

New Front Patio and Pergola

So ever since we moved into our house it has had a white wooden deck on the front that has seen better days.  Many of the boards were suffering from dry rot and there was a broken hot tub.

I removed the old deck and built a new smaller one which was then covered with Silca decking plates, which allow installation of pavers as a deck surface.

I also incorporated some more columns like we used for the patio on the back side of the house and built an entry way pergola.

Here is a completed pic with the front steps having been poured the day previous.

There is still work to be done.  We plan to incorporate the old hot tub concrete pad as a lower level to the patio and will also be adding a stone skirt wall and a concrete baluster railing.