We are still chugging along on the patio and fire pit and almost hit the halfway point. I know you all are probably tired of seeing this project in process, but it’s consuming our lives right now – so suck it.

We did our first mortar job and discovered that we are not great masons. Oops. It is pretty solid even though our lameness tried to ruin it.

We also installed wood edging to help reign in the rock. We used 4 x 4″ pressure treated wood that was first sealed to resist the great outdoors. What I really want is COR-TEN steel edging like my fake boyfriend Blake Dollahite’s got going on.

The only fabricators I’ve been able to find that would understand what I want is Austin Outdoor Studio. Problem is, 1. They are in Austin and 2. I’m pretty sure they would be crazy cost prohibitive.

Where the hell do you buy cor-ten steel? I gotta learn to weld so that I can suck at that too.

Time Travel! Waaaaaaay back to the beginning of the battle with the weeds. Not much has changed in the past few years…

We started clearing out and redoing the side yard in continuation of 2010 Year of the Exterior. The plan is to install a small fire pit and gridded cement paver patio area as well as create a planter area out of the wacky pony wall.

Here is my rad plan below. I know, it’s just a garbage map, but hey this is fledgling landscape design (I have illustrator and this shit is hard).

The big circles are trees, the little ones? I don’t know maybe some feathergrass or kangaroo paw, maybe a cactus thrown in here and there.

What we did:

-Remove tree stump.
-Add dirt.
-Level it out.

-Stake down about 400 sq.ft of geotextile fabric.

-Shovel more gravel.
-lots more.

Still to do:

-MORE gravel
-Level it out
-Build fire pit
-Install landscape edging
-Install cement pavers
-Clean out debris
-New fence
-Figure out the rest of the yard
-Plant some stuff