Deck Stain...What a difference!

Good Morning! We just spent the last three and half days at our home in Arkansas.....working....our cans off!  With all the rain, the grass had really grown, so it kept Bob really busy cutting and spraying for weeds in the yard and using Roundup under the fences.  I of course had projects!  I planted some trees on the back fence row.  I moved some retaining wall blocks to the back of the house.  And, I stained the front deck and wood fence.  I can't wait to work on the back deck now and I want to stain everything here now as well.

What a Difference the deck stain made!

Before

After :)

 The view from another angle.  The guy that built the deck last year told me that with treated wood, you should wait till it dries out before using the deck stain/seal. I am just amazed at how good it looks.

Before

After

Those retaining wall blocks that were around the front tree and flower bed.....

 Gone! I moved them to the back of the house where the yard really slants.

Blew off drive after picture, my bad!

This is the back of the house.  I forgot my camera, so all the pictures are taken with my phone.  What a pain!  I really didn't take enough pics, but next trip over, I will get some more.  I started laying the bricks in lowest place around the tree.  Actually, I added a third layer and came around the tree almost completely to the left side of the picture.

Then on the other side of the tree, I extended the bricks across the back of the house.  This was NOT my plan, just flying by the seat of my pants....So, now I need more brick and guess what?  Lowes didn't have any to match.  I will have to figure that out.....If, I can't find any to match, one option is find a contrasting color that looks good, OR Stain them all.  What do you think?

 My husband liked the deck so well, he thought the fence would look good stained as well.  I asked him if he was helping and said yes.  But, he didn't...he cut grass along the fences and walkway to the pond.  Oh well, I knocked it out.  It actually went faster than the deck.  I had to use a brush on the deck and I rolled the fence.   I ran out of time and stain. On the next trip over I have to do the back side of fence.  A project always leads to another one.  Yep, keeps me from being bored. :)

Garage/Party Room

This is the Barnominium!  Barn, House, Garage/Party Room, and a Shop/Trailer storage.
It was pretty disgusting when we purchased this place.  You know that Foam Insulation in a can... that grows when you spray it?  It was every where!  I spent a lot of time with a knife getting it trimmed down.  And then there were gaps on this wall where there wasn't board.  I guess they didn't own a saw the cut down pieces.....Who knows.  We had several parties in here, before I decided that it needed to look more like a party room, than just a garage.  This room is 20' x 60'.  Lots of room.  We can either open both garage doors, front and back, and get a breeze or we can shut it down and put several heaters in there for a winter party.

This wall got the Red Treatment.

 I painted one wall, RED and strung some party lights!  I thought, yes, that looks better, but then after some time....I decided that we had to do something with that other wall.

So, We made Shutters for all the windows, added metal siding as a Chair Rail and of course, I painted.....That was a pain.  I borrowed scaffolding from a friend.

 

Ready to party!

See how tall that wall is?  That is the house part of this Barnominim.

Painting A Concrete Porch

Life has been a little crazy around here... Prom, Graduation (oldest got her Masters), Party....   Now, TODAY is the DAY that our youngest Graduates from High School.  OM goodness, what will I do! Then her party is on Sunday.  You know....A party will put your butt in gear to refresh and clean up! 

The front porch was starting to need a new paint job last year, but we were so busy with the Vacation house, I guess that I just didn't do it.  But, We are having a party and people are coming over, so I knocked it out!

IT didn't Look this BAD!  First, I cleaned it with some soap and water.  Then, I used a scraper to knock the loose paint off.  But, when I took the water hose to it with some pressure the paint started coming off every where. 

See, it only flaked in a couple of areas.

                  If you are painting concrete, Make sure you get concrete paint.

Update 1/2018 I think I have painted this porch again since this!  The paint held up really well on the back patio.  It is a rougher finish and in full sun.  I have since painted this porch again, several years ago and It has bubbles all over it this winter!  I don't know if it is the high water table, or the fact it has condensation.  I can tell you this, I am sick of it!!!  I may need to clean it and put a sealer on it......I really do not know, but this is not working.  Last time I painted a border a cute Rust/Red star in the middle.  I think I would really, really like outdoor tile.


Fresh! But now I couldn't put these tables back on my porch, looking like this!  I know....they look pretty bad.  Amazing that they look so weathered, being under a porch.

I decided to only paint the top.  I didn't have any red paint....can't believe that, but I did have some White Exterior.  First, sand the tops and get dirt and loose paint off.

This one was fun, Not really.

I like them!

Sanded around the edges a bit, to let the red show thru.

In this picture, you can see the rope tying the tree to a post on the porch.  I talked about this in my post, To Much Rain".   That tree and another one had started leaning really bad, so I tied both of them off.  I hope that they are going to be ok!

I think the front porch is ready for the Party!  Now, I have to finish cleaning up the Garage.... - Game Room.  It has a Ping-Pong table in it.  I will be posting pictures!

Do YOU need help with some projects that you really don't want or have the time to do?  Call me!  After all....What will I do...now that our youngest is graduating?

To Much Rain!

Here in TN, We have had a LOT of rain.  In the ten years that we have lived here, I have only seen the water like this a couple of times.  One of those being when we had the 100 year flood. This year, 3 times we have had flash flooding.  I just pray that we get some in July, but not like this!

Have you experienced extreme weather this year? These are taken from my front porch.

Making me think about sand bags.....

We have had plenty of rain, now we need some sunshine and warm temperatures.  In two weeks, a year ago, we were cutting our first hay of the season.  This year, Not.  Bermuda likes warm temperatures, so maybe mid June.

But my garden is waking up, the flowers that is....The tomatoes look horrible, they haven't grown one bit.

My beds at the road.  I am glad that I had not mulched this spring, because a lot of stuff washed out!  I had just pulled all that dirt back off the driveway.  I guess that I will be doing that again.

 

Top picture 2007, below picture 2013

Succulents planted 2012.  Only started with a cutting/

Lots of little cornflowers coming up

Too much rain.  See the rope tied from tree to porch...:(

This tree is tied too!

I need to thin these Every Year!

Working in a Friends Yard

I have been helping out a friend in her yard this past week.  Whew, I thought that I am overwhelmed with everything going on here.....Someone always has it worse.  She saw my post about, Do you need an extra hand, and took me up on it. This is a Do IT Yourself, except she doesn't have time.  She was lucky and all the new plants came from my house, so no nursery expense there.

So, on the note Of Plants...... I belong to a Gardeners Swap Club on Facebook, so do a search and see if there is one in your area.  It is a great way to get new plants and get rid of some of the plants that you have that multiply.

This is some of what I did.

Before

Added a Crepe Mrytle and Mongo grass

Pulled about 12 wild bushes up out of this bed

Before

After, I rearranged, blew the leaves off.

Now, it looks like a place to have a glass of wine!

 This is a pretty bed out by the driveway.  I cleaned out the leaves and divided some plants and moved them around.

Actually, I didn't take a picture of the real before, before I started pruning.  I decided I better check with the home owner before I cut them way back.  She trusted me.....I butchered them, but they will fill back out full.
The little yellow bushes were hidden behind the Hollies.

Front Porch, she wanted the Hydrangeas moved the back flower bed.

 I filled the bed back up with Bee Balm, Black Eyed Susans & Corn Flowers.

They looked good today! :)

Before! This is behind the patio.

I added the Hydrangeas from the front bed, Cannas, Yellow Iris, Spider Wort, Bee Balm, Hostas, Day Lilies, Black-eyed Susans and today some Horse Manure.  It makes your flowers grow!  I can't wait to get a picture of everything in bloom. It will be Fabulous!

 

I am excited to see it when every thing starts blooming!

DO YOU need a Helping Hand?  I am available for many things!