Adding a Little Character to a Rickety Vinyl Fence

 

 

 

Around part of our backyard, we have an off white vinyl fence.  It's been rickety since we moved in, but it wasn't falling down and my husband said he didn't want to deal with it unless it fell down.  I was not happy about that, especially since our pond is right there and my plants are getting bigger each year.  I also have several birdhouses around that area and didn't want to lose any. 

 

A few weeks ago we had some very big gusts.  We came outside to see the big white and green birdhouse on the ground where the fence had swayed enough to knock it over.  Ok, that was IT!  Time to tighten up that baby!

 

We found out that not only do we have an unstable fence, but the neighbors on the other side have an identical fence that is just as wobbly and touches our fence!  So each time the canyon winds would blow, both fences would rock back and forth.  (ugh!!)  When we took some parts down and lifted up the 'post', it was just sitting on the concrete.  No cement inside, no brackets, nothing!!  No wonder it moved like crazy!

 

 

 

We started by digging down in the dirt next to the cement wall.  We dug down about 15" for each of the three posts.  There was concrete down there, so we couldn't dig deeper.  We drilled holes (meaning he drilled holes...), then attached anchors through the new 4x4 into the concrete wall.  We then poured concrete in each hole. 

 

 

The next day we attached brackets between the new 4x4's and vinyl 4x4's.  The funny thing was that the vinyl fence was SO un-level, that we were sure our boards were off, but lo and behold, the new ones were perfect. 

 

 

 

 

We put lattice between two of the new 4x4's and planted vines.  We put the birdhouse back up  and are very happy with the results.  Last week we had strong winds again and not a bit of creaking anymore!  Success!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn't add lattice to the other section because of the slope of the hill that it's on.  There just wouldn't have been enough lattice to work with to look right.  Instead, we hung a birdfeeder there and will patiently wait for the Weigala and Rose of Sharon that are right there to grow and cover the area.

 

 

 

 

We spent two days and about $200 and now have a sturdy fence.  It certainly saves us from the huge expense of putting in an entirely new fence along that wall.  And, now I have more places to plant!

 

Thank you for your visit!

 

Pam

 

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Great Memories of Our Old Backyard



The other day I was on Pinterest and this picture popped up that someone had pinned from the HGTV site.  (I had originally uploaded it to the RMS site)   How exciting to see our backyard!  It was our old one that we put years and years into making our own.  We moved from there a few years ago, but have great memories of the place.

Here it was when we moved in in 2000.  Yes, a bit rough!!  :)

When we first redid this area, we had a swing set, as our kids were in grade school. They loved that thing! After they outgrew it, we put our firepit up there.  It was such a great place to relax!




This is actually after we had cleaned it up quite a bit.  I remember lots and lots of 2x6's stacked against the fence, rotting....  I think the prior owner's plan was to build raised beds.  Because the soil is clay, clay, and more clay, a lot of people do make raised beds.  We decided to rototill truckloads of compost in instead. 

Max would play for hours, chasing racquetballs. When he'd get tired, he knew exactly where to cool off. He would lay in the second level with the cool water flowing on his back. He would set his racquetball down and it would stay right there until he was ready to play some more. :)   HGTV also had this picture on their site for Pets in the Yard.  Max was a star!  :)

Thanks for your visit!

Pam

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What a Beautiful Time of Year

After many months of snow and cold, I am so happy to welcome spring!  May and June are absolutely beautiful here.

Yesterday I planted my pots. (yes, today my old body is feeling it!) :)

I planted cosmos, petunias, snapdragons and a spike in the middle of each.

I planted these a couple of weeks ago.  They are wave petunias and are already starting to fill in nicely.   (You can see the Arborviteas along the fence.  They were all the same size when I planted them two years ago.  What the heck is with the little guy in the center??)

 I love the adirondack chairs my husband built.  We spend a lot of time sitting in them.

The wave petunias in the boxes on the ladder and the perennials are starting to come back to life in this area.

The creeping thyme between the rocks is really filling in.  Last week I added rocks to the back side of the pond so my husband could get to the pump and filters without ruining any of the plants back there. 

The fish are getting big! 

 We used to have an ugly piece of mesh separating the area for Max to lay down in and the rest of the pond, but he never gives any indication that he'd go in the deep end, so we got rid of it.  We love the look of the pond without it!

He is definitely my favorite part of the backyard! 

 We had dinner out here last night and it was a perfect night!  I'm looking forward to everything blooming and many more nights out here this summer.

Thanks for your visit! 

 Happy Mother's Day!


My blog has been nominated for Best Innovative Blog at Palatin Remodeling, Inc.  I'd love it if you'd vote for me!

VOTE HERE

Pam


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The Polo House's Favorites on the First Party
 

Ladder for the Garden

Last fall I found this ladder at a garage sale for $1 (!)  Since it was so late in the season, I left it in the garage until today. 

We started by making boxes out of fence boards for two of the shelves. 

My trusty aging technique of Apple Cider Vinegar and Steel Wool made them look older within an hour. Directions for this process are HERE

We secured them to the ladder and added drainage holes to the back where the box wasn't resting on the ladder step.  (you can see here how different the box looks just one hour later)

You may remember my post last December about the 93mph winds here that blew 60' trees down.  I don't anticipate winds that strong again anytime soon, but we do live right by the mountains and get windy days. I put 24" stakes in and we secured the ladder to them.  You can see them right now, but once everything starts blooming, they will not be seen.

I know it's early to be planting annuals, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we don't have too many freezes from now on.  I planted these wave petunias in the boxes.

We secured this birdhouse to the center step.

And the potted geranium on top.  We'll see if the geranium is a keeper as the season goes on... Right now I like it, but may change it later.  :)  I didn't put anything on the bottom step because it'll be hidden very soon when the spirea in front starts blooming.

 I'm excited that there are daisies and coneflowers underneath that should envelope the bottom of the ladder soon.   I'll be sure to take more pictures as everything comes back to life.

Thanks for your visit!

Pam

I am linking to the following parties:

The Nester's Show us your Planties Party

Jennifer Rizzo's Show Us Friday 

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