Backyard Landscaping Part Two

Thanks for coming back for the second half of the back yard.  When you walk down the stone steps you enter the open space with the Palo Verde trees, cactus and grasses surrounding the big fountain.  When you look to the left you see the "working" half of the garden with the pergola and fireplace in the foreground. As I said in the last post, the pergola is made of recycled barn beams.  They have wonderful notches, holes and splatters of paint on them.

The fireplace is asymmetrical with a low seating wall extending from each side. There is a piece of metal inside to protect the stone from the flames.  It is a wood burning fireplace instead of gas. We have propane here, which is very volatile. It just didn't seem smart to go with a gas fireplace, at least with one this open. The asymmetry gives it a little modern feel along with the cables on the pergola. I've been trying to order chairs to put in front of the fireplace but they are out of stock. That is a bummer, although, it is not fireplace season for quite awhile.  

When you walk out of the house through the patio doors this is the view that you see.  I'm in love with my swing.  Its a scosh crooked, but the way our contractor made it, would have been virtually impossible to get it exactly straight.  It is, however, incredibly strong and built for two. 

This is a view of the shed from down on the slope a few months ago when the Gazania's were in full bloom.  It is kind of a fun perspective.  People on Instagram thought it looked like a Hobbit's house.

My raised beds are between the pergola and the shed.

 There are three sets of four with the fountain at the center point. 

We had this fountain at our last house.  I'm so happy to get it going again.

I just showed Joe a photo of a shed I liked and he copied it exactly. Isn't it darling? 

I already had the window from a garage sale. 

 My husband built this garden bench for me years ago, it is warped and weathered, but I like it.  Joe had an old sink that he had saved from another job and when I said I wanted a sink, he was all over that prospect.

It's perfect.

This is the view from the upper level on the left side of the house.  My planters are not doing so well at the moment.  The peas and herbs are really happy, but not much else is.  It doesn't really matter.  I can experiment and putter to my heart's content.  Thanks again for visiting.  I'm sure you'll be seeing more of this garden, so stay tuned. . .