My patio was lost under willow leaves and sticks, pots and potting soil, and a big green bushy bush. I have a vision of me, sitting outside on my patio with my cup of coffee and reading the paper, just like I’m on vacation only I’m not; I’m at home. With my patio under this mess, however, this vision would never actually become a reality.
(Picture extremely messy patio here…I always forget to take “before” photos!)
I started off by clearing the table of all the gardening implements I dragged out in the spring, and hosing the layer of soil off. I washed it with some natural soap, and hosed it again. Clean and sparkly! I opened the umbrella and swept out some old wasps’ nests that were only half-way built. Those dang wasps keep coming back when the umbrella is closed, so yesterday I sprayed the umbrella with a little wasp killer. I hope that keeps them away!
On another day (this was not a one day project) I put on my leather work gloves and got out the edger. I cut and tore off sod from around the edges of the concrete. Argh! (That’s supposed to be a manly Tool Time grunt but it reads more like a pirate growl.)
The next day, I swept off all the old leaves and dirt from under the table. There actually was a patio under all that debris!
The chairs that belong with the table are grouped under the willow tree from our 4th of July party. We never actually sit at the table very much. My next project is to tackle that huge green bush on the right and trim it down. I’m waiting to borrow my brother-in-law’s electric trimmer–I do not want to tackle it with our hand trimmer. I’m lazy that way. On the left of the patio is our vegetable container garden. I’m hoping we get to the tomatoes before the chipmunks do!
My lost patio, found again!
I have yet to sit outside with my cup of coffee, however. Too hot. In fact, it has been so hot (over 100 degrees) that we used our patio table for another project. We melted crayons.
Yes, it is THAT hot. (Thanks to OneMommy for the idea!) I may have ruined my muffin tin for making muffins, however. But don’t our new crayons look pretty? (Those are the bottoms of the crayons…the tops look rather melty and dull. The heart shaped crayon in one Emmy made at preschool.)
Written as part of Gretchen’s Spin Cycle prompt, “Lost and Found”.
What summer project have you been working on?
I admire your energy and determination. Looks like you did a great job on your patie. I have to confess, I'm not very ambitious; if I get this place vacuumed, I feel like I've accomplished a lot! I just stopped by from SITS to say hello. Hope you find time to do the same.
I feel for you with all that edging. That is a TOUGH job and not even a little bit of fun. Glad you're making it more pleasant for the fam out there. Now we just need a cool off so it's nice to sit out there, right?
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You've definitely been busy! Your patio looks great ! Thanks for joining Today's Coffee Party 😉
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Good job. Your patio looks nice and inviting. Enjoy!
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Beautiful use of the Lost and Found prompt! I'm afraid I have a few lost areas of our yard that desperately need to be refound!
You are linked!!
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Your patio looks great!
Now how do you plan to keep the chipmunks away from your tomatoes? I have a major problem with squirrels climbing up to my third floor balcony and uprooting all my flowers. I read online that human hair can keep them away, so (sadly) I've resorted to combing out my hair while standing on my balcony and then placing the loose strands in the flower box and pot. Oh my! The neighbors must think I'm crazy. 🙂
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Your crayons look nice! I should have tried our metal muffin tins…. bet the crayon wax would come out of them better than what I used! 🙂 _
I love the crayon idea. And your patio is lovely. I hope it serves as a soothing haven for you. I’m very jealous of your willow tree. I love those! Unfortunately, I can’t have one because of the location of power lines. Ah, well.
Thanks for sharing. Stopping by from SITS. Have a great weekend.
Do you make housecalls at all?
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Popped in from SITS! I love those muffin crayons!
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I know it's been hot in the Chicago area but didn't think it would melt the crayons!_Your patio look inviting….enjoy!
Someone's been busy! I haven't been as productive as you. I picked up some new outdoor items from Sunwise Outdoor Living, but I still have to set them up.
You have a pretty nice outdoor patio and what's really great about this is that it's huge. Perfect for kids to play around. I think you should also add some outdoor awnings in Perth to create more shed.
Your patio looks beautiful and I like the activity that youve done with your kids. I hope I can do something like this in my carport in Perth if I have a spare time.