So grateful to be surrounded by greenery and fresh air

Spending alot more time working from home during COVID has reminded me how truly lucky I am to live somewhere surrounded by trees, greenery and full of fresh air. I recently had a decorative security door installed on the back of the house - tying in with the style of the other doors on the front and side verandah... incorporating a little more 'x' detail which is part of Dad's 'signature' style.

...and here is a reminder of the 'before' view of this area.

A new custom designed and crafted electric driveway gate

Another belated post from 2020... Dad designed and crafted the most beautiful electric diveway gate... another example of breathing new life and repurposing old into new. The cast iron panels were part of the old landing on the former front flat (see below for 'before' and 'work in progress' photos). Here it is in situ... it ties in perfectly with the smaller pedestrian front gate that Dad built some time ago. So special and sustainable to be re-purposing these beautiful quality pieces into something that it not only attractive and practical, but will last for many, many years to come!

We decided to change the colour of the wrought iron to a classic matte black. Some photos of the 'work in progress'...

As you can see, the panels have completely transformed from their former life as ballustrade on the landing of the (former) front flat...

... and here is a reminder of how the house appeared 'pre-reno'!

Garden Screens in situ

It has been so long since my last blog post - the last 10 months or so has been a bit of a whirlwind! But I am now catching up on the progress that has been made since April 2020. The garden screens mentioned in my last post are now very much in place and I am thrilled with the results. They were designed to provide privacy from the neighbours and add a 'green wall'. These photos were taken in Winter 2020 (with the Autumn colour still on display) just after the screens were installed. I have planted Star Jasmine which I will train to cover the screens, as well as Ornamental Pear Trees ('Capital' variety, the narrowest of the Pears) to add more green foliage and height.

We had help from a fantastic local fencing contractor to dig the post holes. Our installation of the screens was quite an undertaking, but worked beautifully thanks to Dad's clever use of the trailer to carry the weight of the screens.

Meanwhile, the garden has been bringing so much joy, especially after the lovely rain we've had over Summer.