Patio Love-A Recreate of Sorts

I picked out the house we're in now. It's old. I like old. Kurt likes new. Enough said. My mission: Make him love our backyard!

It has an awkward pool deck and a ginormous cacti. The neighbors have Fort Knox ready for the attack of??? It's a tree house without a tree that probably hasn't be inhabited in decades--it's our view. Oh and a falling apart hot tub. Love at first sight lol.

I have the I-love-a-challenge mantra with the ever popular I-can-do-this interspersed. :)

We've added LOTS of planters-that's HIS department, I have 0 green thumbs. My department LIGHTS! Love me some strung up lights. I wanted a circus tent feel to them, several hours of standing on the chair, getting off the chair, moving the chair earned an incredibly lit patio....for 2 seconds. Blown Fuse. Oh, you mean when the lights say only string 2 strands together they mean it...rules are made to be broken....not this one apparently. Mr. Green Thumb or Mr. Clever when he needs to be {I kid he's getting his masters degree} mapped out a light plan that allowed all the strands to be up, but only 2 connected for fuse purposes. Wonderful. So I restrung up my lights, so the plan could happen and thank goodness it worked!!

Given the shape of our patio/roof line we needed a connector point for the lights. Insert super ingenious group {he, I and curious pups} project.
     

       1 half whiskey barrel
       Pickle Bucket
       Soil
       Grass plants
       Rocks
       Quick setup concrete
       4" by 4" beam
       Arrow signs-made with scraps
       Permanent marker
       Outdoor polyurethane
       Drill
       Outdoor Screws
       Large Eye hook/screw
       Shade triangle-- if needed

Fill the rest with soil and a plant of your liking. We chose a tall multi colored grass. 

Please note top of the "Fort"and the hot tub and the "island like" pool surface

Pre-Lights Correctly Strung

 After Lights: 

We used pavers we found in our backyard to make a paver patio.

Mr. Green Thumb-->

We added arrows pointing in the general direction of the places our favorite vacations have been and where our favorite people live with how many miles away they are. 

Please note tall grass--I LOVE it!! Plus it {kind of} hides the hot tub.

An update on the Pallet Garden- HA turns out the puppy really likes plants....BUT our orange trees are growing well!

Slowly, but surely our patio is becoming a retreat. That is when the mosquitos are at bay and the scorpions have been sprayed! Them aside, it is a peaceful place to sip a glass of wine. :)

<3 ZZB