Looks like you're well on your way!

Nice to have a buddy willing do pond construction. Who's gonna pay for the rocks? That's what stops me from doing a water feature... those rocks are 'spensive!

So, the grassy area on the side of the house...are you going to be removing the grass? That could be STUNNING with some well placed garden art and/or a bench!

Great work!

Thanks melissa... it means a ton... yes...filling in that grassy area is my next step....that's where I was definately putting a patio area... trying to figure If I want my pond build there... as of the rocks..within the family we have several acres of property containing lots of creeks =) So it would just take the time to collect and haul....
Thanks again!
John

While I think a pond would be very very neat there, I think with the age of that maple (I think), you're going to be fighting a lot of roots to get the pond/stream installed.

And I'd be concerned about removing a lot of roots, for fear it'd negatively impact the tree.

Others may want to weigh in on that.

Must be nice to have a free source for rocks! There's a hardscape store 1 miles away and it'd cost me hundreds, plus delivery, to get even a few nice size boulders.

hehe.. yeah I was thinking about that stupid tree... and its stupid roots... such complications...not much worried about the work of digging through them as much as damaging or suffocating the tree... considering its providing more than ample shade for my garden, patio, and home.... and no doubt that it would fall on the house if it came down... that small window is my bathroom... I'd hate to be setting on the pooper one day and suddenly become impaled by a maple branch lol... I apologize if someone thinks that was too graphic hehe... anywho...on another note... nobody mention that this side of my house needs a gutter... it does and its in the making...my older varieties with less substance are showing wear from battering of the drip line... though some of my varieties with heavier leaves are holding up nicely and enjoy the constantly damp cool soil.... btw melissa you'd be interested to know this is KY and its all clay soil =) I know you recently had your run in with it... fortunately we have a large supply of black gold out in the pasture where Paw has fed cows in the past years... to feed cattle you place out bails of hay... there the cows congregate and crap... the ground becomes soft and the manure and leftover hay is composted... you switch areas every few years to let the ground harden.... go back to one of those spots a few years later and bam... black gold... all my beds have been amended with this.. I say I'm poor... my bank account is always stretched... but oh the joys of rural life =)

Thanks
John

You have a great space and some intriguing ideas. I agree, check with your county extension agent or an arborist about the tree roots before excavating.

As to a climber for your fence, Sweet Autumn clematis (Clematis ternifolia) or honeysuckle vine (for example, Lonicera sempervirens 'Blanche Sandman') should do well there.

I love the path you've built, John. And the barrels back by the fence. I have one large and one smaller barrel in my front yard hosta garden and I really like that look.

Love the curved path and edging - looks great.

Paul

Thanks manyhosta, jel48, and Paul... your encouragement is well appreciated!!
John

Looks like you have invested a lot of work into this project and it is looking great. You mentioned lack of funds, so I thought I would mention recycled brick as a possibility for a patio. I have a big pond on the south of the house and just a little one with a waterfall close to the house at the edge of our new patio on the north side. Love to sit there and watch the fish and bullfrogs. We got our rocks off the farm too. Water feature was our spring project 2010, and we only "bought" the liner and pump. DH made a sand filter for the water out of an old pail and :) you guessed it, sand. Works great.

Wow jagd... impressive...thanks for sharing...I'll have to remember that sand filter trick...thing about recycled brick is an old chimney runs up through the center of our house entirely hidden... you can only see it in the attic where it stops and has been capped off.... would take some work... but I have a whole chimney of brick in my house lol
John

What a beautiful place! With that house in that location, you just have to have four rocking chairs on the porch. I love the farmhouse look, it reminds me of my grandparents.

Bkay

Thanks bkay2000... some more rocking chairs for the front porch in on the list lol... we've got one on there now..
John

Went out to take a couple pictures today and thought that I hadn't taken any pictures of my markers... considering this is my second season at this property... starting the garden/landscaping from scratch... and first season as a hosta fanatic...I figured I should take a picture of them before they weather too much... then I figured I should post them....they are an addition to my shade garden... and even though I don't have much invested in them.. I am proud =)
Thanks
John

John....
Be careful to not pile mulch up against the crown of plants.
It encourages moisture to sit at the crown and gives a place for slugs to hide right close to the buffet!

Thanks Mel... I haven't seen any slugs in a couple months now... shew.. out of the last 60 days..50 have been in the 90's and we've been lucky to have nights in the 70's... and I think we've had like 5 inches of rainfall... with the humidity sitting mostly in the 80 percent range...Kentucky summers...I've not much been worried about rotting or slugs here lately... just keeping my plants and ground from burning up... but thats an excellent tip I'll use come fall..
John

jagd, that funky looking water plant is Egyptian papyrus and won't be winter hardy in your zone. You can bring it indoors and keep it in a bucket of water in as much sun as possible though.

John, love your stonework! that really took a lot of work and planning.

John,I love all the work you have done so far,I am a rock hound.
I say, go for the pond,we have a nice large one, with an upper bog, filled with gravel, to help filter it.Make it as big as you can,cause you will want it bigger when you are done, trust me,:0)
I hope you will post pictures as you go along,so fun to see the progress.

Melissa, if you have a quarry close by, you can get rock free, I went with a frien, we filled the truck two times, and the cost was 0.
Also, if you drive out in the country,many farmers, will have rock piles,they hate rocks, and will many times just let you have them free as well, some will want a small payment,never much at all.
If you see a rock on the side of the road, pick it up, start a pile, when you have enough, get going.
I know some one who used broken up side walks, around their pond.
cAROL

Thanks cAROL and buyorsell888... lol how dead is this forum... three months ago this thread would be five pages back in two days and now in sept... two weeks after I started this thread I'm still getting comments...haha... no insult intended.. I really enjoy the comments.. thanks a ton.. It still looks like it did at the time... I've decided against the pond due to the space and the septic tank and water main location.....so I'm going with some custom poured stone patio work.. I've acquired three of those random style pathway molds from a buddy's mother.. and I'm gonna get some rock-crete and some dye and pour me a patio here... gonna come up with somewhere else for the pond..maybe someday...at the moment I'm trying to get the moles out of the area.... Thanks again...
John