lynninnewmexico, you read my mind! I have been looking for the right fountain... we adore the sound of moving water and it will really add a finishing touch. I can't decide which type I want though - a basin with spigot, a traditional tiered type, a natural rockfall... obviously it can't be too huge since the space is small. We have a larger garden and courtyard area out front but I haven't got to it yet, it has awful ivy and 2 overgrown thorny shrubs to remove first. It's also full sun so I am afraid the plants would bake if I plant them this time of year, I might wait until October for the front. The back patio gets shade in the afternoon so we sit out there evenings, and was a smaller more manageable space to tackle for "instant" (or at least one weekend) satisfaction!

Thank you, Jakabedy,Jlc, Holly and Pinkmountain! Yes I'm happy! It's weird though how sometimes there is a place for perfect and sometimes perfect is not good when decorating. Sort of like when I had the wood look porcelain floor put in my master bedroom and bath. To me fake anything should be done in a random loosely staggered way. Too perfect of a pattern just says "hey look at me I'm perfectly fake". I love my loosely random layout. Now, when I look at the driveway pictures I see a few long run grout lines which would normally bother me a lot. But, strangely in the "whole" it works so well and looks much more natural. I have seen these type of driveways done with a different technique where the lines are taped on to perfection and the top surface is sprayed on instead of hand applied. The result is horrible and screams I am a "perfect" fake. The grout lines are oddly razor sharp in style for an outdoor space. It's weird I tell ya.

Wouldn't it depend on your market? We interviewed 3 agents, countered with the one we liked the best to match the fee's and sales package of the one we liked the least. I was a little hesitant because she was not 'The" neighborhood seller, however I think she worked harder for us because of this. The agent selection was more to help us have a pleasant experience vs to really sell the house because we did not have a timeline to meet and because the location alone would sell the house. She did list early in the week and had an agents open house. In our area a lower price is to start a bidding war and some agents will discourage buyers from even looking at it because of this.

First of all, Ingrid that's madness. Your garden is a model of charm and elegance!!!! I can only hope one day to have such a harmonious space! Carol I haven't seen photos of your current garden yet (will you post some?) But I'm 100000% sure it's incredible. In fact I really can't wait to get a virtual tour. Ingrid, yes we have a great climate for growing things and our clay soil isn't too bad although we've had to clear almost every square inch of it. The long border had bomb carriers buried in the soil and the other day we found a large tin tray. I feel like we've combed through every inch of soil on the property twice or three times. We could have built a second house with all thestone and random building materials we dug up! The other day I made a 50cm (small) planting hole for a geranium and found some copper piping! There's also been a lot of manure.... There's a dairy farm about 10 minutes away. They let us haul manure from the pit below the bull's stable. It's always an adventure and dirty and lots of heavy lifting (and it's usually raining when we schedule a visit) but I think the plants thank us every day. Cori Ann, thank you! The "floor" of this space is in the hands of my partner at the moment. He has one last chance to find suitable ground cover we've agreed. Next season, if it didn't work out, im in charge. ;)