Matata's Backyard Makeover

[Matata]

You have beautiful plans for your garden!! They are so formal and french!! Do you know what kind of tree you are going to put in the circle??

A Zelkova tree for the parterre circle. The only part of the garden that will be formal is the parterre, the rest will be quite organic and English Cottage Garden in style.

What zone are you in?

We're getting a couple beehives next year and I'm looking into things for solitary bees and some other pollinator bees.

We're zones 7 & 8. My end of the state is similar to a Mediterranean climate. I'm playing with the idea of some hives. Our city finally approved beekeeping in the city. My subdivision is finicky about a lot of stuff. If it was permitted, I'd have some chickens and a couple of pygmy goats.

 

[Matata]

Today Bob and his son Joe (who will eventually take over the business) are delivering the wood for the veggie beds and the foundation of the greenhouse. Had to post Joe's picture. LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS HAIR!!

 

[House Cat]

I don't know how I missed all the info about the raised beds AND the greenhouse! I am officially envious! I love the tree too!

You will be living in heaven!

 

[Calliecake]

I don't know how I missed all the info about the raised beds AND the greenhouse! I am officially envious! I love the tree too!

You will be living in heaven!

House Cat, Don't forget about the Chandelier in the greenhouse!!! Matata really knows how to live!

 

[Matata]

I don't know how I missed all the info about the raised beds AND the greenhouse! I am officially envious! I love the tree too!

You will be living in heaven!

House Cat, Don't forget about the Chandelier in the greenhouse!!! Matata really knows how to live!

Callie, I'm not going to put a chandelier in there. I was just describing how carried away I got when I started thinking of all the possibilities.

 

[House Cat]

I don't know how I missed all the info about the raised beds AND the greenhouse! I am officially envious! I love the tree too!

You will be living in heaven!

House Cat, Don't forget about the Chandelier in the greenhouse!!! Matata really knows how to live!

Callie, I'm not going to put a chandelier in there. I was just describing how carried away I got when I started thinking of all the possibilities.

You could have let us DREAM!!!

What about a little bitty chandelier?

 

[PintoBean]

Today Bob and his son Joe (who will eventually take over the business) are delivering the wood for the veggie beds and the foundation of the greenhouse. Had to post Joe's picture. LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS HAIR!!

That IS gorgeous hair!!!

I'm so excited for this thread!!!

 

[Matata]

You could have let us DREAM!!!

What about a little bitty chandelier?

Okay okay, I'll try to find a suitable one but I'm not plugging it in. It'll be the equivalent of a diamond simulant. Nice to look at but no action. Sheesh.

 

[Ellen]

A Bit of Background about the Landscaper
Eighteen years ago, I was a divorcee and bought my first house. It was new construction and the backyard was a patch of grass. Only one person in my town was willing to take on such a small job. Bob knew my budget was limited so he did all of the work himself. Did a fabulous job and I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Fast forward to now and I really wanted Bob again but thought he'd retired. Not so. I called him, he remembered me, we met to sketch out a plan, and away we go. He's 71 yrs young and can outlast the Energizer Bunny.


I can't tell you how envious I am becoming of you. You not only got a great landscaper once, you got him again 18 years later. And apparently he is reasonable too.. I am trying to find the same for a redo in my front yard. I have called 3, two could not even manage to get the BID back to me. Forget them. The third can't give me an exact bid til I pick out gravel and border stones, so jury is out on him. Went to gravel place and talked with worker who says. "we do landscaping, give me your name and number and my guy will call you". That was 3 days ago.... Filled out a form on line with another company 3 days ago, haven't heard a word. Really don't expect to. By the time I MAY find one, it will probably be too late to plant lol.

I think your design is going to look lovely Matata, and I really like that zelkova tree!

 

[House Cat]

You could have let us DREAM!!!

What about a little bitty chandelier?

Okay okay, I'll try to find a suitable one but I'm not plugging it in. It'll be the equivalent of a diamond simulant. Nice to look at but no action. Sheesh.

Ha! You know you will love it!

I would love to hear about your greenhouse. Will it be made of wood or metal? What size will it be? Is that where you plan on growing your seedlings? Will there be permanent residents in it, such as orchids?

When I finally move to my forever home, I will have a greenhouse. For now, I must live vicariously.

I'm in zone 9, Mediterranean climate.

For your cottage style garden, will you be growing any roses? Do you have any favorites picked out?

 

[Matata]

I can't tell you how envious I am becoming of you. You not only got a great landscaper once, you got him again 18 years later. And apparently he is reasonable too.. I am trying to find the same for a redo in my front yard. I have called 3, two could not even manage to get the BID back to me. Forget them. The third can't give me an exact bid til I pick out gravel and border stones, so jury is out on him. Went to gravel place and talked with worker who says. "we do landscaping, give me your name and number and my guy will call you". That was 3 days ago.... Filled out a form on line with another company 3 days ago, haven't heard a word. Really don't expect to. By the time I MAY find one, it will probably be too late to plant lol.

I think your design is going to look lovely Matata, and I really like that zelkova tree!

I feel your pain Ellen. That's the type of stuff I encountered when I was exploring the possibilities during the past 4 years. What I couldn't understand was the lack of interest considering there was no new construction happening here and we had the highest unemployment rate in the state so there were very few people who had the money to do their yards. I thought I'd have pick of the litter so to speak. And yet, no one was interested in doing the work and none of the 4 I contacted had very good follow up. Now we're in a mini-construction boom and the landscapers are making their bread & butter doing large subdivisions so aren't interested in a small singleton job.

Bob is of a different era with a work ethic that is almost extinct. He's tucking my job in between his large projects for the city and several subdivision contractors. He was really touched that I remembered him all those years and I'm sure that's why he's going out of his way to do the job. First time we met about this project he said to his son Joe "See, this is what happens when you run an honest business and do good work. People remember you." So he's instilling that work ethic in the next generation, thank goodness.

I hope you find the perfect person to do your front yard.

 

[Matata]

I would love to hear about your greenhouse. Will it be made of wood or metal? What size will it be? Is that where you plan on growing your seedlings? Will there be permanent residents in it, such as orchids?

10' x 12' aluminum frame, clear polycarbonate panels (didn't want glass) set on a wood frame to raise it high enough to fit dwarf fruit trees. I'll be growing tomatoes, seedlings, and probably trellising beans and lemon cucumbers during the growing season; lettuce, kale, and other stuff during the cool season. I'm not an orchid fan -- love to look at them but don't have an interest in growing them. I will likely have permanent subtropical residents in there but I'm not sure yet what they will be. It's been a very long time since I've been able to garden to this extent so I'll likely spend the next 2 years experimenting like a mad scientist.

For your cottage style garden, will you be growing any roses? Do you have any favorites picked out?

I favor heirloom roses. Would rather have aroma than showy flowers with no smell. Last time I was able to grow them (18 yrs ago), I had roses that smelled like chocolate, cinnamon, and lemon. They were gorgeous. Bob hates roses and every time I mention them, his eyes roll back in his head and he foams at the mouth. Soooo, we are still negotiating placement and number. This is one of my favorites -- it's a lemony scented one. Took the picture with my cellphone at the Portland International Rose Test Garden so the delicate lavender color isn't showing true. Can't remember it's name.

 

[momhappy]

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who has had some difficulty with landscapers. On two separate occasions, I brought in two different companies and told them exactly what I wanted. Both of them sent back plans and quotes that went WAY over budget despite the fact that I was very specific about it (and it's not like it was a small budget). One of them even submitted plans/drawings for the ENTIRE yard, which is quite large and not at all what we had asked for. I have sort of given up and have done most of it myself, but there are areas where I could use a professional touch. I am a stickler about clean lines, symmetry, etc., so I'm careful about doing things that are within my capabilities.
Looking forward to see how your yard progresses, matata

 

[Matata]

Raised veggie bed almost finished. He put a nice redwood cap on it for a small seat and enough room for cocktail glasses . Base for greenhouse is also done. Greenhouse will be assembled and bolted to top of base and a short set of entry steps built. We wanted a bit more height for dwarf fruit tree storage in winter. Raised planting beds will run along all sides of the greenhouse, flagstone on the floor. I'll have plenty of space to grow edibles and smellables.

 

[Calliecake]

Matata,

You don't have to plug the chandelier in. You just need amazing crystals to hang from it. The light from the sun with throw amazing colors. You should see the beautiful colors the one in my closet throws off without the lights being on.

This project is going to look spectacular when it's complete. I can't wait!

Ellen and Happy Mom, My husband used to travel all the time so we hired a service to cut our grass. They now do all our landscaping. All the mulching every spring, replace anything that hasn't made it thru the winter. We have had a few rough years and I had to replace many evergreens, boxwoods and a few trees. I also have him get and plant roses. I tell them what I want and he makes it happen. He also has given me ideas on what would look and work well. He has sent me to the nursery they use and I get to pick out my trees. Maybe you could look it this. When we first purchased our home years ago there were several landscapers in our area. Many of them are no longer in business. I was told by the company we used years ago that the they went out of business when Home DePot and Lowes started selling landscaping because they could not compete with their pricing.

 

[MollyMalone]

Oh, I'm so happy you're sharing the makeover with us so we can see it unfold to full glory -- thank you!!

 

[packrat]

It will be fun to watch this unfold!

 

[House Cat]

I would love to hear about your greenhouse. Will it be made of wood or metal? What size will it be? Is that where you plan on growing your seedlings? Will there be permanent residents in it, such as orchids?

10' x 12' aluminum frame, clear polycarbonate panels (didn't want glass) set on a wood frame to raise it high enough to fit dwarf fruit trees. I'll be growing tomatoes, seedlings, and probably trellising beans and lemon cucumbers during the growing season; lettuce, kale, and other stuff during the cool season. I'm not an orchid fan -- love to look at them but don't have an interest in growing them. I will likely have permanent subtropical residents in there but I'm not sure yet what they will be. It's been a very long time since I've been able to garden to this extent so I'll likely spend the next 2 years experimenting like a mad scientist.

For your cottage style garden, will you be growing any roses? Do you have any favorites picked out?

I favor heirloom roses. Would rather have aroma than showy flowers with no smell. Last time I was able to grow them (18 yrs ago), I had roses that smelled like chocolate, cinnamon, and lemon. They were gorgeous. Bob hates roses and every time I mention them, his eyes roll back in his head and he foams at the mouth. Soooo, we are still negotiating placement and number. This is one of my favorites -- it's a lemony scented one. Took the picture with my cellphone at the Portland International Rose Test Garden so the delicate lavender color isn't showing true. Can't remember it's name.

Very pretty. I love antique roses too! They are much easier to grow/low maintenance and the fragrance!!! Plus, their shape appeals to me. If you have any trouble picking out roses, gardenweb has an antique roses forum. The people there are experts. You can tell them what you are looking for in a rose and your zone and they will tell you the best variety of rose/roses for your yard with those attributes. They are a God-send!

I think people hate roses because the grafted hybrids are such a pain. I'll bet that is why Bob is rolling his eyes. Own-root antiques are a whole different animal.

Your greenhouse sounds like it will be a playground! Experimenting like a mad scientist is half the fun of gardening!!

I love that you are doing all of this work to your yard! I can just imagine you walking outside and having such a sense of peace, once it is all done.

Your raised beds are beautiful!!

I have always wanted to build a bat house. I say go for it!! You said you want to bug the neighbors, but they are great pest control for the garden! I doubt you would regret it!

 

[packrat]

Oooo a bat house would be awesome. We have one but haven't put it up yet.

 

[House Cat]

Oooo a bat house would be awesome. We have one but haven't put it up yet.

I would love to hear if you actually get bats once you install their house. They are one of my favorite animals. I hear that it helps to plant a moon garden with white, night blooming, fragrant flowers to attract them.

 

[luv2sparkle]

Matata, how are you going to water your raised beds? Will you have to do it by hand? We have a small yard with a pool and I have wanted to make one side a raised bed but the problem is getting water to it. We have a drip system but I have not been all that happy with it.
We have a hard time finding a good landscaper too. Plenty of yard service but no one that really wants to do our very small yard.

 

[Matata]

Matata, how are you going to water your raised beds? Will you have to do it by hand?

The entire irrigation system is being replaced and I'll have either soakers or drip installed in the outdoor bed. I can't remember if we're installing watering system in the greenhouse or if he's just going to put in spigot so I can use a hose. I need to remember to ask him about that tomorrow.

 

[Jambalaya]

Can't wait to see it! It look lovely where you live.

 

[Ellen]

"Bob is of a different era with a work ethic that is almost extinct."

Matata, that pretty much sums up the problems we are running into. And not just in this field, it's across the board in every business. Sad, and fruustrating. And he's right, the way to be remembered is by doing what's right and doing it well. Good for him. (and you!) You can still find people like this, but they are the proverbial needle....

I think I may have finally found who I have been looking for, and as I predicted, they will run almost double what others would charge. But, he's also doing far more, so I can't really compare apples and oranges here. He came out yesterday and walked me through what they would do, and let me know I would be involved in each step of the process, from picking out the gravel/rock mix ( they carry dozens of rock types, and have many trees/shrubs on site) and boulders to plants and shrubs to decorative mounds and walls. I will be asked to then ok drawings of all the design elements including placings of everything, so that they don't put something down and then I come out and say I don't like it. I like that. he will also make design suggestions based on home and color scheme, but ultimately I decide.

And I like that he was very polite and professional. And to make sure I liked his work, he suggested I drive through a fairly affluent subdivision with half million dollar homes (which means more in this area than in some others) to see his work. Which I promptly did, and it is exactly what I was looking for. He ended the conversation by saying it was nice to meet me, and "even if I don't get your bid, I appreciate you calling us". That was a first. And, the best part is turn around time, just a couple days to do, and can be out within a few days of decision. They have more than one crew, so that helps. Here's hoping....

As for that rose, it looks a lot like a sterling silver rose. One of my favorites.

 

[Ellen]

momhappy, misery loves company!


callie, see previous post in case you miss it. I think I may have found my guy, but thank you!!

 

[Matata]

And I like that he was very polite and professional. And to make sure I liked his work, he suggested I drive through a fairly affluent subdivision with half million dollar homes (which means more in this area than in some others) to see his work. Which I promptly did, and it is exactly what I was looking for. He ended the conversation by saying it was nice to meet me, and "even if I don't get your bid, I appreciate you calling us". That was a first. And, the best part is turn around time, just a couple days to do, and can be out within a few days of decision. They have more than one crew, so that helps. Here's hoping....

As for that rose, it looks a lot like a sterling silver rose. One of my favorites.

I am delighted that you have found someone to do your project. I hope it turns out exactly as you wanted and I definitely hope you post pictures. Pleeeeze post pictures.

The rose I posted is not a Sterling. It has the word "love" in it's name. I've had Sterlings before and love them. I used to sit with my face buried in the bush. Yep, I kinda go bonkers over certain aromas. You should see me when the lilacs are in bloom...

 

[Matata]

Trenching for water and electric is in progress, orange paint on ground is the outline of the parterre; ; stone bench is in place, to the right of it and a bit off camera will be a 2nd waterfall

 

[Matata]

Stairs and railing added to greenhouse base. Bob is checking on delivery status. I hope it's here. I planted some herbs, nasturtium, 2 tomato plants, and one pepper plant in the raised bed. Not much left in the garden centers at this time of year but I couldn't bear to have nothing in it till next year.

 

[december-fire]

Matata,

Your plans for your garden are wonderful! What a great area you've got with which to work!

Thanks for sharing your garden reno. I'll be checking in frequently and can't wait to see the final results!

Do you think Bob and his son might be interested in travelling the world to do landscaping just for Pricescopers?

I bet there are plenty of us who could keep them busy.

 

[Matata]

[quote="december-fire|1467570963|4051083"
Do you think Bob and his son might be interested in travelling the world to do landscaping just for Pricescopers?

I bet there are plenty of us who could keep them busy. [/quote]

I'll ask them when they get back from holiday break. I think both Bob's boys would be up for adventure. Nothing much going on now -- irrigation & lighting guys are laying pipe and wire. The greenhouse arrived and will be put together this coming week I think.