What does your backyard look like?

[Anonymous User]

Dale , looks like bonsai paradice. Very , very nice !!!

Will.........at least you can grow maples..... but that stone pillar is killer !! Is that part of the house ?

Thanks,

The stone pillar is one of four that supports the brick front porch. We live in what was once the original farmhouse on the land that is now a urban setting instead of the farm it once was. We love the rustic charm of the place, not to mention the over-sized double lot that the old-timer wisely kept for the farmhouse. The house is brick, even the garage is brick as you can see in the last photo and if you look closely you can see tar on the wall which is where a old field stone chicken coup used to be, unfortunately, it was in ruins when we got the place.


Will

 

[Dwight]

Will , those stone columns are real common around here as the primary building material here at the turn of the century was stone. They are used on what we call turn of the century cottages on the front porches. Some of these places were designed by students of F.L. Wright and are on the national historical register. Really cool. I was partly raised in old farm houses and I have to admit , none of them had that kind of charm.

 

[bretts]

My garden is one of those going through a transition at the moment and it is a mess. I am working on a pond and I am about to give up because it all seems too hard to make it kid and dog safe/proof.
I have plans for a pergola/lathe house/shaded benches between the pool and the shed.
I am about ready to fill the pond in and start on that.
It is lucky it is winter and I don't have to water much because the back yard is a real pain to get around!

 

[bretts]

Some closer shots

 

[bretts]

Another close up of the shelves in shade house. What a mess.
A close up of the pond so far and the plan I am following.
I need to make this pond kid and dog safe with the mesh. I want the mesh inside the rock edging and above ther water. I plan on having three steel beams to support the mess but I can't seem to figure how to support the beams. Any ideas would be great. I have been close to scrapping the pond a few times but it is so close now.

 

[BonsaiWes]

EDIT Please contribute to this thread, or do not bother posting. Personal attacks will not be tolerated. - BNut

 

[rlist]

Another close up of the shelves in shade house. What a mess.
A close up of the pond so far and the plan I am following.
I need to make this pond kid and dog safe with the mesh. I want the mesh inside the rock edging and above ther water. I plan on having three steel beams to support the mess but I can't seem to figure how to support the beams. Any ideas would be great. I have been close to scrapping the pond a few times but it is so close now.

I would do a nice bamboo lathe fence around the whole area to keep the kid out. Make it somewhat temporary so when the kid (and possibly following ones) are old enough to pick themselves out and dry off you can remove the fence. I would not scrap the project - which looks killer in your rendition - and I would not use mesh as it would be a pain in a fat lumbering lizard's arse (insert clever Aussie saying here).

Further, with water rationing issues I was suprised to hear you had a pool and were adding a pond. Everything kosher as long as you don't water your lawn or take a shower? Oh... That's what the pool is for!

 

[Dwight]

Brett , as far the wire mesh....it won't hold anything up and might add to the problem ( it actually looks a little dangerous , can you imagine a child falling on this and having it give just enough for the poor kid to get really tangled ). My dog falls in all the time and climbs right out. The trick with a dog is to make sure the water level is such that they CAN climb out.

As for kids , we're teaching our grandaughter to swim.

For more about ponds see http://www.koiphen.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=66 and http://koishack.com/forums/index.php?showforum=17

 

[BonsaiWes]

EDIT You have been banned for one week for continued personal attacks. After a week, if you decide to return, please focus on contributing to the site and the community instead of detracting from it.

 

[grog]

Mr. Wes.

You disgrace yourself and this forum with the personal attacks. I believe the topic was backyards?

 

[Boondock]

so.....


is this thread about backyards?

 

[rlist]

Backyards - Redux

The last comment in the original backyard thread was from Dwight. I am reposting it here so we can talk backyards again.

Dwight
Member Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: El Paso , TX
Posts: 92

Brett , as far the wire mesh....it won't hold anything up and might add to the problem ( it actually looks a little dangerous , can you imagine a child falling on this and having it give just enough for the poor kid to get really tangled ). My dog falls in all the time and climbs right out. The trick with a dog is to make sure the water level is such that they CAN climb out.

As for kids , we're teaching our grandaughter to swim.

For more about ponds see http://www.koiphen.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=66 and http://koishack.com/forums/index.php?showforum=17

 

[rlist]

Dwight- I agree that the mesh is more of a headache than a protective measure. I think it would also be really ugly. That is why I previously recommended a nice Oriental-inspired bamboo lathe fence around the whole area that regulates little one's access to the whole site.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I shall be posting my backyard shots shortly Wanted to wait for a sunny day, which in Southern Cal should be a done deal, but unfortunately has been cloudy this week. So... I painted some of my house beams instead

 

[Graydon]

Dwight- I agree that the mesh is more of a headache than a protective measure. I think it would also be really ugly. That is why I previously recommended a nice Oriental-inspired bamboo lathe fence around the whole area that regulates little one's access to the whole site.

Nice idea! I have two bamboo importers here in little old Lakeland, found them by accident. Both have all the supplies needed to make nice and attractive fences. The sometimes even have pre-made panels but those go fast when they come in. Inexpensive material and very durable.

I have a book on traditional bamboo fences that focuses on design and building techniques. I can get the info and post it if someone would like it. Great book and inexpensive.

 

[irene_b]

Nice idea! I have two bamboo importers here in little old Lakeland, found them by accident. Both have all the supplies needed to make nice and attractive fences. The sometimes even have pre-made panels but those go fast when they come in. Inexpensive material and very durable.

I have a book on traditional bamboo fences that focuses on design and building techniques. I can get the info and post it if someone would like it. Great book and inexpensive.

Please do!
Irene

 

[Graydon]

Please do!
Irene

Building Japanese Fences by Isao Yoshikawa. I just found a link on the Stone Lantern web site in books under Japanese Gardens and it's on sale for $15.95 right now. I highly recommend.

There are some specialty tools used (not like bonsai huh?) but smart builders will find an American style workaround. Most interesting part is how they char the wooden timbers prior to usage.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Here are some photos of my backyard. I envy the space I see in some of these other photos - in southern cal large level yards are at a premium.

Here's the view from our family room:

A small japanese garden area I just planted above the koi pond:

A shot of the koi pond where it goes under the bridge. Ignore the green water The koi love it and it's almost summer!

Part of my bonsai "benches". What you see is what you get - a mix of nursery pots, growing flats, bonsai in pots, etc. I just cleared the slope behind these shelves and may put in pedestals for displaying the nicer trees (though I would have to terrace a path up there).

Some of my Japanese maples that I had to move into shade. Note the fried leaves - and it's only May. They grow fine down here but they are really almost totally shade plants.

 

[Dwight]

Damn nut , thats georgeous !!!!!!!!! Love the bridge.

On the subject of bamboo , I once , not too long ago , googled " bamboo fence " and got all kinds of stuff. There's an advertiser in BT/BF that has bamboo stuff also.

 

[Anonymous User]

Nice backyard Bnut, but that pool is a terrible waste of bonsai space, I would fill that up and use it as a growing bed...



Will