Backyard Rennovation - Phase I (boring)

bonsaial1

The purchase of the home I made last June brought on more work then I care to do again. I remodeled the interior and now the spring brings on the exterior.

I decided that I want to build a backyard that will retain some function along with a place to show of the trees. We have a large center area that is great for croquet, or badmitton, and we want to reserve that area if possible. The area we have to work over is large and the planters will have adaquate space ti build the future structure I want to house the bonsai.


I began by removing some large privits that were engulfing the sprinklers and all the free space to build my structures. This is the pile after removal. The blank area behind was covered by vegatation.

Attached Images

dscf0099.jpg (61.3 KB, 197 views)

__________________
Olympic Gold Medals:
China-45
USA-27
Great Britain-17

Total medal leader: USA with 87
The winningest Olympian of all time, USA's Michael Phelps with 8 gold medals
Medals stolen from US due to skewed judging-2

Advertisement

bonsaial1

Along the side of the patio was a large boxwood hedge. This is to be removed also. At the end is a large pyracantha which will also be removed. All the plants except the boxwoods were tossed into the garbage pile. No good for bonsai here.

Attached Images

dscf0102.jpg (58.1 KB, 189 views)

__________________
Olympic Gold Medals:
China-45
USA-27
Great Britain-17

Total medal leader: USA with 87
The winningest Olympian of all time, USA's Michael Phelps with 8 gold medals
Medals stolen from US due to skewed judging-2

bonsaial1

The boxwoods were removed and planted in 5 gallon containers. They will be carved and hacked into semi bonsai shapes and replanted into the scenry later. I plan on useing some of them to highlight certain sections of the garden to help bring on a sort of Japanese flavor when walking the yard. Paths and stepping stones will be a big part of the look when done.

Attached Images

dscf0105.jpg (51.4 KB, 190 views)

__________________
Olympic Gold Medals:
China-45
USA-27
Great Britain-17

Total medal leader: USA with 87
The winningest Olympian of all time, USA's Michael Phelps with 8 gold medals
Medals stolen from US due to skewed judging-2

bonsaial1

If you have been looking at my diary, you know that I have been working on a new fence for the perimeter of my property for a month now. I finished it Sunday the 4th. Now I can move on to phase II of the back yard.

If you look in some of the upper photo's you can see the old fence. It was falling down and in a decayed state. I built all the fence around the backyard with redwood to tie in with all the tree platforms I intend to build.

Since I built the fence 16 feet at a time and in the evenings after work, it went slow. I tore down 16 feet and set the posts then would build the rails and pickets the next evening.

Attached Images

44b.jpg (61.9 KB, 184 views)

__________________
Olympic Gold Medals:
China-45
USA-27
Great Britain-17

Total medal leader: USA with 87
The winningest Olympian of all time, USA's Michael Phelps with 8 gold medals
Medals stolen from US due to skewed judging-2

bonsaial1

This is the southeast corner of the yard. The location of the original bench. This bench will be cut down to 8 feet and redesigned to look more Asian and have a better top on it. I will space the top boards to leave a place for the water to drain out. Right now the top is soild and the water sits under the pots too long.

Attached Images

44g.jpg (71.7 KB, 170 views)

__________________
Olympic Gold Medals:
China-45
USA-27
Great Britain-17

Total medal leader: USA with 87
The winningest Olympian of all time, USA's Michael Phelps with 8 gold medals
Medals stolen from US due to skewed judging-2

bonsaial1

The fence is done now and this is the mess in the back yard that will have to be cleaned up. Luckly I have my wife that I can put to work to clean all this up. I can't damage my hands, or the tedious work to come could not be performed.

Hands like a surgeon you know...

Attached Images

44f.jpg (62.1 KB, 175 views)

__________________
Olympic Gold Medals:
China-45
USA-27
Great Britain-17

Total medal leader: USA with 87
The winningest Olympian of all time, USA's Michael Phelps with 8 gold medals
Medals stolen from US due to skewed judging-2

bonsaial1

Here's my bride burnin the midnight oil taking care of a brush pile at about 10PM.
What a woman!

Attached Images

dscf0127.jpg (43.2 KB, 179 views)

__________________
Olympic Gold Medals:
China-45
USA-27
Great Britain-17

Total medal leader: USA with 87
The winningest Olympian of all time, USA's Michael Phelps with 8 gold medals
Medals stolen from US due to skewed judging-2

bonsaial1

Well I purchased 8 gallons of fence preserver to spray on the fence. This waterproofs the fence and helps it last longer. All the benches that house your bonsai should be covered with some type of preserver and reapplied at least every three years. I opted for the redwood color and it deepens the color and I like the look. In fact my bonsai really look green against the new fence.

This bench is 16 feet long with two shelves. This will be taken down in the weeks to come to make way for highlight areas for special trees along with a shohin pavillion, a elm venue. I plan on a grouping of monkey poles for the maples and a special structure for the junipers. I plan on building an exterior Tokonoma for photographing trees in natural sunlight.

This is about half of the trees. The rest are in the hexagon shelf I built last year, along with some display pedistals in other areas of the backyard.

Attached Images

44p.jpg (33.2 KB, 176 views)

__________________
Olympic Gold Medals:
China-45
USA-27
Great Britain-17

Total medal leader: USA with 87
The winningest Olympian of all time, USA's Michael Phelps with 8 gold medals
Medals stolen from US due to skewed judging-2

bonsaial1

FYI, you can tell I been working very hard and I must apoligise for the look of some of those trees. That maple grove is a large bush right now, and the elm forest is way overgrown. I promise to take care of those ASAP.

stay tuned for Backyard Rennovation Phase II. This installment will not be boring..I will make sure of that.

Bonsai-tired-al

__________________
Olympic Gold Medals:
China-45
USA-27
Great Britain-17

Total medal leader: USA with 87
The winningest Olympian of all time, USA's Michael Phelps with 8 gold medals
Medals stolen from US due to skewed judging-2