Vintage Life: Good Grass!

While we waited for the grass to grow, we built a brick sidewalk from the porch out to where the new driveway will eventually be.  First we put in the bed, put down landscape fabric, and then added a tamped-down layer of crush and run gravel.

Next came a layer of sand and then we did a basket weave pattern using old bricks.

You might be wondering where we got such cool old bricks.  We actually dug up quite a few out of the yard itself.  We also gathered some from an old family plot at a local cemetery where a brick wall had fallen down.  We hope we didn't bring any ghosts home.

Finally, we put sand over the top of the finished brick pattern, and will continue to add sand over time, as it settles down between the bricks.

We plan to put in a brick driveway too, so we're still on the hunt for more old bricks.  We've found some from several different people on Craig's List and have only paid $20 so far!  We also found a bunch in the basement of a building we own on Main Street.  We still need several thousand more, so please let us know if you want to get rid of some old bricks!

We also needed to give a little love to the backyard too.  We made beds along the sides of the fences where we had planted evergreens, put down landscape fabric, and of course, shoveled more mulch.

Next to that giant pile (another 18 cubic feet!) of mulch that is taunting Greg, we planted two peach trees and an additional fig tree next to the one that was already there.  Now we have an orchard!

Along the back fence, we used all of the cement pieces we dug up out of the front yard to create a bed.  Then we planted leyland cypress trees, which will eventually block out the neighbor behind us as they should grow 50+ feet tall.  Greg and I also took down three relatively small oak trees along this back fence line by ourselves, and we only damaged the neighbor's fence a little tiny bit.  (sorry.)

And guess what?!?!  The grass is starting to grow!  (Sing with me...) Cel-e-brate good times, come on!  Let's all celebrate and have a good time!