Landscaping continues

Outside, I'm still beavering away, trying to bring the landscaping back into line and erase the signs of piles of building rubble and more. Above you can see that the planter box is home to some thriving marigolds and blue salvia. The lattice screen fence still awaits staining.
Today we had the landscape team here to work on fixing some longstanding drainage problems along the landscape beds in the rear garden/yard. Additionally, some large boulders were maneuvered into position to hold back the soil and mulch from being washed onto the new patio. Trying to find boulders to buy as been, well, trying! But we did come across some yesterday and have been able to add them to the three that have been there all along. It was not fun heaving those big boulders around as today was very humid and the bugs were out in full force. There is still a vacancy in the front right of the above photo for a fountain!
Rolo of course has to come and inspect what has been done and give everything the sniff test. Surviving plants were dug out and poked in the corner so they can be replanted once we get some more topsoil and mulch tomorrow.
Lastly, here's a photo to show how we have been able to reuse some of the pavers from the old patio. Because the rear yard slopes downhill we have a problem with water runoff. After the very heavy spring rains, mulch is continually washed away from the beds and into the grass. So today the team dry laid the old pavers as an edging along the garden bed in collaboration with laying new drainpipes to carry the downspout water away from the house. Those pavers look so much better laid in a neat line as an edging than they do piled up out in the woods!

As we inch towards completion

I am reminded that it has been many weeks since my last posting. My excuse is that I've been waiting for something else to happen. So last Friday, we had some action on site when the carpet layers arrived to take out the old and the temporary carpet in the family room. In the photo below you can see them working on taking up the old carpet. In the right corner the door to the elevator is open altho the inner door is closed.


And now here we are a few days later. The new carpet is laid - unclear from the photo is that the carpet is now a soft green color with a subtle pattern in it. Please also note that the windows are sparkling clean and that the drapes are once more hanging from the rods (and not lying in repose on a bed downstairs). Geoff is engrossed in a book newly borowed from the library.
The photo above shows my newly planted clematis - this one replaced the vigorous speciman that did not survive being on the building site.
And now a long shot of the arch with a flowering clematis on both sides. The clematis on the right not only survived the building site but this is it's best ever flowering. I wish I could say something good about the grass below but reread the title of this posting...