Back at it! Landscaping

After about . . . oh, a year or so, we're back! Nothing like impending visitors to motivate! (UK relatives due in 5 days!)

So much has happened already, so I'm backtracking here and not sure where to start.

How about a shot of all the machinery in the yard? View from the front window a week ago.

That will have to suffice for now. A lot to do today: we've got to lay a patio (!) and spread a truckload of topsoil in anticipation of sod arrival tomorrow. 

Plus, in anticipation of exterior window-washing guy coming (groupon deal), I'm scraping years of paint build-up off the windows -- with Andrew doing the ladder bits; he was scraping in the dark last night to the sound of "Festival of Light" fireworks!). 

Let me show you this email that gives a sense of how fast things're moving -- we tend to do things in binges.

In a panic the other day, I asked Andrew how we can possibly get it all done by next Friday. Here's the schedule he sent:

How does this sound:

Thursday – finish cleaning /  levelling back yard, dig out patio (it was smaller than we specced), dig out flower beds and tree holes

Friday – turf soil delivered, Fri night spread turf soil

Saturday – spread turf soil, roadbed and sand delivered

Sunday – Top soil delivered – prep patio, lay bedding plant soil, pavers?

Monday – sod delivered – lay sod

Tuesday – plant – front – bushes, shrubs, Flower beds, hedge? 

Wed – plant – back – beds? Trees?

Thurs – lay pavers

[Friday: visitors land]

xo

So let's call this chapter "the 14-day landscaping challenge"! That includes the excavation, which took about a week; our job is to transform the dirt moonscape into something of a garden by Friday.

Here's the back before the soil was removed.

Here's the back being excavated.

We're more or less on schedule, except that we reversed a couple of things: excavation's done (after excavator dug out three bins' worth, Andrew dug out another entire 12-yard bin full BY SHOVEL!), levelling's done, roadbed and sand for patio's laid and compacted, patio stones to be laid today, and turf will be delivered tomorrow! 

Our aim today, too, is to finish in time to give these two little labourers a real summer family day and take them to the pool this afternoon/evening, but that may be overly ambitious. We'll try!

Wish us luck. : )