Bamboo-zled

Every (dry) day is getting a bit warmer and I’m SO ready to get this landscaping to the next level.  First, it was the cold temps…now, it’s the wet that’s impeding our progress. ARGH! In lieu of actually getting my bamboo and other plants in place…I give you a sampling of my dreams….

These 2 pages/images are from an issue of Garden Design YEARS ago…I had these posted on the wall at my LAST house.  Now that we live on a slope, I had really hoped we could do this for our new retaining walls in the back…BUT…too pricey for a pour that big and that far from the driveway.

via Mark Word Design….Cor-Ten!

Via Outdoor Stylist on Flickr

Via mymsmanager

via markfountain52 on Flickr

via John Merkl

Jack Merlo via Plastolux

DIARMUID!!!!  I could seriously fill a whole blog with his designs…this isn’t even the best…

Hausergarten via Plastolux….it’s all about those plants/planters/gravel. House, notsomuch.

Oh, how I lurv bamboo and gravel…it WILL be mine…..soon-ish…..

Art-O-Mat!

Woohoo my local peeps!  Nashville finally got an Art-O-Mat!  Only 13 years after the first one was made in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  For those not familiar, Art-O-Mats are refurbished cigarette machines that dispense small packages of unique goodness…a little piece of art.  The artists who provide the items in the machine vary from location to location, but are part of the group Artists in Cellophane, created by Clark Whittington.  Click here to see if your town has one….can’t wait to go to The Tennessee Performing Arts Center to see what’s for sale.

To Do: G(uan)o Bats**t

Because you know what I’m like..I’m already planning another project before I’ve finished the ten I’m currently working on.  Today may be rainy and cold, but the glorious Saturday that had us all out and lovin’ life, also had mosquitoes.  ALREADY.  I thought the harsher than usual winter would give us more time….but NOOOOOOOOO.

We needs bats.  Last year, the bloodsuckers got so bad I had to take some (technically illegal) action on the adjacent parkland.  There is a spillway that fills up in spring and becomes a stagnant mother of all breeding grounds.  It’s about 100 yards back in the woods from the mailbox, and last spring, while getting the mail, I was seriously swarmed.  I trotted out to the Depot immediately and bought a supersize pack of those floaters that kill the mosquito larvae and hiked back through there and hurled all of them in the “pond”.  That seemed to help, and I replenished again before summer dried out the area. We can do better.

If we build it, will they come?  I’ve found some good info here and here, and I think we can make a good looking bat house or 2 in a weekend…no?  I wonder if it’s better to have many smaller houses or one Batmansion like this?

photo via batroost.com

This pitifully plain looking thing can hold 300 bats and comes in a kit for $95.  Ouch!

If we really want to freak out the neighbors…and our own children for that matter….we can make one of these…..

photo via Greayer.com, via Gritty Kitty

A naval officer built this shrine to bats in Iraq.  Impressive.

Now this is what I call a wee bit extreme….

photo via ecotality

In the end…I envision a dark stained simple bat house…like so…

photo via bsdhome

If successful, we can build more.  Apparently there are about 15 species of bat living in this state, so which ones actually come will be interesting to see.  Their poo/guano can be used as fertilizer, but we’ll see about that.  They may be nasty looking things, but anything that can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes an hour will be my new best friend.

Progress + Igloo v. Acapulco

The new springlike weather has us trying to grab every dry and warm moment to spiffy up all the outdoor furniture.  I still have some more sandblasting to do, and some additional coats of paint on other pieces….but that’s what happens when every single piece you own is scavenged and worn.

I hope I don’t regret this, but I decided to hit my faux Salterini hoop chairs with a splash of orange.  All the other pieces are getting painted a dark bronze, and these needed something special.

Speaking of hoop chairs….On the copycat front….The new CB2 Igloo is certainly more affordable than those Acapulco chairs I’ve been wanting.  While certainly not as groovy, these could work.  Has anyone sat in them yet?  What’s the verdict?  No CB2 store in Nashvegas, so no test drive available for me.  $149 v. $400.

Living in the Pits

It will come as a complete shock that for our Colorado getaway we rented a house built (and furnished) in the 70’s.  We just can’t leave it at home.

By far the most beloved feature of the house was the sunken living room, or conversation pit if you will.  I must admit, not only was it fab to look at, but amazingly comfortable as we all nearly slept there one night after a long day….crackling fire, comfy nest…it was all we could do to drag ourselves to bed.

I’d love to build one of these in the playroom one day…..

I also thought the Peruvian alpaca rugs on the walls really gave it that 70’s ski cabin finesse.  The geese, not so much, but I actually love the patterns.

These groovy fixtures were all over the house….

The only down side was NO DISHWASHER.  When you are in a remote locale, cooking is a necessity, so that is one update from the 70’s that would have been nice, but hey, it didn’t ruin our time in the least.

It was a bit of a drive to the slopes, but it was worth it for the quiet, peacefulness we enjoyed here.  No town lights means kick-ass stargazing… AMAZING.