Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared with you our Old House Renovation Story. You saw the rebuilding of the front porch – and the house itself. You saw the garage/Mudroom addition. If you missed any of the tour, you’ll find links listed at the bottom of this post.
Today, I’ll show you the back patio and some of Renaissance Man’s gardens. Fortunately, our century-old house came graced with several beautiful trees (oak, white dogwood, redbud, magnolia) and a few pretty plants (Lily of the Valley, holly, old roses). Beyond that, virtually everything in the yard was added over the past seven years.
Plantings…
Fencing…
Brick patio… We’re told there was once a brick mill behind our house, and we found evidence of it when cleaning up overgrowth in the back yard. Now the evidence makes up the floor of the patio. How I love those links to the past!
Concrete patio… With an entrance from the brick patio, this one provides additional work space for Renaissance Man’s much-loved hobby of outdoor cooking. Did you happen to notice that the concrete-capped brick walls my sweet husband built around the patio complement the ones on the front of the house?
Automatic drip watering system… to ensure “envy of the neighborhood” hanging ferns and flower beds.
Five-foot tall gladiolus…
Beds of stately tulips …
Roses… (These were Grandma’s Roses. I’ll take them with me when we move.)
Our old house gardens held many teachable moments when Little Man lived nearby. Renaissance Man and I treasure those memories…
… and all of the other memories we’ve made here.
It’s been our privilege to restore the once-dilapidated old house to good health and prepare her for the next century. She’s served us well. She’s taught me a lot about myself.
There’s one more chapter in this Old House Renovation Story, and I’ll share it with you next time: Lessons From An Old House Renovation. If you don’t want to miss it, be sure to sign up to receive future posts via email.
As I write this post, Renaissance Man and I are still working in Brazil, but we’ll be back home soon. We’ll put our old house on the market and prepare to move on to whatever lies ahead. There’s one more season of cutting flowers in my future, and I plan to make the most of it!
I wonder if the tulips have started blooming…
If you missed any chapters of the Old House Renovation Story, they’re all listed here:
It is all beautiful, but then again it reflects your hearts. My husband set last night hearing about the work in Cambodia and Philippines, our friend expressed the needs. The joy came to my husband when one of our sons stepped forward to help financially meet those needs. I am realizing we each have our part to play. Thanks for being obedient to your part.