While I am proof reading my short article on outdoor kitchens and entertainment areas I thought
I would link you up with this slide show of some of our projects featuring bbq's, fire rings, fire places , and general outdoor enjoyment areas :
http://picasaweb.google.com/DeviantDeziner/OutdoorKitchensAndDiningAreas/photo#s5092740225862065490
enjoy
Monday, July 30, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Final touches to the Napa project ~ July 27 / 07
Final touches and tweeks July 27
Most of the furniture came today with the exception of the woven wicker Summer Classics couch, love seat, and club chairs.
But the Brown Jordan wrought iron furniture did make it along with the umbrellas so we placed the pieces out on the terraces.
below is a photo of one of the journey man masons who I asked to stand with his most recent achievement.
and the bbq that he and the rest of the crew crafted
Most of the furniture came today with the exception of the woven wicker Summer Classics couch, love seat, and club chairs.
But the Brown Jordan wrought iron furniture did make it along with the umbrellas so we placed the pieces out on the terraces.
below is a photo of one of the journey man masons who I asked to stand with his most recent achievement.
and the bbq that he and the rest of the crew crafted
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Saturday Night - Pool project
Pool Project at night - July 21
I drove over to Napa at around 8 pm this evening to adjust and review the night lighting.
Here are a few shots during dusk and then night time.
Just as the sun was starting to set
I drove over to Napa at around 8 pm this evening to adjust and review the night lighting.
Here are a few shots during dusk and then night time.
Just as the sun was starting to set
Pool Project July 21 - 07
Project Update - July 21, 2007
Mister Grumpy the tile subcontractor that Classic Pool Company uses for their tile work finally made his appearance this morning and finished setting the tile.
I am not happy.
I took great pains in laying out the pattern with the correct dimensions so that no tiles had to be cut if properly laid out.
Mister Grumpy or should I say , ‘Mister I don’t give a Shit about Quality’, did not take any time to properly read the plans or pre -space the tiles.
The result - cut tiles.
I am in discussion with the client as to what action she wants to take.
If it were me, ( and this is what I am suggesting ) I say hold payment , rip out the tile,
hire someone who does quality installation and redo the whole dang thang.
Note to self and reading public - Classic Pools is not so Classic in Quality .
Classic Pools has also NOT made their dead line .
They were suppose to be done with this project on July 20.
They ARE NOT .
The pool cover is not installed which means the coping stones that cover the pool vault have not been set in place.
Instead of working on this , the owner went boating on the lake with his buddies.
Note to Public - If you want it done on time - DON’T HIRE CLASSIC POOLS.
NOTE TO PUBLIC - IF YOU LIKE LAME ASS EXCUSES - then Hire Classic Pools.
A few photos :
The crew setting the pots ontop of the irrigation nozzles. These pots are cast concrete and weight about 120 pounds each, without the soil and plants.
Concrete planters located on the upper terrace. -
Main plants - Cotinus, Alocasia, Carex , Sedum , Lysmachia, Oxalis , and others.
This photo shows the lounge chair planting bed -
Background hedge is Privet, infront of it are White Iceburg Roses and an underplanting of Artemesia silver mound. Then a boxwood hedge, Salvia superba and an edging of Chrysanthemum hormansis (sp ? ) .
The view looking towards the house from the upper terrace.
The view looking towards the upper terrace from the house.
Tonight I am going to go to the site and check out the low voltage lighting and do adjustments.
Mister Grumpy the tile subcontractor that Classic Pool Company uses for their tile work finally made his appearance this morning and finished setting the tile.
I am not happy.
I took great pains in laying out the pattern with the correct dimensions so that no tiles had to be cut if properly laid out.
Mister Grumpy or should I say , ‘Mister I don’t give a Shit about Quality’, did not take any time to properly read the plans or pre -space the tiles.
The result - cut tiles.
I am in discussion with the client as to what action she wants to take.
If it were me, ( and this is what I am suggesting ) I say hold payment , rip out the tile,
hire someone who does quality installation and redo the whole dang thang.
Note to self and reading public - Classic Pools is not so Classic in Quality .
Classic Pools has also NOT made their dead line .
They were suppose to be done with this project on July 20.
They ARE NOT .
The pool cover is not installed which means the coping stones that cover the pool vault have not been set in place.
Instead of working on this , the owner went boating on the lake with his buddies.
Note to Public - If you want it done on time - DON’T HIRE CLASSIC POOLS.
NOTE TO PUBLIC - IF YOU LIKE LAME ASS EXCUSES - then Hire Classic Pools.
A few photos :
The crew setting the pots ontop of the irrigation nozzles. These pots are cast concrete and weight about 120 pounds each, without the soil and plants.
Concrete planters located on the upper terrace. -
Main plants - Cotinus, Alocasia, Carex , Sedum , Lysmachia, Oxalis , and others.
This photo shows the lounge chair planting bed -
Background hedge is Privet, infront of it are White Iceburg Roses and an underplanting of Artemesia silver mound. Then a boxwood hedge, Salvia superba and an edging of Chrysanthemum hormansis (sp ? ) .
The view looking towards the house from the upper terrace.
The view looking towards the upper terrace from the house.
Tonight I am going to go to the site and check out the low voltage lighting and do adjustments.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Napa Pool Project - update July 19, 2007
B L U E W A T E R !
YEAH !
Yup, the pool contractor was right. With just a little time , some cleaning and the ph balanced the pool has started to turn blue !
YEAH !
Yup, the pool contractor was right. With just a little time , some cleaning and the ph balanced the pool has started to turn blue !
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Napa Pool Project - update July 18, 2007
Napa Pool Project - update July 18, 2007
When I arrived at the site today the pool had just been filled with water.
It was a little bit of a shock and a momentary feeling of heart breakage when I saw the color of the water..... It was greenish in tone.
Ahhgggg !! No not green !
But then I was assured by the pool contractor that it was going to blue up as soon as it was sweeped clean , the chemicals added and the filtration system was turned on.
I took this picture below at 11 am. - The filter had just been turned on.
The pool and landscape contractor are working on setting the water fountain spouts.
This photo shows the spouts turned on.
A detail shot of the brass nozzle heads. Note that they are on a swivel ball joint for easy adjustment.
The pool looks really foreshortened in this photo.
Here you can see the pots placed along the poolside - They still have yet to have one more coat of bronze color stain to be acid etched onto the pots.
In this photo below the filter had been working for about 4 to 5 hours and the pool was already starting to blue up. ( sigh ... relief ! )
When I arrived at the site today the pool had just been filled with water.
It was a little bit of a shock and a momentary feeling of heart breakage when I saw the color of the water..... It was greenish in tone.
Ahhgggg !! No not green !
But then I was assured by the pool contractor that it was going to blue up as soon as it was sweeped clean , the chemicals added and the filtration system was turned on.
I took this picture below at 11 am. - The filter had just been turned on.
The pool and landscape contractor are working on setting the water fountain spouts.
This photo shows the spouts turned on.
A detail shot of the brass nozzle heads. Note that they are on a swivel ball joint for easy adjustment.
The pool looks really foreshortened in this photo.
Here you can see the pots placed along the poolside - They still have yet to have one more coat of bronze color stain to be acid etched onto the pots.
In this photo below the filter had been working for about 4 to 5 hours and the pool was already starting to blue up. ( sigh ... relief ! )
Sunday, July 15, 2007
July 07 ~ Blooming Dazes
Blooming Dazes
Taking cue from other garden bloggers across the sphere , I too join them in sauntering out into the garden to take photographs of what's blooming in my corner of paradise on July 15, 2007
Scadoxus multiflorus susp. ‘ katherinae’ grows under the shade of my wisteria covered arbor . A perennial bulb from the Caucasus region , it enjoys my mild Mediterranean climate
Growing about 3 feet away from the Scadoxus is a lovely thick clump of Neomarica iris.
The flowers are short lived but my clump re-blooms every other week or two during the summer.
As mentioned above, I have a Wisteria covered arbor. This vine is about 20 years old or older and was planted years before I bought my house.
I have a love ~ hate relationship with this wisteria vine. I love it because it bloom ALL spring and summer long. BUT.... I hate it because it is such a prolific bloomer that it is a terribly messy vine.
I have to sweep and blow off the falling faded blooms every day off of my furniture and patio .
Such a problem to have, I know.
Directly across from the Neomaria is a Protea plant that was given to me by my horticultural Guru, David Feix. I haven’t a clue as to its name but I do love the blooms !
In the front yard under the hot pink blooming bouganvillea vine is one of several Leucospermum cordifolium shrubs.
And finally an interior bouquet shot of some Tulips that were given to me while I was recovering in the hospital from lung surgery.
Obviously they are from some other region of world because here in California we haven’t seen a natrual tulip bloom for a least 3 months or so.
This bouquet sits on a entry table next to the front door.
Taking cue from other garden bloggers across the sphere , I too join them in sauntering out into the garden to take photographs of what's blooming in my corner of paradise on July 15, 2007
Scadoxus multiflorus susp. ‘ katherinae’ grows under the shade of my wisteria covered arbor . A perennial bulb from the Caucasus region , it enjoys my mild Mediterranean climate
Growing about 3 feet away from the Scadoxus is a lovely thick clump of Neomarica iris.
The flowers are short lived but my clump re-blooms every other week or two during the summer.
As mentioned above, I have a Wisteria covered arbor. This vine is about 20 years old or older and was planted years before I bought my house.
I have a love ~ hate relationship with this wisteria vine. I love it because it bloom ALL spring and summer long. BUT.... I hate it because it is such a prolific bloomer that it is a terribly messy vine.
I have to sweep and blow off the falling faded blooms every day off of my furniture and patio .
Such a problem to have, I know.
Directly across from the Neomaria is a Protea plant that was given to me by my horticultural Guru, David Feix. I haven’t a clue as to its name but I do love the blooms !
In the front yard under the hot pink blooming bouganvillea vine is one of several Leucospermum cordifolium shrubs.
And finally an interior bouquet shot of some Tulips that were given to me while I was recovering in the hospital from lung surgery.
Obviously they are from some other region of world because here in California we haven’t seen a natrual tulip bloom for a least 3 months or so.
This bouquet sits on a entry table next to the front door.
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