Gravel courtyard

gravel courtyard

laying gravel over landscaping cloth

applying the landscaping cloth

removing concrete

courtyard before

While I was away in Winter Park for a ladies weekend, Grant started on our first landscaping project, the creation of a gravel courtyard, which will become our dining area next spring.  Since it is close to our kitchen and is already a flat space, we decided that it was the perfect area for future dining.  More importantly, it seemed like a project that was small enough to tackle before the cold weather.   While the project was relatively small, there was still a ton of work to be done to get it ready to receive the gravel.  First, the area needed to be cleared of ivy, dirt and shrubs, which amounted to several truck loads that had to be removed.  The following weekend, they removed the concrete around the base of the fountain (the cast iron fountain was bought by Leonard Kirby from a mansion down the street in the 1930s) so we could gain some space to fit a table and chairs.  Next, we put down a layer of landscaping cloth to control the weeds.  The area, which is about 22' x 15', needed about 2 tons of gravel to create a depth of 2" around the perimeter.  In the spring, we will plant a green screen to hide the house next door.