My New HEART Garden Gate

 

Well with much grumbling about how difficult my heart gate would be to do, My talented woodworker of a husband figured out how to do it.

Accompanied by,  " You don't realize how hard this will be...". Something to do with the weight of the gate, the difficulty with the span of the gate , and further mathematical dilemmas that make my eyes glaze over. I had written a previous post about my other garden gate :http://antique-art-garden.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-one-garden-gate-one-that-i-want.html 

And in that I had mentioned I wanted a front gate built to show my garden was made with love. 

I will start with him first tearing down the chain link fence and putting in treated wood pickets.

Here we go..

I do not have any before shots of during the work...just know it was a typical yucky chain-length fence that we all have had. He followed the line of the drive ,and then curved the top to match the other sides fence look. I planted some lirope grass, monkey grass, down the front... it will look good next Spring and Summer.

I also wanted spaces in between to see my garden when I drive up. Very important to me.

As you can see, I need more monkey grass at this back area. I have not been able to dig yet , with my limitations about bending and lifting...but I will get some here soon.

Too cute. He is quite proud of it now , after all the grumbling concerning the weight of this gate ( for the supports to handle it ). I made a template of a heart, and then he picked up this big gate and lugged it into the workshop, popped it up on his table, and cut it out. Then lugged it back out , and by then it was dark...but he finished it up last night.

Still sturdy , I really like it.

It is lower...the view directly in , I think the gate and fence are about 4 feet tall, so you have to crouch to get these views.

So I got to crouching, and Maxine watched me take some pictures.

I may use one of these in a new header , I like to switch pictures up there alot.

Other side, looking out to driveway. Let me show you these mega hinges..

Reinforced here. I will give you the specifics straight from the carpenter's mouth..or email , as I asked him a little bit ago :

 " Standard gate latch on inside with no handle, that way you cannot tell it is a gate from the outside. There are four butt/strap hinges on inside and it must weight about 55 lbs. it is just big and bulky. I just hope the post will not shift. It should be okay as long as Luke and company do not try to play on it.  Love you "

I like these easy latches, handy when you have a wheelbarrow full of yard debris to get out.

I have no idea what they are called , but I like them. Much better than those latches that you push the latch in a divet in the wood and then over time, it never matches up anymore.

Here are a few shots of my garden that I have not been working in. I need to get some inspiration from my new gate and it's heart. Between my stomach/ribs/and grief...pretty hard to get motivated.

Plus Fall is here.

My excuses, but I am consciously telling myself to go easy with myself. Which is the opposite way I have always been..so hard to not be what you have always been isn't it ?

Marigolds have really like my garden, I just planted some in the ground , instead of pots,..and they are still going strong.

Plumbago is still thriving in three spots in my garden. Cut it back at frost, comes back every year. As you can see, I love hearts.

My first plumbago , draping now.

A pink rose bush we got in honor of Sarah. Will see how it does, black spot usually gets all my roses.

Super pink.

My trumpet vine arbor still keeps blooming. I just come through and cut it back every 5-6 weeks or so.

Some blue salvia I cut back , thought I may have killed it until it came back after about 3 weeks.

I told you those thug cannas would come back ! Ripped them all out, knew that wouldn't deter them...sassy little plants.

Look who I found in the adjoining neighbor's yard, lounging in the warm sun ? Maxine loves this spot, see her stick she has beside her ? It is there just in case she feels the need of it.

So I have my new fence and heart gate, my back porch and railings have been redone. ( courtesy of my oldest son and my husband )

If I could just take some decent shots , this would look better. I believe I need a new camera...or this camera needs a new operator, more than likely.

We have these matching rails on the front too.

Need to get down there and plant my leftover mondo grass to the left here.

There ya go. Need to get some work done here . I know most of you have your hearts in your gardens, if not on a new gate.

May you be loved today,

Gina