My garden has overgrown and need some fine tuning. I’ve hired a designer to whip it back into shape.

Designer: John Cisney of Elegant Solutions LLC

10/17 First project is to fix drainage to keep rain water from going into the garage. I had made a wonky fix and relocated one downspout through a hedge out to the alley. In the new garden plan the hedge will be removed so the downspout has to go. It is being rerouted around garage to tie into line in front of house. A new drain will be install along the front of garage.

10/31 Concrete in front of garage and on south side has been cut and removed. Drainage pipe installed in south garden.

11/8 After concrete at garage was removed, days were spent digging out the dirt, installing forms and rebar to support drain. Concrete truck arrived 11/8 and concrete was poured. Interesting note. My alley is very tight so the driver backed the truck down the alley by remote control. So cool! Concrete had to be moved via wheel barrow at 150 lbs each.

11/14 Concrete step at gate replaced with blue stone. One piece has small pieces of petrified wood in it. PVC pipe installed under step, just in case its needed, plus conduit for future electrics.

Wonky downspout relocated from hedge to proper place on garage wall.

I feel so bad for the John. Supplier told him not to leave cast iron grates in trough after he poured the concrete. As it dried concrete expanded and now none of the grates fit. He has had to grind about 1/8” of each side of grate. Very slow and exhausting process.

12/17 I’m behind in updating the progress of the garden because I was out of town for three weeks.

The drainage work has been completed and is doing its job! Not a drop of water in the garage.

A forklift and the steel for the fence post and retaining wall was delivered 12/15. John used a hand held pile driver to drive the fence posts into the ground, some as deep as 5’. He used the fork lift to moved the steel panels of the retaining wall into place and then welded them together and to fence posts.

2/9/26 I’m late on updating this page. Steel retaining walls are completed. Stone wall along edge of patio is being installed along with a stone wall at midpoint in garden. New hose bib installed.

3/20 John is almost finished welding fence panels together. Still needs to make gate and add finials and ball caps. Installed locked mechanism to gate and gate stop. I’m very excited to have a working lock on the gate. When all the panels are completed and dry fitted, all the fence components will be sent out to be powder coated.

4/9 All fence components have been welded and dry fitted. They have now been sent our for powder coating.

5/29 Fence panels powder coated and installed. Lighting on fence installed. Gate at blacksmith having decorative elements added.

John purchasing and planting plants. Plan changing a bit depending which plants are available. Spent the day at Windcliff nursery in Indianola, Washington picking out plants. Super fun day. So many beautiful and unusual plants.