Landscape Complete. For Now.

The first (and most costly) part of our landscape is complete. The fence/wall is installed and functioning beautifully.

Here's a before:

And the after:

At first, the wall seemed a bit monolithic and the new courtyard area seemed a bit tight. That was just an immediate reaction, however, to the change. Now that we've had a little time for it to settle, we love it.

It isn't flashy.

It is, we think, appropriate. The houses in our mini-hood all have concrete block walls, so this isn't a new design element that we've all had to get used to.

And the wired portion of the fence will be completely covered with a pale yellow-blooming jasmine, which will be a nice scented touch in a small garden. Can you spot all the critters?

The installation is quiet, which is important to us at home. We want a restful outdoor space. And the shadows on the wall, created by the shifting sun, are a nice textural bonus.

We'll eventually remove a great deal of the lawn and gravel, replacing them with hardscaped seating areas and planting beds. We also definitely want a larger water feature with more room for fish. Gobbles and Nibbles, our fantail goldfish, have requested more swanky quarters.

Meanwhile, our dogs are thrilled to be able to lay in the sun for hours and our cat can sit on the garden bench and listen to the birds.

Behold the cuteness:

And the fatness: