I wanted to share with you a project that I helped some friends with.  Because this house is in Colorado and I am in Boston, I really just provided basic layout drawings and my friends took it from there.   My mom took these pictures at a party that hey had in the new garden and I was pleased to see two great ideas (that were not mine) that Warren and Erin created for their own garden.

The first are these benches.  My plan had accounted for raised beds….they made them out of blocks wide enough to sit on and then added the 4 x 4 cleverly turned at the perfect angle for a back rest.  It’s part structural, and functional. Erin has a huge family which they entertain regularly and they needed the garden to accommodate as many people as humanly possible – hence turning the entire space into a courtyard design.   So Warren’s clever addition was a great way to add extra seating without having to add more furniture.

The second is my favorite though.  It resides right in the middle of the garden (you can see it in the top picture too)….it is an antique top loading ice box.  Having had a custom furniture cover made,  it is protected from winter weather and rain (something I think you cannot get away with here in moldy damp New England but is perfect in more arid climates).   The wooden box has all the unique character you would expect from an antique but with its insulated metal freezer box, it is the most perfect way to set out chilled drinks without having an unattractive cooler or spending a small fortune putting in outdoor refrigeration. I think it is a great idea for reducing and reusing.