The RV Lot Project is Almost Done

Quick reminder of our situation:  We travel south for the winter, but during the summer My Fella works at a golf course out in the BC wilderness.  The RV lot we park on isn't ours, but the owner offered to pay for the materials if we did some simple landscaping for him.

This is the lot when we first arrived back in April.  Notice the lovely gravel finish:

and more gravel...

and that monstrous propane tank that had to be hidden

Here's what you'd see today if you dropped by unexpectedly.

(By the way - I don't really like unexpected guests.  Unless they come bearing vino.)

The mutts bought My Fella this Aurora Chiminea from Canadian Tire for fathers day. Chiminea is just a fancypants name for a firepit.  

This particular one received decent consumer reviews, has a one year warranty and was on sale for $99.  And it's a good size for our RV yard. 

Over the past couple months, we:

• had a deck built
• put up a lattice for privacy
• weeded and raked and weeded some more
• moved piles of dirt and sand
• built a block floor (surrounded by stones) for the firepit
• dug a lot of holes
• hauled a lot of rocks
• screamed bloody murder when a spider fell in my shirt (that was me)
• screamed bloody murder when a snake slithered out of the rocks  (that was My Fella)**
• planted trees, shrubs, vines and perennials
• re-thought the whole design and moved half of the above trees, shrubs, vines and perennials to a different location (that was me again)  

When we first started landscaping, this yard was one big gravel lot.  

Except for the area right behind the RV which was a neglected mess of overgrown weeds, dead branches, pine needles, rocks, spiderwebs and creepy crawlers.  You'll have to take my word for it since I forgot to take a before picture.

But here's a halfway there pic, after I cleared away most of the weeds/rocks and planted vines on the new lattice.  

And finally it's time to reveal the project I've spent the past month working on ... The Stone Path to Nowhere.

95% of these rocks were dug out of this site and the other 5% came from the nearby river.

The little garden area on the right hand side was an afterthought and needs a few more plants, but almost everything else is finished.

The shot below is the back end of the RV lot, by the edge of the cliff.  I call this our PJ Memorial Garden, because most of these plants were freebies from our neighbours Pask, Joanie and Janie.

You give me a free plant and I'll name a garden after you.  

(Special mention goes to my pal NewsMama for donating that lime green beauty at the very front, which I think is a Marjoram herb.)

So how much did the RV lot cost to develop?  

The plants/trees were about $600, and paid for by the site owner.  He paid, we planted.  $600 bought:

• two Japanese lilac trees
• one vine maple tree
• one Japanese maple
• five 6' cedars
• four boxwood shrubs
• clematis and chocolate vines
• boston ivy
• ornamental grasses
• bonemeal
• a few odds and ends I've forgotten

The 14' x 10' platform deck was $1200, which My Fella and I paid for.  It's movable in case we switch to a different lot next summer.  And it was worth it just to stop the mutts from tracking every single twig, leaf and rock into the RV.

And speaking of rocks, all the stones for my Path to Nowhere were absolutely free  :)

** This is a lie told to make the story better.  My Fella wasn't home when the snake popped out. Had he been at home he definitely would have screamed though.  A manly scream.

Comments

[Rene]

Nice looking RV site. You two have put a lot of thought and energy into developing this lot. It would be great to be able to rent it again in future years.

[kelsi]

Merci, Rene! I'm pretty happy with our summer lot and the way things worked out. Although it's nothing compared to your new yard. Your blog pictures gave me a huge case of Pond Envy!

[laurie]

Not gonna lie...little disappointed you didn't name a garden after me ...sigh...

Good to see the updates, though!! Your site look fantastic!

[kelsi]

NewsMama - Isn't it enough that we named Norman after you ??? :)

[laurie]

you're a nut!