A VERY LONG MAKEOVER PART TWO A CLOSEUP FOR FRAN, AND SOME NEW ADDITIONS...

wow!! thats fantastic! i love it!!!

Truly inspirational DD.....what an amazing eye for detail you have. Like Sticki - I love it!!

I agree, a wonderful transformation and the colours work so well.

Absolutely beautiful, you must be so proud !

It's very nice now. It seems a difficult area to know what to do with, but it's looks really lovely :o)

Absolutely fantastic Dd & your dear OH. It looks beautiful, love the plants, driftwood, fence, gate & sheds, boulders and stones. What a transformation :)

What an excellent job has been done and it all blends so well together. Very artistically done and looks really lovely.

My goodness Dd...I absolutely love what you have done, the colour scheme is just what i would have chosen. The dark oak is beautiful with the green and i love the trellis colour....Its fantastic.....The planted driftwood is amazing....congratulations to Oh as well..(you sure you didnt have the garden designers in?)...:>)

Looks wonderful Dd, well done !!!! :-)

Thank you all so much for your kind comments, pleased you like it, I think my poor OH deserves a medal with all the hard work he has put in to this garden, just a couple more projects to see to, nothing as difficult as this one, I hope!!

You have completely altered the look Dd, it looks so fresh now, you are so lucky to have found that driftwood, I love it, OH has worked so hard and by the sounds of it he`s still at it...

That's gorgeous! A wonderful job very well done!

it looks so much lighter and brighter now! (lol could you add a "before" at the end so we can see the full difference withiout switching blogs back and forth?)

So brave of you to go for a completely new look rather than just brushing up what was already there. It must have seemed like you were never going to see the end of it while you were planning and starting work on it - all those trips to the tip! but oh, the end result is worth a medal.

And that driftwood ... no wonder it took a while to cut! but it'll probably be thoroughly weatherproofed and should last for ages.

Congratulations ! Well done !

Looks wonderful - and I really like the colour of the sheds! :o)))

Fran I am sure I could do that small thing.......thanks everybody for your very kind comments....

Looking absolutely brilliant, Dd . . . what a gorgeous contrast the bright green plants make with the stones and gravel. You have an artistic eye!!

thanks for the update, lol I never have aything other than excellent ideas!

The difference can be *really* appreciated now: the new look is so dazzling; it does make he space seem wider, as someone said before, and a lot brighter and fresher. lol it must be like waking up to summer every morning now.

look fab Dotty, well done, such a difference, love the driftwood, iv been looking to but not been lucky, maybe one day haha.
it all looks so beachy and tropical to :o)))

Oh my word! That is absolutlely spectacular...you are sooooo clever, I love it, every single bit of it. The gravel is gorgeous, the pebbles, the pots, the paint job and the driftwood...what a blessing that was, the angels must have shoved it on to the beach for you! WoW!!! Well done!....oh, and btw, I don't know why, but your blogs didn't come up on my news page...grrrr...

Lol Fran....keep them coming.....San thank you and yes I love that driftwood, still keep pinching myself!!
Oh thanks Karen, I am so pleased you like it, not everyone's cup of tea, I just wanted to make a statement, taken some time but at least we got there!!

what a lovely change , its so fab:-)))))))))))

I'm lost in admiration ...you certainly have an 'eye' I could never have designed this in a month of Sundays .... I love it, going on faves as an inspiration. Before I saw this, I was wondering what was wrong with the way it looked before lol:-)

Agree with BA and wonder who would not like it?!

Very tastefully done Dotty....wonderful choice of plants, paint and pavings. Our side way is so grotty but only a short run by the kitchen, but I wish I had the will to do something like that to make it look better.

Yes, me too Dorjac. I have my 'thinking cap' on now for my next project!

Thank you Junna, very kind of you. BA I am sure you could, it is amazing what you can do when the spirit moves you !! Dorjac I have disliked this area for such a long time, and it was such a waste of valuable growing space, and was crying out for a change......Oh dear Karen what have I done? I can hear the whirring of your brain cells from here lol

I'd like to think your driftwood is part of a ships mast that has floated right round the world for years on end and finally found a resting place in your garden with a topknot of Sempers.......what a marvelous find Daisy.

lol...don't worry, brain has calmed down a bit now!

I've not been on here for a while so trying to catch up a bit. I really enjoyed this blog, the transformation is brilliant :o))

Beautiful just beautiful! :O)

love Dorjac's idea of a ship's mast - perhaps you could find/adapt other "flotsam" to go with it?

Brilliant....what a transformation.

I've just caught up with this - well done.;-))) Your 'vision' paid off - it all looks amazing! Thanks for the 'before' photos, too. I do remember the plea for ideas from 2009. My, how time flies!

just had another stroll through your blog, and just noticed tiny plants growing on top of the driftwood. What are they, please, can we have a close-up?

Fran they are Sempervivum, grow anywhere........will pop a pic on for you though.
Spritz thanks, it is hard to believe it was that long ago, just so pleased it is all finished.
Thank you Cosmosjane, on the next project now......
Fran I am looking for some rope, but not new, I am sure some will turn up!!
Annella very kind of you, still adding some finishing touches........and thanks to you Oliveoil, I think your daughter has some funky ideas on the go now!!
A lovely notion Dorjac, it is certainly old, and someone at some stage had tried to burn it.......

thanks Dotty - no rush!

What lovely blogs to return to, exacatly what Goy should be all about.
Homebird is so right, the space looks so much bigger, like a garden & not just a walk way.
I can just imagine how you feel everytime you walk down there.
It truly looks amazing dotty, well done to designer & labourer :-)

You sure you`ve not just transported this little idyll from Chelsea DD, the whole concept from design to finish is absolutely stunning, and only two folks absolutely in tune with one another could have bought it off.

If you only want small pieces of rope (ie not enough to anchor a ship!) you could contact sellers and ask for offcuts, end of reels, etc; sure they must have plenty of odds and ends lying about they'd be glad to get rid of.

How about Freecycle? It's amazing what people have to give awayl http://www.freecycle.org/

I once got three whole rolls of rope free - walking to work one day, saw some workmen and hole in road; they had that blue nylon-ish rope all over, I stopped and asked if they had any odd bits to spare for my Scout group, expecting to be told No, they actually gave me three whole spools of the stuff. You'd probably want proper rope, but still, it's amazing what you can get for nothing if you only ask.

Well what a difference! It now looks sooo much bigger and much more "tropical". The lime green adds to the feeling too.
By the looks of things, Peter is going to need a good long rest..or an apprentice - the latest boyfriend sounds a likely lad LOL!!

You certainly have made a big improvement DD. We cant do any more to the garden this year as we are having the bathroom done..but maybe next year...oh for £50 thousand I know just what I would do!!

Wow what an amazing transformation , I love it and what a lucky find of the driftwood ,the colours are very warming and continental looking ,I can imagine you and Peter smiling every time you walk through the area ..

A real transformation Dd, you and your OH have redesigned this so well..What a talented creative pair you are! Loved this new makeover and worth all the hard work you both invested in it my friend.\0/x

Flori thanks for your kind words, just lucky really......
Amy we do smile, it has changed a very dreary side passage, hope all our other projects work now!
Tet pleased you like it, we wanted something different this time, our bathroom is in dire need but it will have to go to the back of the list yet again lol
Fran thanks for the info re the rope, you do have some excellent ideas, not forgotten about the close up, will add another pic to the end of this blog, as we have put in another feature, (as you do!!)
Stroller how kind, no, all our own work, have the bad back, and the wonky knees to prove it!!
Willii thanks so much, I never thought we would ever get around to it, just pleased it is all done, just tweeking it now!!

There's always this problem tho of "where do you put the rubbish"! I always find after a clear up that I could do with one more corner somewhere!

Tet OH is going to build a cupboard to house the bins, and add a few shelves for pots etc. (when he has a spare moment) lol!!

thanks for the closeup, dear, lovely little plants. Love the other new pics too.

Your very welcome......

Added to Gravel Garden Ideas :o)))

Thanks TT........

I'm playing 'catch-up' again, Dotty and have looked at the blog asking for ideas, then this and the previous blog and I applaud your planning and hard work on achieving this look. It must be a joy to open your gate and see such a well designed area. Really hope to visit again next year to see it for 'real'! ... well done the pair of you! Oh yes, I have never seen a piece of driftwood on our local beach ... just plenty of seaweed ... lol!

Shirley we are pleased with it,I have to admit. We would love to see you both again, the garden has changed dramatically since you last saw it....and it still is!!

A work in progress, as they say! ... :o)

It keep me off the streets lol

That's true! ......

Wow, absolutely stunning, love the lime green :))

Thanks Daylily lime green is a big favourite of mine, OH is still wearing his shades lol