I just found this thread.
I absolutly love the transitions you posted Doug.
Taking nothing and transforming it into something is the most satisfying activity any gardener can do.
Here's my story.
SIL,DD and I sold our houses 4 years ago and bought big one with room foe me.
They work. After unpacking and settling in I realized I had a lot of time on my hands and began to plan the gardens here,most needed redoing ompletely due to neglect, (the house had been a rental for several years)
DD brought a half pallet of large stones from her old hous patio project.
She laid them alongside the deck.
This left a space from the driveway to the back year that wasnt big enough to mow.
She agreed to let me start a shade garden in the spot.
The stone walk from the driveway parallel to the back deck
July 2008
the big white dumpster is in the "toss it there" spot that became the Woodpile garden
Its possible to see the patch of grass no one wanted to mow,it drove me nuts.
this is a better image of the stonepath
I figured ,just lasagna the grass and make a calm spot there just within view of the deck. I added a water feature and JM
All this was 2008. This is the area now