I had an appointment this afternoon, but before I left I got these photos. He was finishing the back stair rails They still have more cleanup, but they’re done with the deck now.

Because we raised the deck almost even with the kitchen, the back stairs were a bit problematic. If we go straight off the bottom step, its a 3+ foot drop. He did account for that and the exit is to the left side. I would have preferred two triangular steps to make the curve, but we paid for a no frills deck and that would have been extra. I’ll definitely put a gate at the top of those steps, and hopefully I can figure out a railing (or something) to keep from going over the edge. Not that I’m worried about me, but . . .

When the dry weather starts I’ll get the wrought iron table and chairs painted, and get or make new cushions for the chairs and a couple of loungers. With some plants it will look nice.

As we are able this summer and through the next year, the tall beams near the front stairs will have a trellis and the railings on the street side (front) will have lattice screens like we had before, for privacy. (People who walk down our street always stare.) We’ll also lattice the base so it has a finished look.

You can see from the third photo how far out the old deck angled. The rosebush at the far left was right next to the deck (about where the 4×4 lies). I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do with the plantings there. Right now the rosebush looks too far from the deck. I have some ideas, but have made no decisions, yet. If I move plants, it won’t be until fall, anyway.

This whole walled garden has about a foot more in depth, front to back. On the back side (right), the original space is the same, but there’s now a narrow tier above it. I don’t know yet if it’s all wall or if there’s any planting space behind it.

The honeysuckle (at the end of this back side space) against the house needs to be cut back. The garden mow & blow guys treated it like a bush to be sheared and shaped. I really don’t like round or square shaped bushes, and certainly not vines. To me, they look better with a more natural growth that’s reasonably pruned. I’m going to cut it way back and pull out all the rooted runners and the St. John’s Wort.

Apparently it’s going to be raining for the next week. I can’t complain because we really need the water, but I’m not at all good about working out in the rain.