Next, I created a bench set up that was 8’long on each side to perfectly sit the corner of the garden. Of course, you really cannot buy 8′ cushions so I had to have seat cushions custom made by a local shop. I might suggest going with a standard size to save some money. The custom cushions cost about $800. The bonus was choosing ANY fabric I wanted… Another trip to the landscape store and I purchased several hundred pounds of flagstone to create a floor. I first dug the square and laid out landscape fabric. I then added a layer of sand. Then I set and leveled the flagstone. I used Paver sand as the final filler between the stones to help keep them in place.
We then finished up the seats with deck planking (oh, I really wish I had made them into storage benches as I now have an 8′ long cushion (plus many more) that I have to store in the winter and limited storage space in the garage). The benches were HEAVY and we put landscape fabric and additional sand underneath to help keep any weeds to a minimum.
I then painted.. and painted and painted. I bought 3 colors choosing a lime, yellow and a complementary blue. All the items that were to be painted were put into 3 piles and the painting began!
We purchased a fountain at the end of the summer for less than $300.
We put the decor in place and then added in lighting.. and bulbs.. lots of bulbs and more plants.. I cannot wait until spring.
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source: hometalk.com
