The atrium needs plants! When the previous owners poured the new concrete floor, they filled in the flower beds. The only solution is to create raised beds… but with what? The typical materials just don’t look right. We want something very simple and preferably stone or concrete. The garden supply centers turned up nothing that worked, but in the cement aisle of Lowe’s we found simple 4″ x 8″ x 16″ concrete blocks. Perfect!
Well…. perfect would have been the original atrium configuration of a few beds, exposed aggrigate concerete and a ultra-swanky water feature in the form of a small koi pond being fed water via a cement volcano!!! (I know… a VOLCANO!!!) That would have been amazing, but Haley says volcanos belong outside, so Krakatoa-east-of-Gresham will have to wait. Meanwhile in realityville, the concrete blocks look good, are super heavy and I think they’ll take the sealer very well. -Steve
We “dry fit” the bed design and plan to live with it for a bit before we make it final… but so far I think it will work. And the step really makes a nice transition into the loggia.
Next steps:
1. Secure and seal concrete blocks
2. Select plants
3. Install drip watering system
4. Hook up Tiki water feature
5. Fill beds with river rock
6. Install lighting
Very exciting to see your progress! We are about to commence some work to our Rummer – is there a Gresham Rummer Network? It would be great to exchange Ideas and notes on sympathetic contractors!
Hey Susie,
Thanks for leaving a comment! Where is your Rummer? Haley and I like the idea of a Gresham Rummer Network… but seeing as there are only 4 of them that we know of it would be a pretty teeny network. BUT we have learned some dos & don’t about a few contractors and are totally anxious to brainstorm new ideas. Write to us at lewiscreative@comcast.net.