BACKYARD GARDEN TOUR 2013

If you are a follower of this blog, you know we had two huge disasters here in one day...I accidentally deleted the garden tour post ...then my computer totally crashed, taking all my pictures from Picassa with it.....wow it was so depressing...Well my great brother Larry and his incredible wife Mininna came to the rescue and fixed my computer..I can only imagine what a job...  it works perfect...they were able to save many of my pictures but not the ones from the Fullerton Beautiful Garden Tour...so it was up to me to recreate this post with new photos...Thank you all for being so patient...

Every year The Fullerton Beautiful backyard selects 8 homes to be on the Garden Tour....It was scary to think 600 to 700 people will be going through your backyard...but we are pretty adventurous...My first thought was how to share it with you on my blog....I have done many many posts during the years but never one on my backyard...Mr. S. suggested "just take those people on the tour too"...what a great idea so welcome to the backyard...

This is the second gate that actually enters the backyard, we are in the area where the potting bench is...you can see the Potting Bench post here after you enter you will see the Bird place....

This is  Bird Town where all the birds live and eat...it is outside my kitchen window where this picture was taken.it also has a water fountain on the wall the birds also enjoy....we pass this right after entering the gate then you come up on the side of the house until you reach the backyard...this garden tour is gonna be easy on your feet...

This is the deck to the left...love the deck, it is choice decking from Lowes...My brother Larry and his wife Mininna and Mr. S. built the deck a few years ago and it still looks perfect, no maintenance....

I usually don't have this many pots sitting around, but remember this is the garden tour, so you gotta have a few more flowers, right...The large banana looking plants on the hill are called giant birds of Paradise and the flowers are white when in bloom...

The fireplace is gas and makes for some cozy evenings with the feather pillows and warm covers and the perfect glass of wine...below is the larger eatting space and there is a little water fountain in the corner...

You can see the water fountain in the next picture...the birds sure do love the water features...

This is the rest of the deck and I designed this gazebo to be attached to the house and is off the living room.......the deck follows the lines of the pool...it was not an easy thing to design or built....

Those are some big trees and the squirrels really love to play chase up and down them ....These are some of the flowers the garden tour people just loved.....me too

The art on the fireplace is ever changing, I love the new outdoor art available now...this is actually three canvases...the larger scale one leaning on fireplace first is from pier 1, the second one with more flowers is from Hobby Lobby and the third small red and white one I painted to be a smaller scale of the pillows...These are Hibiscus flowers...

 If you find some old paintings you like and want to display outside you can always paint them with outdoor mod podge like I did the checkered one..so I guess you can make your own outdoor art...this close up will let you see the three pictures...Ivy geraniums

I wanted this fireplace area to look cozy and inviting like the Ivy Restaurant in Los Angeles...I love the ivy geraniums...

The fabric for the pillows is from Hobby Lobby and some from Walmart...the White cushions are Sunbrella...The view below is by our bedroom window looking back, this area has a larger water fountain and is wonderful to wake up to...more ivy geraniums

 You can see the fountain below...it was purchased many years ago and the flowers are so drawn to it...This fence sure needs some stain...oh well

 You can come on over and have a seat and rest awhile before you continue the tour...just enjoy the orange and yellow Lantana...Pigmy palms and giant bird of paradise and asparagus ferns

More flowers...of course

 One lonely little yellow Hibiscus flower....so sweet....

 You can spot Tina up by the couch, she is always watching out for something, I never know what...Red Bougainvillea

More water fountain..

 I had to put this picture of this sweet young little boy sitting on the purch...doesn't he just look like a teenager who just woke up...lol

 Aren't these trailers the cutest birdhouses...my daughter Michelle gave me one of them and I found one at Tuesday Mornings....

We are on our way out...and yes I have stained that fence and gate since these pictures...wow it sure looks dried out...lol...never ends...

This is a last look back at the yard...thank you for coming...

Ahhh the sun is going down on this day and I think it's time to light a couple of candles and have that glass of wine we talked about....

Thank you for being  patient and I am so happy to finally get this Fullerton Beautiful Garden Tour post completed ...it's hard to try and recreate something you've deleted...

I am joining susan with between naps on the porch   savvysouthernstyle   ivyandelephants                

   theshadyporch   nominimalisthere