LOL, koidom--"must have been their pride and joy?" ROFLMHO

Yes, I can see why you might think it a tad depressing to look at an *outhouse* especially given your *budget* for landscaping,
that year! You should have told hubby that instead of being sent to the *dog-house*, you had someplace else in mind--and
it's....ri----ght out back, there!!! LOL

I know it's not really funny, especially at the time but your retelling of it kinda is, especially about how you thought about
leaving him at that point--I'm so sorry--I really don't mean to laugh, but you're so good at telling the tale! I hope you meant it
to be funny, because I'm going to feel really terrible if not! Please--say you did!!!

So, has your budget increased to the point that the view has changed or are you still staring and glaring at that *out-house*?

Please say you wanted me to laugh! I have seen worse views though--trust me!

I can actually see potential in your backyard. I have seen rocks covering the sheet metal covering the wells, it looks bad and scares me to death when my kids get near anything like that. To me, yours does not look that bad.
We have a neighbor that has a outhouse like that, he puts Santa Claus in it come December, has a light bulb hanging from a chain so you can see poor old St. Nick doing his buisness. Maybe your previous owner is my neighbor??
I would paint them up real pretty, would make you feel better about them, it is a little clustered looking, but it is workable, put some hanging baskets on the "house" maybe?
I had one of those Monster Trucks in my backyard for the longest time, drove me up the wall, it was old and rusty, had a brand new motor in it so I guess that was his excuse for keeping it, I felt like I was taking up the whole road when I had to drive it, He kept telling me it was his hunting vehicle... the man has not hunted for going on 4 years now. He finally sold it when I told him I was going to carry the couch outside in front of it have my friend take a picture of me sitting on the couch and send it in to Jeff Foxworthy, for a redneck moment.

I do spot a lovely climbing rose there in the back of the second pic! A 'silver lining', perhaps? :o)

I bet there was also, some good *compost* in that out-house, perhaps?

And, you could *be sure* to be left alone in either of those buildings---if you needed some *time to yourself*!

Alright--I'm trying to find some *good* in this, okay? LOL

I would be depressed beyond belief. So depressed that I would be out there cutting weeds, straightening up and looking for free plants.
I have given away enough plants to easily cover an acre. I have given at least 3 pick up truck loads of hosta, another of day lilies, forsythia, vinca, pachysandra, daffodils, rudbekia, phlox etc etc.
I hope you spent the $25 on a hose and and shovel. I see some rudbekia that could be moved and cultivated, a lovely red rambling rose that could have a start or 2 taken off and planted by the well house.
It could be a very charming country garden. Stop being depressed and go fix it.
Linda C

What if, you turned that building into a potting shed--seriously?

And, if you could ever feel good about using that out-house for anything other than...it's *original* purpose,
how about for garden-tool storage?

I love old and rustic (ok, really rustic) looking items up next to lovely flowers. I could see a climbing rose going up the side of that outhouse and I think it would be absolutely beautiful! Maybe you could even do the outhouse up as a little potting shed (appropriate, don't you think? Potting... potty... almost the same thing :-)

And you don't have to pay a lot to get great plants either. Those of us here in Minnesota have a Minnesota Gardeners forum here at GW. I don't see an Oregon forum, but there is an Northwestern Gardening forum. The reason I mention that, is that we MN forum members hold a couple of plant swaps every year. Everyone bring anything they have extra of and takes home plants that someone else brings. If one or two people don't have many to bring, no one minds. Bring something for the potluck instead and take home plants. There are always plenty! I have some really beautiful plants in my yard, that were free at one of the swaps!

And, of course, climbing roses is only one possibility of a way to go. There are 5o other combinations that would be just as nice. So, if what you have to start is an outhouse, try not to think of it as a problem. Think of it as a garden structure and think about all the great, original, things you can do with it!

I'm beginning to feel like Mickey Rooney in some of those old movies--we can do this!!

It can become something you'll love to look at! Meesh and Lindac have given you some very good ideas, so let's go for it!

And now, Joyce has some good ones, too--sorry, Joyce
you were posting while I was dreaming and catching the vision!!!

You all were just waiting for me to be the first, weren't you!!! LOL

Hmm, I may be confused--which house is the out-house, the first one, or the second one with the smaller house?
I thought the second one was the out-house!

The first one seems kinda *luxurious* in size for most out-houses I've seen and visited! So gross! And, I'm talking
in Florida, too! It can't get any better/worse than an out-house in the summer sun, in Florida!!

I hope you do try to do something with all these suggestions, because, very seriously, you got potential there!

Hey-J it was ment to be funny, at the time we had just lost the bid on a dream home, it had a 20,000 dollar 15 foot koi pond/ water fall out in front that wrapped 2/3 ways around the house and landscaping to die for! it was decorated very nice inside with tons of extras. so of course seeing my new backyard I was all geared up to make it just as nice, I'm great with money and ideas, but $25 even to me was a joke, I was begining to wonder if something was wrong with my husbands head!

Mice Said" I can actually see potential in your backyard"
Of course you do Mick, your probably a gardening freak, so any lot of dirt has potential, I'm sure in your caring hands it would!!!

lindac,
I got sick and could not get out of bed for four months due to Exhaustion and sickness have no fear it was probably me trying to kill my self after a 64 hour week whipping that baby into shape, ok trying, and if you look there is a shovel and a rake leaning on the wooden fence:) I wished I lived by you, I would love a truck load of plants, that really nice to share your love of gardening like you do, someday I hope to be able to do that, I could of gave away a truck load of dandelions:P

P.s that not rudbekia it's dandelion, but that is a climbing rose.

Jel and everyone who had high hopes for the outhouse, I am sad to say may he R.I.P as I tore him down and used him to patch my fence, if I had known he had so many online friend who where hoping to see him in better days, and at hoildays with a Santa Claus, maybe fall with pumpkins and mums growing out the seat hole and corn stalks framing up the opening. I am truely sorry.:(

So glad, you are okay with the laugh you gave me and so glad it's working out that you will turn that
"sow's ear into a silk purse", afterall! Please keep us updated with pics.--okay? It should be fun to see
the progress!!

I keep thinking that! can I turn this sow's ear into a silk purse?

the shed with the window I belive was a building they used to stay in while building the house, hopefully I'll get rid of some project stuff and turn it into a tack room like I planed.

I really hope you guys can help me out with where to plant what.

Not depressed at all. You've torn down the potting shed, right? Anyway, I would take this fall and winter to spend some time at the library looking at issues of garden magazines. You will get more ideas than you have space for. I would also get to know the gardeners and garden clubers in the area. They have plant sales every spring where you can get all the plants that thrive in your area for .50, .75, 1.00 each. As Linda said, most gardeners also have a lot of excess to give away in the fall and spring. (We hate to kill a perfectly good plant, better to give it to someone than compost the divisions.) Right now I would start my lasagna gardens. Everything you need for them is free and this type of garden makes itself so no back breaking digging, tilling, etc. Bring us more photos and I'm pretty confident we can help you create a lovely outdoor space.

Hope this cheers you up some. Everybody gets overwhelmed sometimes. Especially if your significant other doesn't share your 'vision'. It must have been hard to lose the dream house. I didn't get my dream house either. I got a 100 year old farm house (think the Tom Hanks movie Money Pit).

Thanks Bean,

I'm having a really hard time with finding my style, I know I like natural woodlands, japanese and cottage. is there a style that blends those together? I have a ton of magizines and few have ideas that I think I can do in them or a style thats would fit with what I would want to look at everyday.

I have three dogs and a free range Goat plus it's a walk way to my dog kennel, and stables in the back so the paths have to be wide enough for a wheel barrel.

If any one has a picture of a do-it your self bamboo fence that would be helpful.

Thanks!

anything i cant move ... turns into garden art .. unfortunately sometimes it take me a few years to figure out what to do with it ....

the first easy thought that comes to mind.. is Xmas light gutter hangers .... $2 .... and bird netting for fruit trees .... clips on gutters... netting in front ... morning glories in the soil ... hidden in a few weeks ... end of season ... throw it all away ... i tried cleaning off the netting for storage.. its just not worth the time versus buying new the next year ...

though i have no clue if morning glories are for zone 8 ... or an invasive ...

understand the point that it can 'disappear' in weeks with just some clips and netting.. while your brain mulls more permanent solutions .. like clematis ... grapes would probably crush it in 10 years.. lol .... and grapes may destroy the septic .....

ken

You have to see it as an opportunity to create exactly what you want. The site of one of my now favorite hosta gardens was the farm junk pile when we moved in, 55 gallon drums of who knows what, metal scrap, weeds taller than I am (and I'm not short), old farm machinery parts....it was just awful. Take one small step at a time with no self-imposed deadlines and you'll end up with something really beautiful. Ken's idea for hiding things is great, I hid our ugly propane tank with a trellis made from tree branches and Morning Glories. Free, and it worked great!

Hang in there!

How are you going to overcome the free range goat garden companion? That would be a challenge.

I do a taste test mostly, when I bring home a plant it goes under her nose, if it's yummy, well it gets put somewhere she can't get too like in a planter as she is short and has a bum leg, if it's yucky I have a good plant to use, she don't like any iris, daffs or any blubs really, ferns, not into hosta, most trees, dianthus, putinas, lavender, ballon flowers, pansys, or ornamental grasses.

she likes real grass and weeds and picks them out of the garden for me and eats them.

Roses, Sedum, and begonias yummy! so their out, which it's too bad about the sedum as I planed out my whole garden on that :( I put them up high and she finally climbed up there pass the rock ring (took her a year lol) and wiped out my collection I'm pretty sure it will grow back. I'll just have to move it for safe keeping.

I'm not a fan of roses so thats no big deal. she don't care for hen and chicks, so I can have thoses. it's not as bad as having deer around, at least goats are picky! deer will eat anything! belive me I used to raise them for a zoo. which is where I got the goat from.