Thanks Orangecamera. It's still a work in progress and mud everywhere Sorry we did look at having the steps' off set' but it didn't seem to go with only three steps and a small area. And about the zen well the cats are doing that for us much to our disappointment (it's still like a litter box to them). We went to the garden supply place still not knowing what kind of stones we were getting. We stood in front of all the bins (there where many). We even looked at mixing some. The grey stones had a bin more the size we wanted but we ended up getting the golden fleck. It was a little smaller, which was a shame, the bigger ones were so mixed in their grading it looked too messy. So this is what we finished up with. It was seagardens that got me thinking away from grey and nwduck mentioning the drainage. So this has really helped. Also everyone seem to think the wooden steps needed to go a lot lower. Next it's figuring out where the large river stones should go

Ozbern: we had a similar dilemma, lovely backyard and then they started tearing down bungalows and building four story townhouses all around us. I built a single depth pergola along the back property line, the beauty of this is not only the privacy, but it brings the scale of the yard down to make it feel more intimate when we are outside. We also added a 10' x 10' (little over three meters) pergola right up against the house where we had a wall of windows. Will try to find that photo too. We have coral vine now growing in it. Dies in winter, comes back in spring. You can always do more contemporary details if this is too casual.

Penofin Exotic Wood Stain Review Penofin Hardwood Stain Penofin Hardwood Stain Penofin For Hardwood Stain is a 99% UV protection Brazilian Rosewood Oil finish. This stain was developed to protect and preserve Hardwoods such as IPE and Mahogany. Their exotic hardwood formula penetrates deep into the wood cells. This results in a natural finished look to your wood. Penofin Penetrating Oil Finish can meet the needs of hardwood in fiber protection, penetration, stabilizing, and nourishment. Important Note: Testing for Exotic Hardwood Deck Stains Exotic hardwoods such as IPE are extremely dense and difficult to penetrate. These wood types when stained will always fade faster the other woods such as Cedar, Redwood, and Pine. Testing will be changed to 1 year instead of 2 years for exotic hardwoods. two to three coats allow a week between coats

It depends on the species of wood (I.e. How hard or soft) and whether or not the ambient temperature can remain as stable as possible. What you caulk and paint in warmer weather may look great now, but when it begins to get colder, the wood begins to shrink, and the caulk will begin to pull away. This will look worse than if you didn't caulk at all. My suggestion is to use a caulk like the brand called "Big Stretch " in an attempt to avoid this.