I won't bother with lattice, barrels are partially obscured from the street by fencing and if I put it up I would have to work around the lattice in order to turn the valves for water. If I can just make better use of collected water I'll be happy. We are at the end of our growing season so I should be cleaning up the garden and putting it to bed for the winter, just can't seem to get motivated. We had our first frost last week. Usually, our average early frost date is 1 November. I got almost no produce from garden this year, but there is always next year. Chookchook2 I've seen some of those decorative metal panels and they are gorgeous, sure hope your budget will allow you to get some before too long. Most of our state has been on fire for a good part of the summer. The closest is across the river from us and they have been battling it for almost a month. Some friends have had to evacuate repeatedly. We've only been concerned once, a small grass fire on our side of the river on a day we had wind gusts up to 65mph. Fortunately, it was put out quickly. Australia and New Zealand have both sent firefighters to help with the blazes. I can't begin to tell you how appreciative we are. The closest fire was fought for almost a week by local volunteers only as there were no other resources available. They were all on other fires. The Army National Guard (reserve troops) were called out to help with support duties and for the first time ever the federal Department of Natural Resources (DNR) asked for civilian volunteers to help with non firefighting tasks, cutting fire breaks, moving supplies etc.

Thanks so much for your comment Phoebe. It was a simple but elegant solution to a rather dismal backyard.

This weatherboard home was in need of a makeover. The client wanted a look that was clean, bright, chic, modern and comfortable. This was achieved using white walls and subway tiles in the kitchen to make the most of the beautiful original hardwood flooring. These light tones are set off beautifully with the gold hardware and grey marbled benchtop. The kitchen and home went from drab to fab and the clients couldn't be happier! Check out the full project here. Don't be a stranger - if you're in the Wellington area contact me to see how I can help you achieve this result in your home. BEFORE AFTER

Great use of space and creating more storage space through the entire kitchen - Love the white and wood finish through out!