Outdoor Kitchen, Deck and Pond (Part I)

Completion of phase 1 of the outdoor kitchen (roof & snack bar still to come).

Where to start?  The need:  Marci wanted an outdoor kitchen--a place to cook and can in the summer without heating up the house; we had a backyard patio area (sort of) in need of shade, but because of where our septic tank is located, I felt planting trees was not advisable; also, my mom gave us a six-burner grill to use.

I decided I could build a structure that would allow for heavy outdoor cooking, provide shade for the patio, and showcase the grill.  But, I'm not much of a builder, and so it had to be easy.  And we live on a tight budget, so it had to be inexpensive.

Things, of course, are never that easy.  My vision of an outdoor kitchen and Marci's vision didn't match, and probably still don't.  She also worried about putting the structure where we eventually want to add on a sun room.  Because of this, I also wanted it sturdy, but portable.

First, I cemented four 4" x 4" posts into the ground to create a rectangle 10 feet long and 4 feet wide.  Then I placed two twelve-foot 2"x4" beams across the top with a foot overhang on both ends, so that I'd have space to hang planters.

Next, I laid material down on the ground to block out weeds and built a frame cantilevered out from the 4"x4" posts.  As I used pine to cut down on costs, this was important, so that the wood would not touch the soil and rot.  It also made it so the structure can be disassembled in the future and moved as only the four posts are attached to the ground.  Everything else floats above it.

Laying down the first boards of the deck around an existing post and rail.

Then, it was just a matter of filling in the deck.  I had the log-rail of a pre-existing structure that I could have cut and moved back out of the way, but from the beginning, I decided I want the gardens at Dry Creek to grow like a poem--an energy, a creative dialogue between what already exists and what comes next, line upon line, rather than starting from scratch.  So, I left the rail, built around it, and it will become part of the bar counter.   I also placed a big, glazed flower pot with an aspen in it, so that I'd have green up higher.  I'll probably have to transplant the aspen and plant a new one every four to five years.

The floating cantilevered front.

The cantilever from the front.  The glazed pot sits above what will be the head-waters of a small fountain and pond.

Walk-way garden.  Notice the stone border between the soil and deck.

Marci worries about small children and uneven surfaces, which is not always good for my garden plans, but probably very beneficial to nephews, nieces and future grandchildren, so she wanted the deck to be almost flush with the ground on the sides.   I was okay with that--did I have a choice!--as long as I could keep the cantilever at the front.  However, it did create a new problem.  Part of the purpose of the cantilever design was to lift the wood up off the soil.  Now, she wanted the soil raised up to patio level.  At first, I was going to wrap the 2"x4" support beams in plastic, but I was afraid condensation between the board and plastic might create mold.  So, instead, I decided to use river rock to separate the board from the soil.  The water will still get the wood wet, but hopefully, it will dry quick enough to prevent rot.

Garden stripe within the deck--waiting for more empty cans.

One of the things I want to do is play with patterns and overlap spaces.  Here, I left out one the 2"x4" deck boards so that I could bring the garden into the deck.  Again, I worried about introducing soil to the wood and creating opportunities for rot.  So, I took soup cans, punctured drain holes in the bottoms, and screwred them into the deck.  I'll finish them off with 2"x2" molding so the cans are completely hidden.

Posts for bar counter and plastic for gravel eating-area.

Next I put in a couple of log posts for the bar (to match the pre-exist post and rail) and laid down the plastic in the eating area which would be graveled over.  If you live in a rural area, farmers have great quantities of plastic with which they cover silage.  Using this instead of purchasing plastic from the garden center helps the farmer, saves you lots of money, and is better for the environment.  It usually has a few holes in it, which allows a few weeds to take root, but it is far sturdier than what you would purchase from the garden center and lasts forever.

Pond in leach-line sink hole.

The pond I built in a sink hole from the leach line.  Again, I like working with the history of the yard.  It would have been easy enough to fill in this "blemish," but I chose to accent it.  I tied it into the deck, by creating a spring under the cantilever to feed the pond.

Freshly graveled eating area.

Next, I covered the eating-area in gravel and edged it with river-rock.  Gravel is sort of an unnatural rock color outside stream beds--too light for what is normally encountered in nature.  So, I mixed in cinders to neutralize the color.  However, I would never purchase cinder rocks for landscaping.  I've seen too many cinder cones decimated by mining.  My stepfather had graveled some of his yard with cinders and my brother was taking it out, so I used what was on the property.  If this option was not available, I would have purchased a light brown gravel.  In any case, avoid road gravel if at all possible when landscaping unless you are creating a stream bed.  That is the only place it will look natural.

Path to eating area

Stepping stone and ground-cover pathway to the eating area.  I use leaves and small twigs to hold moisture and prevent the cat from digging up young plants in the early stages.  By the time the ground cover takes over, the leaves will rot.

Hanging garden with old window frames.

I still love my hanging garden with window-frames--the first garden structure I built.  It ties in well with what remains of the old barn yard.  Together with the new outdoor kitchen, it creates a wonderful outdoor room, that feels both enclosed and open at the same time.