Possible Patio in Google SketchUp

Seems my blog has been pretending to be a “sewing blog” recently. So here’s another project I worked on last week that has nothing to do with fabric and thread.

Instead it used another one of my favorite things, Google SketchUp.

So what was the project? Modeling my friend Suzanne’s backyard and adding a patio so her husband could visualize what her idea of increasing their “outdoor living space” would look like.

Here’s an aerial view. I modeled the house and deck based on photos Suz took. Then it was easy to plop the patio in. Grill and swing came from the 3D Warehouse of stuff modeled by other people.

Here are a few more views, current on left vs. with patio on right… 
 
 

It was all I could do not to start adding planters and patio furniture and all sorts of other fun stuff from the 3D Warehouse. Suz, ya think Nate might also like a koi pond?  : )

{koi pond modeled by StarbucksDesigns}

Front Door Garden

Last year, we got some nice lettuce and spinach from our SFG, but then the weather got too hot and the rest of our stuff "bolted" and turned bitter. Then I read somewhere that salad grows well when it gets just morning sun, so figured a spot by our front door would be perfect. My lettuce experiment is getting started a little later than I would've liked but figured first step is to build the bed. I'll worry about planting it later. So yesterday, I got to wield some power tools and turn this:

into this:
Well, the 2'x4' plywood bottom isn't shown in the top photo, but everything else came from random wood left in the shed by the previous owners... At first I wasn't sure how it would all go together (wanted to keep the plywood base a little elevated above the top of the wall, needed a way to keep the box from tipping over, etc.) but hooray for Google Sketchup where I was able to model a mock-up, test out ideas virtually, even get the needed dimensions once I'd decided on a design. Mmm, brought me back to my days of teaching Pro/ENGINEER.

And just 'cause I'm a geek and 'cause I love the "sketchy lines" setting in Sketchup, here's a image capture of the virtual box... Anyone need anything modeled? (as in virtual 3D, not catwalk) Suz, I think I hear bunk beds calling my name next... : )

Next, sanding, painting, mixing dirt, planting (lettuce seeds and probably a few flowers too). Better get a move on or it'll be 2009 before I harvest any salad.