Spring is here! And I got called up for concrete duty… to finally finish the outdoor garden environment and entrance hardscape project I promised my wife three years ago as a birthday present.
I removed a Monterey pine, reshuffled a concrete pathway, and then I began rebuilding the hardscape featuring a fabric-formed concrete retaining wall with a fiber-reinforced purple planter, and some welded steel brackets for a cantilevered wooden bench. But then I got stymied. The fun part – the fabric-formed concrete “Holy Wall” – came out so nicely that it changed my original ideas on the design for the entry gate and the adjacent wall. I began to dither. I got a bad case of concretist’s cramp. Nothing got done.
So yes, I froze for my most important client… not the outcome I was aiming for, nor what my wife anticipated. In the meantime, however, I got so inspired by the spectacular Holy Wall I ended up creating a collection of cool outdoor living projects. The first step needed to bring these projects to life was to develop the right mix for outdoor applications—which is why I created ProFormula Outdoor, an extension of the popular original ProFormula Countertop mix. Specifically formulated for the outdoors, ProFormula Outdoor is a convenient, inexpensive additive to be used with ordinary bagged concrete. It gives you a professional-grade, color-fade-resistant concrete that performs perfectly in demanding, all-weather, outdoor conditions.
With the concrete mix formulation in place, I designed the Silo™ and Cubi-Q™ barbeque grill surrounds, the Quadra™ Fire Cube, and the Rhomba™ bench, all created to work seamlessly with Outdoor Concrete Pro-Formula Mix and make casting outdoor pieces as smooth as possible for you. With our easy-to-use molds and kits, you now have all the tools you need to create your own spectacular outdoor gathering place for your friends and family. I also saw the need for a fresh, new selection of pavers and stepping stones, and I’m very excited about continually expanding the outdoor line with new designs. I hope to hear about your ideas and your inspiration for outdoor applications. Feel free to share your thoughts or your project images with us!
Meanwhile, I’m in the hot seat to finish what I started in my own front yard. I hope some of my time-diversion paid off and gives you the inspiration and the tools to make unique, outdoor environments in your garden with designs made to make it fun, easy, and last a lifetime, instead of ‘taking a lifetime’ to get it done––something I have been accused of.
I will keep you posted on my progress, or lack thereof…….. Keep us posted on your work, too!