I "finished" my garden this summer.  Though, a garden is never really complete, is it?  There is always watering to do, weeds to pull, and making room for just one more flowering plant that you could not resist at that roadside market.   The patio is done (created with my own bare hands), and I now have a small oasis of outdoor tranquility.  A vigorous Virginia Creeper has crept from one trellis to the other on either side of my sling sofa, creating a natural arbor that filters out the hot afternoon sun and provides welcome privacy from the busy sidewalk foot traffic headed to the park.
 Three seasons of hard work has paid off.  I relish every summer day that I can read outside and fall asleep to the sound of chirping sparrows.