Based on my previous contractor encounters, I have decided to change my design direction a bit. I am glad I am not paying myself!  

Due to my inability to find a contractor to pour concrete and redo the pea gravel driveway, I have decided to outline the parking area with 6×6″ pressure treated timbers and redo the pea gravel; hoping to find a contractor to take care of all of that and install landscaping as well. I should mention that pea gravel driveways are common here, somebody has to know how to build them. If only I could find this person…

It seems a good idea to call the local gravel supplier for contractor recommendations – asking for a referral to someone who has their own bobcat to do the grading work specifically. So, this guy shows up with another guy who has a bobcat (not what I asked for at all) I have been getting some, to me, absurdly expensive prices for what in Atlanta we would call brown pea gravel they call ‘chattahoochee stone’ down here. Because it comes from the Chattahoochee River (that runs through Atlanta) once you pay for shipping the stone it doubles or triples the price.. I ask these guys for a local material. Turns out there is one – shell, duh?! near the ocean, yes..what comes out of the ocean? I have never seen a shell driveway. One of my classmates from landscape school works in Tampa, so, I email him to ask about the shell. Yup, we use it all the time. Wow, what a great idea..

More Internet research. I found a guy in Jupiter (the town, not the planet) who builds shell driveways and dragged my husband to go and have a look. I think they look great and he agrees Meanwhile, I go shopping at our local concrete producer and find they make something called Atlantian stone (like Atlantis, not Atlanta) the countertops are fantastic and monstrously expensive..but I can opt for some reasonably priced stepping stones to go with my shell driveway. This is finally coming together.