The new to us place as we first saw it in July of 2021. A 1929 stick built home of a 95 year old lady who had past in the spring. We were looking for a small house with a small yard, matching our low budget and old because I like the character that comes with age (foolish me). Three out of four isn’t bad, right? And so the journey began.
I like the opening too! I have a funny feeling that this house and yard looks completely different now! Can't wait for the next chapter!
Cute little place on a hill. We closed mid September and immediately ripped up all the old carpeting in the living room and bedroom. Finding someone to cutback the blackberries and overgrown property edges was next. Over the winter a massive pile of brush covered a third of the open area on the north side of the house. From where the trees in the middle once stood to most of the lawn area west. Soon it became really open. Because of seedling evergreens and other weed trees like laurel, that had imbedded themselves in the lilacs and hydrangea it all had to be removed. There is still a lot of oregano that naturalized, two wooden raised beds collapsed that also got removed and a squirrel feeder I couldn’t reach so later was taken down. Some huge heather stands were full of grass and added to the brush pile. There was also what I guessed to be an area where an old septic tank had long ago collapsed since the house was now on city water. It was an area of approximately 20 x 12 feet that was sunken with no hint of plantings. When the massive brush pile was removed, fill soil was spread to even the plot so that a riding lawn mower could maintain the sloping field. ‘This next photo is the overview from last summer. I showed how the driveway encircles the property. The lot slopes toward the north and to the west. During winter solstice shadows fall all the way to the driveway so the area is shaded. I was very cognizant of this our first winter and created an outdoor winter sitting area later. In the summer, sun comes into the north windows in the afternoon because of our latitude. So the entire area receives full sun. For the generalists in the crowd that’s the overview. I will bore you with details later and see what comparison photos I can dig up. It’s a little crooked and funky house and property that I am coming to appreciate.
I am totally impressed with how you broke down each area to be remodeled and refurbished the garden in sections. It is so much fun to take a home and property and turn it into a beautiful home remodel and enhance the whole garden. You have got to be proud of this huge accomplishment. It was a tremendous amount of work and probably on going. ‘Thank you for sharing your pictures , explanations and can wait to see more pics this spring.
This is a great posting, Jewell. I can understand your layout now. Boy, you really have a great canvas on which to work there. It will be so interesting to see how your spaces progress. Exciting, this.
Thank you PacNorwest and Sjoerd. I will be keeping it simple only having plantings and raised beds in the areas close to the house. I’m limiting the work since maintaining the perimeter is more than I really desire. The area encircling the house will be for sitting and enjoying flowers and nature. The rest will be a field of white clover for insects and can be maintained with a mower.
Jewell, you sound very level-headed about this. What a good idea about the clover. It is a great plant.
Last summer it was only the newly planted clover that stayed green during the drought. The weeds and grass went dormant. The other advantage is it doesn’t get tall. Plus I’ve always liked watching the bees in the clover.
Bee’s on clover around here it attracts the bees and the gophers. The white and red clover flowers is quite the beautiful view.
Spent two days working on ground covers, mowing and weed whacking. Still have one more day. That said I am a might bit slow, use electric tools that need recharging, have plenty of time and get distracted easily. Have also been moving rocks that interfere with my lawn work. Here’s the reward, a pretty open field. Lower driveway entrance. The dogs have a nice dog park to explore. This is looking toward the street from the far northwest corner. Thank goodness for electric riding mowers. One of the old clothesline supports has a raised bed and trellis. I decided to male it more noticeable by painting it white so handymen don’t hit it. You’d think with such a large parking area such things like that wouldn’t happen Hopefully I never make the same careless boo-boo. The other side of the driveway. Rocks that had dropped off the slope were moved to the north terraces. The continuing rock path saga. Who needs a gym when you garden. I am also trimming old fronds from the sword ferns. Will insert a hosta or two more for summer variety.
Your garden is looking good. It’s so nice get get out and fulfill our plans for remaking the landscape . Cute lil pup… he she looks like he having fun…
@Sjoerd not so much energy as a lot of time @Pacnorwest little Max loves being able to stretch out and run full speed. Partially blind and deaf he always looks surprised when he trips or bumps into something (like a step going up the stairs). Jaxon the larger dog keeps strangers and bunnies away. Amber is just Amber. Was at the Oly house digging perennials today. I always fill the car and I am always remiss that I haven’t more room in the car. Plants are popping out of the ground and a lot I don’t remember planting last fall. Surprise! That’s what happens when you don’t have a plan. Of course last year was a different year, and a bit difficult. It’s been a blessing to have projects to entertain me.
A question I asked myself after buying the house is why was there no mailbox? This house is almost a hundred years old and the post office is 2 miles away. Anyway we installed one. There was also no gate or pathway directly from the street only from the driveways. The walkway feels like it was always here once installed with the gate. Today’s photo with only a few bags of bark to spread. The front yard was grass sloping toward the house with a basement, on a hill, and basalt rocks bordering beds that encircled the grass. The ground falls about 2-4 feet from the fence to the sidewalk next to the house. A friend helped me loosen and remove the soil to provide some drainage away from the house and away from the house sloping down the hill. I reused the basalt rocks as retaining walls or elements to keep the big dog from destroying plants. ‘The front yard is a virtual sunken garden. The house and rhodies are both higher than the front yard now. The ground is quite sloped toward the sidewalk and between the bare spot between the rocks and the black dog barrier. The downslope continues on the other side of the walkway at an angle toward the street and away from the house. My focus has been on the front yard as I continue to find hostas I randomly moved last fall. Every piece of hosta that broke off got stuck in the ground on this down hillside and forgotten until they started re-emerging this last month. The upper area will be home to my mini hostas that need to be rediscovered. Life is a journey not a destination.
