Landscape & Gardening

Landscape & Gardening

The Big Reveal!

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This view is looking southwest towards the alley.
This view is looking southwest towards the alley.

A longtime dream has finally come true. Thank you Michael Parkey and Hadden Landscaping for the best looking backyard ever! Today the copper path lights are being installed, so you will not see them in this post’s photos. Don’t worry, I will be doing a photoshoot of them sometime in the near future. Except for the front gates, everything has been completed and is now ready for drive by viewings, and don’t be surprised if you spy me on my back screen porch sipping a cocktail and enjoying the view.

Note: You can click on each photo for a much larger version.

Landscape & Gardening

A Teaser Today, But Then Tomorrow…

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backyard_1887

Expect the big reveal of my newly landscaped backyard. Above is a detail view of the shade portion of the backyard. The scraggly shrub-like tree you see in the lower right corner is actually one of two Coral Bark Japanese Maples. After they have had a chance to stabilize and mature, we will prune them into prettier shapes. This past summer has been cruel to all plants, and quite a few of them will be less than stunning in tomorrow’s big reveal. Although I’ve already noticed a lot of improvement since their planting two weeks ago, for the next six months, most of the improvements will not be above the ground. It’s the root systems that will be developing — the infrastructure — and a year from now there will be plenty of bodacious Kodak moments. So until tomorrow, let’s maintain loose posture.

Landscape & Gardening

A Visit from Nazi Troll #2

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The field of contention is the above swale which helps drain the backyard into the alley after heavy rain storms.
The field of contention is the above swale which helps drain the backyard into the alley after heavy rain storms.

Evidently, having the nicest looking alley right-of-way makes me the prime target for University Park’s code enforcers. This second visit was from a different person who spoke to the crew informing them that my river rock was in violation. I never saw the guy, but I was informed that I would be getting a notice in the mail. And this occurred AFTER I had the crew correct the first code inspector’s citation.

Landscape & Gardening

One Year Later

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frontgarden_1655

What a riotous mess! This time last year my pond had been totally trashed by a neighbor’s black lab. Consequently an established plant was pulverized, and I chose to replace it with the water poppy. As you can see in the above photo, our extremely hot summer has not deterred it and the lemon bacopa from more than doubling in size, and that’s after they both had died back to their root balls last winter. I took this photo just before cleaning the filter box and pump, because I knew that in the process I would probably destroy the overgrown look. I know my three little fish appreciate the shelter and protection that the foliage provides, but this makes it difficult for me to perform my daily fin count. Fortunately meal time brings them up to the surface.

Landscape & Gardening

Take One Last Look

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frontgarden_1673

Before the decline sets in. Actually this photo was taken two weeks ago, and it’s now obvious that the decline has already begun. This portion of the garden is the only section that remained photo worthy. The rest of the front garden has way too many fried and scraggily bits. Taking photos is the best way of keeping a record of all the plants during their growing season and will remind me of what worked and didn’t work when it comes to planting summer annuals next year.

Landscape & Gardening

Remember “The Soup Nazi”?

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violation

Here in University Park, she’s called “code enforcement” and has cited me for violating Sec. 3.01.003. Any blockage, impediment, structure, personal property or landscape material that prevents free passage or use or impedes or obstructs an alley easement. Under the dubious guise of “landscape material”, my steel edging could damage wayward tires. Say what? Excuse me, the pointy end of this edging is buried below grade! And exactly where in the ordinance is the easement’s placement described in dimensions? NO WHERE! Just like “landscape material”, the easement’s exact location is open for any kind of interpretation. SCREAM!

Landscape & Gardening

Backyard Progress (days 19 thru 24)

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If you're wondering why the bottom step is shorter than the others, here's the explanation: The original intent was to have the bricks set on their edges which would have increased the riser height, but after examining the handmade bricks, we discovered that this caused the uneven wavy edges not to butt up nicely with adjacent bricks. The concrete base had already been poured, and we were forced to lay the bricks flat, as I illustrated in a previous post, causing the bottom riser to be shorter than the rest. I can live with this, because I, too, am not precious and perfect. Imperfections are welcome.
If you’re wondering why the bottom step is shorter than the others, here’s the explanation: The original intent was to have the bricks set on their edges which would have increased the riser height, but after examining the handmade bricks, we discovered that this caused the uneven wavy edges not to butt up nicely with adjacent bricks. The concrete base had already been poured, and we were forced to lay the bricks flat, as I illustrated in a previous post, causing the bottom riser to be shorter than the rest. I can live with this, because I, too, am not precious and perfect. Imperfections are welcome.

The fancy stonework has now been completed. Two expanses of random rectangular Pennsylvania stone paving in mixed colors — one at the base of the back steps and another in the front of the house — were carefully laid on a one inch setting bed of decomposed granite and compact soil. No mortar was used. Instead decomposed granite was swept into all the joints and compact surface.

Landscape & Gardening

No. Not Working. Please Redo.

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gate-bad

This makes my eyes bleed! Not in my wildest imagination did I fear such a mess. Why did I not anticipate this fiasco? Me, Miss OCD, who truly believes God is in the details! I have never seen a messy chain link gate. Old and battered maybe, but they always had nicely made frames before they were rammed by some random truck. This frame structure is a total reject and is to be redone to my specifications accompanied by a detailed drawing with a vibrant accent color. If the fabricator has any questions, he has been instructed to contact me and not make some crazy wild guesses. It may be several weeks before the new gates are ready for installation, but it will be worth the wait. Hopefully the fabric won’t become warped before then, and with luck, no neighbors will look too closely.