Tag: Michael Parkey

Landscape & Gardening

The Continuing Saga

Posted on 2 Comments
I didn't get the "wear your blue shirt" memo. (from left to right) fencing contractor, Mark Abington with Hadden Landscaping, and Michael Parkey, the landscape architect
I didn’t get the “wear your blue shirt” memo. (from left to right) fencing contractor, Mark Abington with Hadden Landscaping, and Michael Parkey, the landscape architect

The continuing saga of the lace fence. After arriving last week, the package was too long and heavy for one man and a dolly to maneuver from the truck, through the gates and into my garage. So it’s just been lying on my driveway ever since. From looking at the package, it appeared that they had shipped the fabric in separate panels and not in the continuous roll that I expected. This worried me, but after opening it up, we discovered that it was indeed one continuous piece of fabric. Yes! Yes! Yes! On closer inspection we realized that the woven lace designs were small and tight and would have never been able to conform to a compact rolling technique.

Landscape & Gardening

Take One Last Look

Posted on 1 Comment
Click on the photo for a larger version.
Click on the photo for a larger version.

And say goodbye. Tomorrow morning the crew, Hadden Landscaping, will start the process of converting my backyard into a sun garden. Tomorrow’s agenda includes busting up the old concrete driveway, removing the small shed, and then spraying something on the St. Augustine to kill it. Killing the grass makes me unhappy, because this is the only location on my property where it has thrived. Michael Parkey, my landscape architect who is very environmentally conscious, tells me this is a necessary evil. If we don’t do it, the grass will grow back and become a nuisance in my perennial beds. I find this hard to believe because I can’t get the grass to grow very well in my front shade garden.

I plan to blog all the phases of my backyard’s transformation. The first phase will be the demolition, second phase will be the hardscape installation, and then the final phase will be the landscaping. Stay tuned.

Landscape & Gardening

Plan and Plant

Posted on No Comments
Click on the above image for a larger version.
Click on the above image for a larger version.

The backyard garden’s construction documents are complete and my landscape architect, Michael Parkey, will now send them out to bid. Perhaps in two weeks the construction will begin and my poor neighbors will no longer have to deal with the view of my trailer-park-of-a backyard.

I have also ordered the fancy lace chain link fence that I wrote about in a previous post. It’s due to ship from India next week. Trying to find someone to deal with all the paperwork involved with getting this chain link fabric cleared through customs has been one giant pain in the derrière. This product has been designed in the Netherlands, fabricated in India, and will be shipped by sea. The Dutch design firm informed me that I would be responsible for locating the nearest deep sea port and arranging for its unloading, customs clearance, and shipping to Dallas. Three weeks later I now have the knowledge and skills to import anything from anywhere. Skills that I could add to my résumé, but won’t, because I never want to do this again. Ever.

I will be posting the different phases of my backyard’s transformation throughout this summer. So stay tuned. If you can’t remember what the hardscape plan looks like, refer to my past post found here.

Landscape & Gardening

Hardscape Plan

Posted on No Comments
Click on the above image for a larger version.
Click on the above image for a larger version.

For my backyard. My landscape architect, Michael Parkey, has recently finalized the demolition and hardscape plans. The next step is to draw up the construction documents and send them out to bid. The plant choices will be the next phase and may take a year of seasons to purchase and place. The goal is to have seasonal interest in the color and texture of the perennial varieties.

Originally I had wanted a pond, but having two frenchies that aren’t equipped with water wings, squelched that dream. As of now the focal point replacement will be a unique birdhouse. However that could change once we start siting all the decorative features. What looks good on paper may not look so wonderful once installed. All gardens are a work in progress.