That is so cool and interesting, keep us posted!

Oh the suspense, you're killing me here . . .

So what is the plan?? Please?

Chapter 4 -

At this point I have very little to add to the story. Once the 'meatballs' were removed those garden beds were widened and amended with compost. Then blistering heat set in and daughter knew that was not the time to plant. Our kids grew up in the nursery/landscape business. They are pretty savy about the 'rights and wrongs' of the process. So, the neighborhood is waiting and watching. Daughter decided that the house needed new house numbers on the front. The old numbers were nailed to a piece of board over the front door. When they removed that board a beautiful, hand carved granite lintel was revealed. As those of you who have rehabbed older homes and landscapes know....there are always surprises!

PICTURES!!!!!

Here's a before pic.... we have purchased a variety of Holly, Mountail Laurel, and various different textured evergreens to plant as the base of our front planting. I'll add color as my mood strikes. After removing the "meatballs" we found pretty stone work and charm that had been burried under bushes for 60 years. Note the house numbers smack dab over the carved entry. I have beautiful new hand made ceramic numbers (thanks to Nandina) that will hand vertically to the right of the door on the brick.
{{gwi:1187295}}

geez my typing was bad tonight!
It's Mountain Laurel and hang! Sorry for the typos.

Pressing on to ...Chapter 5

I note that daughter has found this post and supplied you all with a 'before' picture of her home. What she did not tell you is that mid morning of last week she heard a loud crashing sound. Rushing to a window she saw that her neighbor's huge oak had split apart shattering the slate roof and causing interior structural damage plus crushing the mutual fence between the two properties. Note: damage was to the neighbor's house. Once repairs are made to the house and crushed fence removed the two neighbors will work out a new landscape plan which both can enjoy. Here I would like to urge all those with old, tall trees around their house to have an arborist climb up into the trees every third year or so and check the tree crowns for rot or damage. Sure, it costs money which is well worth it. Especially in these days when we are hearing more and more stories about insurance companies cancelling policies over simple claims. When the tree mentioned above was examined it was noted that carpenter ants had hollowed out the tree all the way to the top.

This neighborhood with its massive, tall, solid houses built with just a driveway width between each house and very close to the main road really are a landscaping challenge. I would guess that when they were built American elms were planted along the street and that they gracefully brought 'balance' to the landscape. For those who did not live during those days, the Am. elm was the landscape tree of choice in major northern cities. No other tree provides the stately visual grace in the manner that the elm did.

where, oh where is chapter 6?? gorgeous house. can't wait for more landscaping info and pix! i am one who IS old enough to remember the elms along the streets -- they are most sadly missed.

Sorry, but Chapter 6 will have to wait until the northern heat wave ends. For the past month daily temperatures have been higher in the north than here in the south. That is unusual. The landscape project will resume when the weather cooperates.

This area did have Elm trees lining the streets and according to neighbors the last of them died a few years ago. Unfortunately as they died, the city replaced many of them with Ash trees which have died due to the Emerald Ash Bore and the devistatiom is awful. The city is removing the dead trees as they can but it's a huge job. I'm hoping that the 100 year old Oaks stand tall for many years!

aw c'mon....we're waiting for chapter 6!

Chapter 6

This chapter is divided into two parts. While waiting for fall planting season our daughter decided to change the entrance to a rear glassed in porch and to enlarge/rearrange the patio of natural flat rock. This has taken some time and work. Plus, they are updating the house interior with paint and wall paper complimenting the fabulous colored tile work of that building period. It is a stunning house.

In the meantime, her neighbor with all the tree damage has been out of town for most of the summer. None of the broken tree has been removed as yet and it lies in pieces on daughter's lawn. The contractor who was to do the roof and house repairs never turned in his estimates to the insurance company. So...nothing has been done! The slate roof hit by the falling tree has remained open to rains and there has been more damage.

I would guess that Holly will post a picture of the front plantings after they are installed. She has such an artistic 'eye' that I am anxious to see just how she takes my plant suggestions and incorporates them into the landscape. We worked out a 'head' plan but she has the capability to make that landscape sing.

It has been a loooooong while since posting an update. We are in the process of rebuilding the front porch and have downsized it leaving more room to garden. When it is completed, I sure could use your landscaping ideas!

It's been 9 years. Any pictures at all?
Mike...left hangin'.