Landscaping Behind and Ahead
It has been not quite 9 years since House60 was re-landscaped.
https://byroncaloz.livejournal.com/305225.html
I note that most of what I set out to do 9 years ago has been done, some ideas changed, others in progress, new things added.
The original list--
[done] put the cars in the back (see the note on the Falcon later)
[done] bring over the ladders and other items off the alley
[done] clean chairs and table and put on Craig's list (This was a table and chair set from a co-worker: it just did not suit our life very well and had become rich with algae).
[done] rose bushes with trestle (I still need to work on the landscaping around it)
[done] front dry well properly spaced from house (I am rather proud of that work. Other than the removal of heating oil tank it was all done by me, including installation of a new metal window well. I purchased it right after the landscaping was finished but it sat around for a few years until I had finished that project. The window well was the last step after the drainage was completed).
[done] retaining wall for front. (I am proud of that work. It wasn't perfect but still works with exception of the tree root which not only disrupted my wall at that point but also the sidewalk!)
[WIP] picket fence. (the part at the south was done and is now in need of painting and some minor repair. The part at the north was waiting for the completion of the driveway and dry well project).
[WIP] clean deck. (actually we did make progress, then regressed, then made progress. I bought a container to put some of the odds and ends we kept on a rotting rattan shelf. With our cats of two years I had piles of cat litter empty boxes until last year when I finally took them all to the dump. That won't happen again as I am using the empties to put used litter in! I still need to refinish the Adirondack chair and do a better job removing weeds from the crevices on the stairs).
[WIP] rock garden with bench. (I located it under the Juniper tree. Doesn't work there. Needs to be out in the open sun away from shedding plants)
[to do] organize spare parts to enable better deck access. (basically this means redoing the railing and stairs. It is a project and there are parts about it which may be very complicated).
[to do] back dry well properly spaced from house
[to do] Use the fence on the South side to add hangers upon which to hang the ladders.
(I didn't do this because the neighbors were concerned the weight of the ladders would pull down the fence. I agreed, mainly because over the years we had to replace 3 posts from the badly done fence. The weight would make this worse. Instead I hope to eventually hang the ladders off the side of the house once I get the siding re-done).
[to do] fix the Falcon. For a while it was working, but I just let it sit because I was afraid to drive it. The reason: no seat belts! Since then I met a conman who did help me put in the seat belts. He said he would get the engine going again, but no such luck. He absconded with a new battery. I will probably have to sink another wad of cash to get someone to clean out the gas line and get the engine to start again. If I can get that process started again, I promise to get the car running again and will drive it at least once a week! For now it just sits on the back drive way with its flat tires.
New items since 2012:
[done] Marvin's Garden. This came during and after the dry well. I had started adding plants even while I was digging the dry well. I am still adding plants, but call it done at this point. The mostly native plants seem to be doing well.
[done] Delbert's Garden. These are the natives behind the retaining wall. For the first time I had to cut back the bushes which were growing into the walkway space so as to get more sunlight. In retrospect the area is too shady for them. I would still like to plant something close to the fence where there is some light. I might also consider doing what was suggested by Sharon: put in a circular table and bench around the tree trunk. Nothing of consequence can grow there anyway.
[done] remove false window wells and slope the land up to the original window wells and foundation on the north side. I did this by putting in the walkway and raised area by the north fence and included a French drain.
[WIP] add a tetherball court. I wrapped the walkway around it and put in blocks I didn't use from the front retaining wall. It should mostly work but the court will be undersized and restrictive. I may end up not doing it. In any case I do need to finish the circle as a proper one by first transplanting the smaller evergreen tree, removing the brick graveyard there now, getting the blocks and bricks making the circle properly leveled and matched, putting some sort of surface in, and finally adding the pole.
[WIP] remove false window wells on the south side with land sloping away from the foundation. I got a start on this on the west/front side of the house but stopped. It will be much trickier in the small space to do this without harming the fence.
[to do] plant a new apple tree. Before the landscaping we had an old failing apple tree in the side yard. I want to put a smaller tree very near where the old one was. The space is there...just need the Covid-19 thing to go away so I can feel free to shop and find just the right tree.
https://byroncaloz.livejournal.com/305225.html
I note that most of what I set out to do 9 years ago has been done, some ideas changed, others in progress, new things added.
The original list--
[done] put the cars in the back (see the note on the Falcon later)
[done] bring over the ladders and other items off the alley
[done] clean chairs and table and put on Craig's list (This was a table and chair set from a co-worker: it just did not suit our life very well and had become rich with algae).
[done] rose bushes with trestle (I still need to work on the landscaping around it)
[done] front dry well properly spaced from house (I am rather proud of that work. Other than the removal of heating oil tank it was all done by me, including installation of a new metal window well. I purchased it right after the landscaping was finished but it sat around for a few years until I had finished that project. The window well was the last step after the drainage was completed).
[done] retaining wall for front. (I am proud of that work. It wasn't perfect but still works with exception of the tree root which not only disrupted my wall at that point but also the sidewalk!)
[WIP] picket fence. (the part at the south was done and is now in need of painting and some minor repair. The part at the north was waiting for the completion of the driveway and dry well project).
[WIP] clean deck. (actually we did make progress, then regressed, then made progress. I bought a container to put some of the odds and ends we kept on a rotting rattan shelf. With our cats of two years I had piles of cat litter empty boxes until last year when I finally took them all to the dump. That won't happen again as I am using the empties to put used litter in! I still need to refinish the Adirondack chair and do a better job removing weeds from the crevices on the stairs).
[WIP] rock garden with bench. (I located it under the Juniper tree. Doesn't work there. Needs to be out in the open sun away from shedding plants)
[to do] organize spare parts to enable better deck access. (basically this means redoing the railing and stairs. It is a project and there are parts about it which may be very complicated).
[to do] back dry well properly spaced from house
[to do] Use the fence on the South side to add hangers upon which to hang the ladders.
(I didn't do this because the neighbors were concerned the weight of the ladders would pull down the fence. I agreed, mainly because over the years we had to replace 3 posts from the badly done fence. The weight would make this worse. Instead I hope to eventually hang the ladders off the side of the house once I get the siding re-done).
[to do] fix the Falcon. For a while it was working, but I just let it sit because I was afraid to drive it. The reason: no seat belts! Since then I met a conman who did help me put in the seat belts. He said he would get the engine going again, but no such luck. He absconded with a new battery. I will probably have to sink another wad of cash to get someone to clean out the gas line and get the engine to start again. If I can get that process started again, I promise to get the car running again and will drive it at least once a week! For now it just sits on the back drive way with its flat tires.
New items since 2012:
[done] Marvin's Garden. This came during and after the dry well. I had started adding plants even while I was digging the dry well. I am still adding plants, but call it done at this point. The mostly native plants seem to be doing well.
[done] Delbert's Garden. These are the natives behind the retaining wall. For the first time I had to cut back the bushes which were growing into the walkway space so as to get more sunlight. In retrospect the area is too shady for them. I would still like to plant something close to the fence where there is some light. I might also consider doing what was suggested by Sharon: put in a circular table and bench around the tree trunk. Nothing of consequence can grow there anyway.
[done] remove false window wells and slope the land up to the original window wells and foundation on the north side. I did this by putting in the walkway and raised area by the north fence and included a French drain.
[WIP] add a tetherball court. I wrapped the walkway around it and put in blocks I didn't use from the front retaining wall. It should mostly work but the court will be undersized and restrictive. I may end up not doing it. In any case I do need to finish the circle as a proper one by first transplanting the smaller evergreen tree, removing the brick graveyard there now, getting the blocks and bricks making the circle properly leveled and matched, putting some sort of surface in, and finally adding the pole.
[WIP] remove false window wells on the south side with land sloping away from the foundation. I got a start on this on the west/front side of the house but stopped. It will be much trickier in the small space to do this without harming the fence.
[to do] plant a new apple tree. Before the landscaping we had an old failing apple tree in the side yard. I want to put a smaller tree very near where the old one was. The space is there...just need the Covid-19 thing to go away so I can feel free to shop and find just the right tree.