| Posted on Saturday, July 22, 2006 - 12:42 am: |   
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My earliest memories of this garden stretch back to the mid 1950's...
when this was one of a very }few homes completed in our new "suburban" residential development. The development was called 'Wildman;s Fifth Addition' during that period when each developer had a small, nicely built, nicely landscaped sales office at the entrance to his development.
Our home was used brick with putty trim and cedar shake shingles. It formed a letter "L", with it's back facing the street. The top of the "L" was the double garage. The base of the "L", at the back, contained 2 bedrooms. The inside crook of the "L" contained kitchen and breakfast room windows, with large windows added later at the back of the garage.
The crook of the "L" faced southwest and served as the location for a large concrete slab patio.
Not long after moving in, the folks began a backyard project with far reaching consequences.
They extended the patio with a used brick "apron".
On the outside edge of the apron they added an 18x18 inch brick wall that doubled as a seating area. The wall had three openings permitting access to the lawn and back gardens.
They also built a two foot brick wall around the back yard. They softened the two outer corners with gentle curves...that created a triangular planting area behind the wall.
Where the wall adjoined the home, and at both curved corners, the heighth of the wall was increased to about 4 feet. And on top of the long low straight sections of wall the folks installed a simple, attractive wrought iron panel painted the same color as the house trim. |
| Posted on Saturday, July 22, 2006 - 04:17 pm: |
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This construction, in and of itself, was considered "a lot" of landscaping in those days...but the folks weren't through yet. They created beds along the south of the house itself. Inside the entire length of the brick fence they built generous beds that curved in some areas and ran straight in others. All the beds were bordered with a two brick high "mowstrip."
I don't know if "control" was a major social issue in those days...though I suspect it was...
but control was definitely a major factor in Dad's approach to landscaping.
We had perfectly round Barberries & Hollies, an enormous perfectly round Chinese Photinia, rows of perfectly trimmed Dwarf Burford Holly hedges, Yaupon Hollies perfectly trimmed into flobular shapes atop multi-trunks.We had "Just the right number" of apple trees for me, my sister, and our friends. We had a shade tree in front dedicated to me and one in back dedicated to my sister.
Two quotes I remember from my father will either amuse or horrify you:
"Fertilizing the plants, son, just creates a lot of unnecessary growth." [Dad didn't like to prune...but his style of gardening demanded a lot of it. So I guess he thought this was one possible solution.]
[Please understand. I defend has statement because I love my Dad very much. He was a wonderful, gentlemanly, strong, decent, and intelligent man. Nonetheless, this accurate quote will remain to my dying day one of the strangest things I have ever heard a human being say.]
and...
"I like a little ground between my plants, son." [by way of explaining the need to weed.]
Sounds kind of strange doesn't it? But it not only passed for normal in those days in these parts...it garnered a lot of compliments and envious comments.
My folks garden may not have been a floral bonanza...but it was healthy, and cared for, and neat as a pin...in that French parterre, Dutch herb garden, Italian Renaissance kind of way that bespoke proper management. |
| Posted on Sunday, July 23, 2006 - 10:26 pm: |
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Your dad definitely had a control freak streak. My DH does too, for someone who doesn't like to mow or weed, he has an exceptional fondness for trimmed box hedges and straight lines. Im a more practical gardener, I choose plants that will have a nice shape even when neglected for months, and my paths go along the contours of the slope, so there is no hard slog up and down hills, or steps that need building. The result is asymmetrical and casual, but I put in a straight central avenue with a box hedge for DH, and he buys me statues for my birthdays which add to the formal effect. DH has enormous problems buying gifts, so I have set the rule that I will like any garden statue, as long as it isn't rude. Gnomes, angels or animals are all welcome. |
