 |
| Early and Mid Season Tulips in my yard. |
Okay, I'll admit it. I spent exactly 30 minutes in my yard this week. Since the last time I posted, the ONLY things that I've done that were "yard related" are:
- I mowed the grass last Sunday and put 14 bags of pruned branches, weeds, and other "non-compost" winter debris out for the trash truck which, mercifully, took away the mess that has been partially blocking the entry to the garage for almost a month, on Monday morning..
- I walked around my yard, took a "mental inventory (and a few photos) of what still needs to be done and went back inside to work on the dining room since people will need to sit there for Easter. It's all about priorities! *smile*
Yep...that's it.So, since the weather has cooled off to the point that I had to cover my geraniums last night and it looks like the tulips and daffodils will actually make it until Easter, rather than talk about soil, I'd like to ask you to think about your "view".
- What is it that you see when you look out your window(s) and/or door(s)?
- Does it make you smile?
The photo above is the view that I have when I look out of my front door. Since I spend a fair amount of my time inside of my house "looking out", it was far more important to me to have views that were beautiful from inside than it was to have landscaping that was prettier to the strangers driving past my home on the street than it was for me, my family, and our friends.
Take another look at the photo of the view from my front door. Notice how the crab apple tree almost completely blocks the view of the house across the street? That's not accidental.
This is what my front yard looks like from the "inside", standing on my neighbors' driveway, looking "up hill" across the front. I wanted to create a sense of privacy and a little bit of mystery. A garden that, while nice enough for anyone walking or driving past, would be best viewed from the vantage of people who are "invited in".
When I stand in my kitchen, THIS is what I see:
 |
| Chair coves: Pillow shams from Target. Patio furniture and table cloth: flea markets, garage sales, and pickin. |
If you look closely, you can see that there's a house within 200 feet of my back door. However, I've landscaped so that, at least in the summer, I can barely see it. If you look closely, you can also see that there is a hose on the patio that didn't get wound up and dirt on the table from the last time it rained that didn't get wiped off. Hey...this is "real life photography", I told you that I'd share what I see...well, this is it.
This is what I see from my family room:
Notice the huge brick two-story WALL? That's the side of my neighbors' house. No windows, no architectural detail, not pretty to look at. Now that the arborvitae that I planted to block it are 10 feet tall, and the Cercis (redbud) is filling in, it's a little less "urban" and I feel like I can sit on my patio in at least a little bit of privacy. This is the view of that same house from my lower yard.
Think about what your "view" looks like. If you spend time looking "out"
like I do, putting something beautiful in a spot that you see all the
time may change how you look at everything else around it.
 |
| My Garden Angel. A birthday gift from my parents, long ago |
All of the photos above were taken in my yard this week. Due to the cooler weather, nothing new is in bloom. However, the tulips are lasting longer. I PROMISE, we'll "talk dirt" next week because my SOIL SOUP supplies are here and I can't wait to show you how they work. Happy Easter!
xo,
S
