This picture, taken by our sales agent before digital advertising and, quite obviously, sophistication in Real Estate marketing was, for obvious reasons , given to us after the sale was concluded.
Twenty six years ago, I was waylaid by a slipped disk wrought upon me when I bent down to pick up my younger son's fallen bicycle.
My instructions/recommendations to my wife were to look for a ranch and make sure the house would be slightly higher than the street, (I had seen way too many spring thaw-caused floods to appreciate that muddy mess ever again in my life) As far as the ranch style goes, I wanted a house where we could grow old together without worrying about stairs. From the picture you can conclude that my wife had other plans and, as we say in French:"Ce que femme veut Dieu le veut" something like "don't bother arguing with a woman." Before you point your finger at my wife, I want you to know that the house has turned out having great Karma, either innate or brought in by us; I am not sure which. I believe that calls for another French saying:"Trust the woman!"
On the plus side, it was located on the corner of a cul-de-sac full of children playing in the street. Remember those days before obesity and the sounds of kids playing outside, exercising more than their thumbs? And it was located in a slightly older, quiet neighborhood, in close proximity to a number of conveniences.
The landscaping was of the minimalist type: half a dozen mature pine trees around the house,(we got rid of them after hurricane Fran when too many large branches crashes destructively and when I realized the largest pine was leaning toward my neighbor's house) a scrawny southern magnolia you can see on the left and a lawn made up of wire grass on top of baked brick clay. The canvas was far from clean but it sure was empty, ready for me.
What kind of garden? Around me were only American style yards: either natural or requiring a mowing every few days. You could see a few azaleas here and there for a few days in spring but absolutely nothing like herbs, flowers or veggies. I decide to go boldly where no one had gone yet and started a European style garden: flowers, herbs, vegetables and small fruit. I would, through the years, add some exoticism with bamboo, bananas, water gardens and, in the last five years, honeybees. Each one of those will be subject to its own post in due time. After all, if I write it all now, what will be left for future sharing?
While I was eager to get back to a large garden similar to the one we just had left at the old house, behind the Fairgrounds, I followed the advise I always give beginners: start small. I built four raised beds, filled them with a pick-up truck load of compost I had made at the old place and planted vegetables and herbs.
For the next few years, I collected horse manure at Meredith College and J&H Stables--both sources have now tarried with Meredith concentrating on education rather than equitation and J&H having been laid waste by a developer still trying to develop so many years later. In fall, I'd get truckloads of leaves from the city and lay my hands on any amount of wood chips tree surgeons would part with.
By now, the whole yard is covered with several inches of black dirt and so many plants and trees that the young ones in the hood would nickname it :"The jungle" a term I am very proud of.
By now, no neighbor is mad at me me anymore for ruining "a perfectly good lawn"; several have started their own garden and my yard has become a selling point with buyers who want something pretty to look at, across the street or next door. A long way away from the lonely house on the hill and the amateurish snap shot! The garden has now become a must see for some including what my older son coined "drive-by viewers".
What it looked like yesterday:
