For several years running I've done an end of summer tour of the garden. I fully intended to do one this year, but somehow never got around to it. I was too good at ignoring summer was actually coming to an end. Once I realized it was time to start the great migration of the succulents under-cover (rain, rain, rain — in the extended forecast) I sort of panicked and took a few quick pictures to compare the garden now (photos taken September 2016) to then (May 2005, during the home inspection as we were looking to buy). It's not a complete tour but at least it's something.
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And shown below, the front of the house on May 20, 2005. What hasn't changed? Well, we've still got the same roof, that's about it! Lawn gone, all foundation plants removed, house color changed, new windows installed, address plaque gone, brass light fixture and door handle/kick-plate replaced, wrought iron railing removed...
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Now...
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I wonder why I took this photo? I must have just been trying to record all sides of the house, although I completely skipped the north side. Anyway, here's the backdoor and driveway then...
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And now. Too bad I didn't take this before I pulled out the tomatoes and Zinnia, it would have been a more impressive photo with them.
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Entering the back yard, there's narrow entrance between the house (right) and garage (left). That's the dearly departed (2014) wall-o-privet that you see directly ahead, under it is a Rhododendron which left in 2012. Oh and yes, that's a butterfly wing you can kind of make out on the front of the garage. Did I mention these photos were all taken during the inspection, before the house was ours?
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We gated entrance in 2008, when Lila came to live with us. Originally it was a simple chain-link gate (never did care for that) but finally it was replaced with my Agavegate...
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And with the gate open...
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Stepping into the backyard, the side of the neighbor's garage marks the north end of our upper yard. On the right is the back of our house. I was in awe of that beautiful Rosemary and would have kept it, but see how the gutter is slightly hanging off their garage? A winter waterfall did it in.
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2016. The angle isn't quite right, you see more of our house, but I was working from memory.
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The side of our garage (which boarders the south end of the upper yard), the ginormous Hydrangea finally came out in 2013...
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And now.
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Looking back through that opening between the house and garage then (oh how I miss that giant hedge that hid the neighbor's house)...
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And now...
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This next image was taken standing in the upper yard looking at the southwest corner of our property. Believe it or not that fern at the edge of the garage is still there, although I trim it back every spring so it's a lot smaller. The chiminea went with the previous owners and that rose bush was ripped out our first weekend in the house.
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2016 version! There were always steps down to the lower garden, but on the leftside was a gradual lawn and weed covered slope. We extended the wall in an "L" shape which created the sunken patio.
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Looking due west, the wall-o-Laurel was deep, coming into our property a good 8 feet. We thought it was entirely ours but learned, that first summer, that it was the neighbor's. She cut it down and installed a (cheap) fence. There went our privacy.
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Shortly after that she sold her house, which was then torn town and two McMansions (and the offending bi-colored garage) were built in its place. Our bamboo in the stock tanks was a knee-jerk reaction to the loss of the green wall.
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Blurry but I wanted to include it anyway. This is the north side of the lower yard. Privet (with it's jaunty yellow variegated patch) all the way to the ground, the property line was about 10 ft back.
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And now...all of the planted area beyond the patio was reclaimed from where the privet once grew.
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This photo was taken standing on what was then lawn but is now the patio, towards the back of the garage. There was once an alley along the back of our property, so the garage opened on both the front and back, handy!
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Kinda sorta the same angle today.
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One last before, this the back of our house. AKA the movie screen.
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And now...
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Here's one last bonus photo, because I am really loving this view of the front garden and wanted to include it. Hope you enjoyed this "then and now" look at our ever-evolving garden. If you blog I'd love to see something similar on your garden, please share a link below if you do such a post!
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All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
And shown below, the front of the house on May 20, 2005. What hasn't changed? Well, we've still got the same roof, that's about it! Lawn gone, all foundation plants removed, house color changed, new windows installed, address plaque gone, brass light fixture and door handle/kick-plate replaced, wrought iron railing removed...
Now...
I wonder why I took this photo? I must have just been trying to record all sides of the house, although I completely skipped the north side. Anyway, here's the backdoor and driveway then...
And now. Too bad I didn't take this before I pulled out the tomatoes and Zinnia, it would have been a more impressive photo with them.
Entering the back yard, there's narrow entrance between the house (right) and garage (left). That's the dearly departed (2014) wall-o-privet that you see directly ahead, under it is a Rhododendron which left in 2012. Oh and yes, that's a butterfly wing you can kind of make out on the front of the garage. Did I mention these photos were all taken during the inspection, before the house was ours?
We gated entrance in 2008, when Lila came to live with us. Originally it was a simple chain-link gate (never did care for that) but finally it was replaced with my Agavegate...
And with the gate open...
Stepping into the backyard, the side of the neighbor's garage marks the north end of our upper yard. On the right is the back of our house. I was in awe of that beautiful Rosemary and would have kept it, but see how the gutter is slightly hanging off their garage? A winter waterfall did it in.
2016. The angle isn't quite right, you see more of our house, but I was working from memory.
The side of our garage (which boarders the south end of the upper yard), the ginormous Hydrangea finally came out in 2013...
And now.
Looking back through that opening between the house and garage then (oh how I miss that giant hedge that hid the neighbor's house)...
And now...
This next image was taken standing in the upper yard looking at the southwest corner of our property. Believe it or not that fern at the edge of the garage is still there, although I trim it back every spring so it's a lot smaller. The chiminea went with the previous owners and that rose bush was ripped out our first weekend in the house.
2016 version! There were always steps down to the lower garden, but on the leftside was a gradual lawn and weed covered slope. We extended the wall in an "L" shape which created the sunken patio.
Looking due west, the wall-o-Laurel was deep, coming into our property a good 8 feet. We thought it was entirely ours but learned, that first summer, that it was the neighbor's. She cut it down and installed a (cheap) fence. There went our privacy.
Shortly after that she sold her house, which was then torn town and two McMansions (and the offending bi-colored garage) were built in its place. Our bamboo in the stock tanks was a knee-jerk reaction to the loss of the green wall.
Blurry but I wanted to include it anyway. This is the north side of the lower yard. Privet (with it's jaunty yellow variegated patch) all the way to the ground, the property line was about 10 ft back.
And now...all of the planted area beyond the patio was reclaimed from where the privet once grew.
This photo was taken standing on what was then lawn but is now the patio, towards the back of the garage. There was once an alley along the back of our property, so the garage opened on both the front and back, handy!
Kinda sorta the same angle today.
One last before, this the back of our house. AKA the movie screen.
And now...
Here's one last bonus photo, because I am really loving this view of the front garden and wanted to include it. Hope you enjoyed this "then and now" look at our ever-evolving garden. If you blog I'd love to see something similar on your garden, please share a link below if you do such a post!
All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.