So, since it is now becoming a reality in my mind that we are going to be homeowners soon, I am thinking about our future yard.
Here is my issue:
When we looked at the yard, my main concern was that there would be enough space for me to have a veggie patch and room for some flowers.
Got it. Room for at least a few hundred square feet of veggies and a lot of space for flowers.
We also have quite a few mature trees. And that is where the problem comes in. Four in particlar trouble me. They are very large pines situated on the South and East sides of the house. I love the idea of these beautiful trees, but they are in my way. They are blocking sun to the only spot in the yard I can have my veggies, and actually the electric lines to the house go right through the middle of them.
I know that I will be having the electric company come out and cut the branches back so that that particular problem gets solved, but I am going back and forth on if I really want them removed completely.
The problem with this yard is that it doesn't seem to have been planned at all. Lilacs planted in the narrow space between the garage and house where they don't get nearly enough light, trees planted right up against the house, sun loving flowers struggling in the shade, strangely pruned and sickly looking hydrangea and bridal veil right up against the house, a HUGE fire pit just hanging out in the middle of the yard....ugh.
My first instinct is to rip it all out and start with a fresh slate, but I am not quite willing to give up all the mature trees at once. I hate when houses just kind of "float" in the yard with no trees to hold them down. I keep thinking that they will fly away.
I know, my imagination needs to be curbed just a bit.
I keep trying to figure out how I can get some fruit trees and bushes started before taking the big trees out, but there is so much shade from the biggies that I am afraid young trees will not be able to get what they need.
I also know that I can't afford to buy every plant I want right off the bat and that I will not be able to afford large specimens. I will have to start with young plants and wait for them to grow and fill in the space. I don't want the yard to be "nekkid" while I wait.
On top of all that, Mr. Barefoot thinks he gets to have a vote in how the yard gets handled.
My brain hurts.
I can't wait till I can get some pics for y'all, cuz then I will be asking for opinions.
2 comments:
ugh! I know what you mean about thoughtless planting. I wish more people would put more thought into what and where they plant things. People need to remember that baby trees GROW and planting a pine tree 1 foot away from the house is not going to work 15 years from now.
Not too much trouble with that around here, but we did have a blue spruce tree we had to uproot because it was getting too big for it's britches a mere 5 feet from the house. And we have another tree planted in front that gives great shade, BUT has toooooooo many baby off-shoots that come from the roots so we are forever hacking baby trees and they are taking over!
Good luck in deciding what you are going to do. If it was me, and the mature trees were in the way, I'd go ahead and cut 'em down and use the wood for firewood. I'd rather have a garden.
Jenny, I tend to agree with you that I would prefer the garden to the trees. But then I start thinking about a yard without any shade for a few years ( I don't deal with the heat well) and I start to wonder if that is the right thing to do....I am hoping that things will become a little clearer once we are in the house and I have some time to study on the issue.
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