When we first moved into this house, almost 22 years ago now, there were only six trees on the property...three each on two sides of the lot. On one side were three soft maples; on the other side were two soft maples and an oak.
Doug had been living on ten wooded acres before we married. I had been living in a house trailer on my parents' 20-acre farm, with no close neighbors. Then, after moving from the farm, I had lived in a housing development; but there was a privacy fence around a back yard that had lots of trees.
Doug and I felt the lack of privacy when we bought this house, which was surrounded by other homes. Initially, we wanted to put in a privacy fence; but we have a corner lot, and there were regulations restricting the placement of the fence in relation to the road which ran beside the property. There were no restrictions, however, on where we planted trees and shrubs. So, instead of a privacy fence, we planted a variety of trees and shrubs around the perimeter of the back yard. And we're so glad we did. Our yard is like a park...so much nicer than a privacy fence made of boards.
We haven't had too much snow yet this winter, following a summer of not much rain. That causes us some concern for the trees in our back yard, which provide privacy for us and food and habitat for birds, squirrels, and rabbits.
It snowed an inch or so yesterday and gave me an opportunity to get a few snowy photos of the yard.
This is one corner of the back yard. The bare tree on the right-hand edge of the photo is the only tree in the picture that was on the property when we bought it. The evergreens are not nearly as bushy as they were before our dry summer. We're hoping they'll bounce back with winter snows and spring rains.
We're not sure what this fruit is, but it provides winter sustenance for birds and squirrels, which, in turn, provide entertainment for us.
You have a crab apple below the fir bough. These are fun pictures and what a great yard.I could see some small shrubs placed underneath these to add more habitat, maybe you have flowers already.Sometimes your county extension office has recommended native plants available.
ReplyDeleteOOTP - We thought it might be a crab apple tree, but we weren't sure. It's glorious in the spring. And, yes, the landscaper that helped us with the yard tried to plant a variety of things so that there would be something blooming during most of the summer. We can entertain ourselves just by sitting at a window and watching the critters in the yard. That blue spruce is a virtual apartment building for birds.
ReplyDeleteI remember when you moved there and had all this landscaping done. Definitely a decision that has paid for itself over and over again. You got some really pretty pictures out of just a skiff of snow. Good job. :)
ReplyDeleteSuch lovely photos, Linda. I would love to have more trees in my yard. We had to cut one down just this pas summer due to a fungus and it broke my heart. It was my bird feeder tree. Nothing else is close enough to the house to offer that same view. Your place looks just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSandra - It was one of those times when we were saved from making a mistake by powers outside of ourselves. We were frustrated by the rules about the privacy fence; but, in the end, we were much more satisfied with the landscaping than we ever would have been with the fence. Thanks for the kind words about the pictures.
ReplyDeleteHilary - Thank you for the compliment. I can imagine the sense of loss at having to cut down that tree. I hope you can come up with a solution that allows you to enjoy a good view of the bird feeder again.
A 'living' fence. Excellent Linda. So much better than wooden panels.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right, Keith. It has given us so much enjoyment over the years.
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