Landscaping: Week 13

May 15-19, 2000

Plants and trees started showing up this week. Lots of pictures.

Planter box

no wires, no pipes

soil prep

new hose bib

pear trees

hedge shrubs

Akebono cherry

Japanese Maple

Ginko

BBQ Pad

The sprinkler control wires have been brought into the pool equipment enclosure. At the same time, the back-flush hose was replaced with plastic pipe that was routed directly to a drain.
Back-flushing the pool filter now brings the water out to the curb. The concrete base for the BBQ pad was pored.

Soil is being prepared in the plant areas near the house. A drain has also been added for the new downspout. A hose bib was installed close to the dining room door – convenient.

Trees and shrubs have started arriving. Non-bearing pear trees will go in the back yard; their height used to shield the master bedroom from the neighbor’s yard and driveway. The hedge shrubs are evergreen, so they should provide year round privacy. The Akebono cherry trees will go on the hill by the side of the pool. The Japanese Maple with the thin, pointy leaves will go by the front entranceway (Mitsuko’s one requirement). The Ginko will go inside the fence at the corner of the driveway.

More plants will arrive tomorrow. While the planting is going on I painted the dining room. Later this week I’ll seal the floor and fireplace.

a driveway forest

the forest from another angle

Pistash

Akebono cherry on hillside

Rare maple at entrance

Pear from master bedroom porch

More pear (non fruit bearing)

Ginko

Birch, plus shrubs

Plum along driveway

Japanese Maple by BBQ pad

Cooke’s purple Wisteria by gate

Lots of things planted today: 5 cherry trees on the hillside, 7 pear in the back, 3 plum along the driveway, a birch, a pistash, and several varieties of Maple. Note: none of the trees are fruit bearing. The maples in particular are gorgeous, but all look great. More things to come tomorrow.

The pear will do a nice job of screening the view of the neighbors driveway once they fill out. The deep red/purple of the plum in the front looks good against the green of the neighboring trees in the background. The are also tall enough that they can be seen from inside the fence. Quite nice.

around the elm tree

around one of the maples

between BBQ area and fence

fence crawlers

side of pool house

this used to be a dog run

shrubs around pear trees

this will grow into a hedge

outside the fence

close up

It’s official. I can’t remember the names of 80% of the things going in the ground. I was holding my own yesterday, but have given up. I’m going to have to get a book or three on gardening – ones with lots of pictures – to figure out what it is that’s being planted. All I know is that it looks good!

While they’re putting things in the ground I’m sealing the dining room floor and fireplace, plus oiling more of the new fencing. One more coat of sealer and the dining room can go back together. I hope the old furniture looks OK with the new floor and new paint.