Wednesday, June 2, 2021

The Moment I've Been Waiting For....

At long last, spring has sprung in Maine.  And as the weather warmed up, it's been delightful to discover all of the amazing plantings around the yard.  It's such a treat to have so many flowering shrubs and plants.  That might be one reason why I like working on old houses so much - new construction always looks so sterile when the house is complete!  These plantings took decades to grow.


It started with forsythia as a bright yellow beacon in the front yard, the first hint that spring had arrived.  Soon the PJM rhododendrons started their vivid purple display.  


Next came the lilacs - 2 huge bushes, one in the front yard and one in the back, covered with fragrant purple blossoms.  It smells amazing!!!

Other plantings have also burst into bloom.  Aren't these variegated irises with lavender flowers beautiful?  So unusual!   

I'm not sure what the white flowers are, but they're a beautiful ground cover.  And don't you love the spirea? 

I have no idea what this ground cover is, but isn't it lovely?

But the thing I was most excited about?  To see the giant rhododendron hedge burst into bloom.  It's easily 50 feet long and many of the bushes are over 10 feet tall.  It stretches across the majority of the backyard, creating a stunning display.  Isn't it amazing? (try to ignore the tarps and building supplies)

The only problem?  You can't see it from the house.  Well, maybe if you look way to the right of the ugly garage, you can see a peek of it.    Or if you stand behind the garage, you can see it.  But the garage is really spoiling what could be a beautiful backyard.  And seriously, what view do you want from the house?

So that clinched the garage decision - it's got to go.  My excavator came out to take a look and it will be torn down.  I've started the permitting process and he's looking for a date on his calendar.

In the meantime, the asbestos shingles have been removed from the garage and taken away by Safe Environmental Solutions.  

With the shingles removed, we discovered that it's rotting from one side..... which might explain why it's leaning so much.  The sill is completely rotted away.  Now it's an even bigger eyesore - who would have thought that was possible? 😂

It's not your imagination - it's leaning...... a lot!!!

But for now, I want to hang out behind the garage and savor that giant wall of blossoms before they disappear for the season!  It's a moment I've been waiting for an I want to enjoy every second! 


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7 comments:

  1. So glad you are making that decision and these plantings are amazing. Someone loved that house so much and now it gets a new chapter!

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  2. I’ve lived in MS for the past 30+ years and the only thing I really miss about living in the Northeast is the lilacs!

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  3. Swooning here. What a glorious garden. I'll enjoy it all quickly and then hang out by the lilac bushes!

    I sounds like the garage was almost making the decision to come down for you. With the extreme winters there, are you going to build a garage in a more favorable position?

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    Replies
    1. I don't think my budget will be able to handle rebuilding the garage - but the city has approved rebuilding it farther back to create a beautiful backyard!

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  4. It kills me on home reno shows when they say that the landscaping is "overgrown" and then rip it all out for some dinky plants and lots of mulch. Why??!!! Thank you for confirming my feelings about it!

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  5. Cerastium tomentosum, aka “Snow in Summer”, I think.

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  6. Cerastium tomentosum, aka “Snow in Summer”, I think.

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