Green Thumbs and Open Spaces.

Hurricane Ernesto is going to dump a few gallons of water on us this weekend, so we took some time after lunch to shore up the plants in our garden. The cucumbers, which were coming on strong in the early part of the year, are getting long in the tooth and not producing as much (they were averaging about four cukes a week). However, the tomatoes are now in their prime and absolutely bursting with fruit—a rough count of six plants totalled at least 150 tomatoes in various states of completion. The basil Jen planted among the tomatoes is now waist-height and full with leaves.

We’re already planning the addition to the current garden—I’m thinking it will roughly double in size. We’re adding eggplant, red peppers, more soybeans, and pole beans to this year’s lineup, as we know that it’ll all do well here.

Further to the west, our neighbors engaged a landscaping company to wrestle control of their yard back from the weeds, brush, and poison ivy that have slowly been choking it to death. This week two men have used chainsaws, trimmers, clippers, chippers, and a Bobcat to haul off at least four trailers worth of yard debris, including the majority of our shared treeline. What was once a tangled “hedgerow” running the length of our west property line is now an open plain of dirt punctuated with a few startled-looking trees. Our cherry trees are intact, as well as a few sugar maples on their side of the line (and not the ones I’d have picked—I prefer trees that grow straight up and down), but all the ivy on both sides of the law has been scraped off with the blade of the Bobcat.

(August, 2003)

What was once a private, enclosed (and somewhat untidy) side yard is now a public space, visible and audible from the road, which has us concerned. Because the driveway side is less than aesthetically pleasing, we’ve been using the west side as our outdoor getaway, but that’s a thing of the past. It’s looking now like our plans to add a fence along the treeline just got bumped up in priority…

(April, 2005)

(August, 2006)

That last photo just makes me sad.

I just hope that all the added sunlight on that little bed means that the gladiolus will be out of control next year, because this year was just pitiful.

Seeing those old photos from 4.2005 remind me of how full that little bed was last year. This year, after the first flush of herbs, it got the shaft.

We have pampas grass that bushes out nicely. It needs to be divided, so you’re welcome to some of that. Danny has some gorgeous variegated grasses as well. It’s not a long-term fix, but it would quickly (in a season or less) provide some privacy and buffer the noise at ground level. Hopefully, their landscaper will reestablish a border that provides a sense of privacy for both of you. If not, it’s at least a great compliment to you both that they’d pay all that money for an unimpeded look at your flowers and bird feeder.

Makes me a little sad too, but dang, that hedgerow was realllllly out of control. Dave’s pampas grass idea is nice until you can get the fence in. Jen, it was a crap year for glads here too, even in full sun… Even if it’s shocking and noisy and aaaaggggh right now, it’s great to see the house next door being cared for a bit.

Jen, have you forgotten just how out of control that flowerbed got last year? This year is a lot more sedate, but at least there’s not urban warfare being waged between plant species (Sedum, I’m looking at you…)

Dave, I’m not sure what the neighbors have talked about with their landscapers…these are people who don’t mow their lawn but twice a year, and haven’t ventured onto their own front lawn since the Bicentennial. All I can do is hope they have a plan in mind.

Ren, I hope you’re right; I still think the glads are just being wimpy, to be honest. And yeah, while it’s shocking, it’s been a long time coming. It does make the prospect of a fence that much easier, though.