It has been a busy few weeks in our garden! After much deliberation, we’ve decided to do a major overhaul and yard renovation of our backyard. I love the lushness of our yard, but I also understand that it may have gotten a little out of hand.
For instance, Bismark Palms (Bismarkia nobilis) are absolutely stunning palms. When I moved into our house five years ago the previous owner had planted two of these little babies in our back yard. They were so cute. And not having the heart to remove them back then, over time these plants have grown! At maturity Bismark palms can be 30′ tall with a spread of 12-16 feet. This is just not the plant for a small backyard.
Removing the two Bismark palms was one of the things I knew needed to be done but need some “pushing” to complete. After talking to some friends whose yard I absolutely love, we decided to consult a local landscape architect. We began working with Francis Joseph Brooks and over the course of a month or so developed a master plan for our yard.
I should admit there was some discussion in our household on if we needed to pay for these services or not. In my husband’s eyes I know everything about plants and help other people design their yards. This is all true (ha!), but I really appreciate the value of a fresh set of eyes on things. Sometimes we get so involved or sentimental about certain plants that it makes it hard to reassess their value.
But now I have a new project and can’t wait to share the progress with my readers here! With the help of my dad, and a few days off of work, we got a good start on our new yard and I find myself hurrying home each day to get a couple of hours working in the yard before dinner.
I will try to break out each of the projects into separate posts, but just as a tease here is a before and after from one view.
