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Thursday, July 16, 2015

BEFORE: Outside Our Schoolhouse

Thank you all for touring our new home.  I am reading your comments and thoughts!  We are still without wifi so reading is sporadic.  On a plus note, I am getting lots of great coffee and treats and coffee shops in exchange for free wifi. 

So, step out the solarium door with me to the deck.  
The deck is less than spectacular, but is doable for a short time.  It has the solarium swamp cooler hanging over it.  They left their barbecue, so it has two barbecue grills right now, one is going away. It is trex so at least there is no maintenance.  

We put up the lattice to help contain the dog.  We want to do a patio here instead with a hot tub.  We are big tubbers, especially in the winter. 
Behind the garage and breezeway area and deck there is an almost completely fenced yard part that will be for the dog.  
We are putting in a 50 foot fence section to the left of the deck steps to contain Tika, our carzy little dog.


The property is on about 1.2 acres.  There is a lot of grass and hubby already bought a riding lawn mower for it.  We moved form a very little yard.  The owners were master gardeners who I think favored Asian style.  Thus, there are lots of patches of natural grasses.  Here is the thing: a lot of them have died and aren't coming back, I like natural grasses in small clumps in modern or Asian design, but not in masses, and they planted rows and large groups of the grasses in the strangest patterns.  We were wondering if they were trying to make a maze, but the rows of grasses are all willy nilly,  not perpendicular.  So, I probably don't have to say much of it will be coming out. 

There is a sprinkler system, but much of it is not working.  Luckily my hubby installed sprinkler systems in the summer for several years so he is working on it.
Look at the cute, rusty bike planter we found in the grasses.
There is a curly willow that the owner was training to be a tree. I love the branches she has cut from it that are dried and want to keep the willow. 


The property is hemmed in with a cotoneaster hedge which is nice for some privacy.  There is a closely planted cotoneaster walkway that crosses the year diagonally and leads to the carriage house.  We think the intention was a walkway for brides, except the hedge is so high and close together, no one would be able to see them walk down the aisle.  One row will come out first and then perhaps the other, but we will see.  We do have a volleyball court planned for part of the large yard area. And I want a country garden--flowers, peonies and daisies and color!!

To the left of the hedge walkway, down a slope is a LARGE greeenhouse.  We didn't plant in it this year, but look forward to using it come next spring.  There is an arbor that didn't quite get completed and LOTS of weeds around the greenhouse.  We want to plant apple trees and perennials.  They have basically no pollinating plants other than some iris and poppy plants.  The back bamboo gate you see leads to the carriage house driveway.
There is so some fabulous rock work/retaining wall that we appreciate around the property.
The Carriage House was added later.  It is pretty wonderful.  It has a single car garage underneath it and storage.
 They used it as a potting shed and left a few things in it. 
It has a lovely wood ceiling and rough hewn fir floors. It has lots of outlets and lights and
running water and a fun metal sink counter area.  It does not have insulation, heat, or septic.  
It has cute double dutch doors that open to a front porch
that has a swing. It is 500 square feet upstairs and 500 in the garage and I want to have sales in here-- I will probably rent a porta potty for the sales, use portable heaters.  It would make a fabulous VRBO with the addition of septic and oh, what a she shed!!

Thanks for taking the garden tour.  I have the garden left to share!

10 comments:

  1. You got an awesome property there!! They left you a lot of stuff! When we bought our farmstead the buildings were all full of "junk"--some it was junk--but a lot of it was wonderful pickins' for me!!

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    1. Yes, I have found some fun stuff and some not so fun stuff ;)!

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  2. Awesome! I'm a tad bit jealous but so happy for you! Can't wait to see the finished product!

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    1. Thanks, it is fun! Don't be jealous of all of the work I have to do!

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  3. i would drive myself crazy trying to decide what to keep, what to move over here or there and having some fun going through it all ...... a she shed wow i agree xx

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  4. The more I see the more fantastic your new purchase becomes!
    Blessings,
    Patti

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    1. Thanks, I think the more I see the more work I see, but more treasures too!

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  5. Yes, between the things that must be fixed or changed, little jewels appears-like the rusty bicycle plant holder, the willow 'tree' and the 'she' shed filled with a lot of pots for your gardening needs! Thanks for sharing!

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  6. What a gold mine you have there! How blessed you are. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, I really appreciate your kind words!