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I didn't actually retire...


Abby Normal

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... I became a landscaper. And I have the farmer's tan to prove it! We hired a crew for the front yard. We did the side door ourselves. The backyard is still a work in progress leftover from last fall. A little hardscaping is next (walkways, patio, etc.).

Our life will involve a lot of watering over the summer, but we're as happy as we are tired.
 

image.png

Front Yard Almost Done (8).jpg

There will be a rose trellis on the right side and some evergreen bushes on the left.

Front Yard Almost Done (7).jpg

Front Yard Almost Done (5).jpg

Our side door.

Side Door Complete.jpg

A flagstone walkway from the driveway to the front door that follows the curve of the bed goes here.

Front Yard Almost Done (3).jpg

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That's all so beautiful!  We have some work to do but not so extensive as yours. Did you do your own design?  It's really nice.

About 30 years ago, realizing that there was too much shade in the front, we put in ground cover on one side of the walk and a rock feature that looks like a stream on the other side.  Perennials were interspersed and we supplement with some annuals.  Twice yearly we have a big cleanup.  The ground cover is evergreen so the front always looks decent.  The back, well, it belongs to the deer, birds (it's a certified wildlife habitat), lots of moles and chipmunks with a few raccoons meandering through.  With an acre of woods and a creek it's hard to do much else.

Rest easy and enjoy this work of art.

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5 hours ago, KATHERINE said:

Anyone grow real fruit trees?

Our house has a big ole pear tree planted when the house was built (as was common back then - neighborhood is peppered with pear, apple, and peach trees in back yards). I have since planted two dwarf apple trees and a second dwarf pear tree (big tree is definitely showing its age and won't last forever - 70 years is a long time for a fruit tree).  Also had a peach but the rabbits girdled it one winter (they got through my not-sturdy-enough fencing) and it died.  Keep meaning to replace it, the question is where to put it 'cuz the original tree's spot isn't as good due to some changes a neighbor made.  

We get about 300# of pears from the one big tree and give them away by the bushel in September.  We can only eat, and I can only can, so many, after which it's give away or throw away.  The dwarf apple trees keep us in fresh, cooking, and sauce apples until....... about now.  I have just enough left from last fall to make one more cake, and then there won't be more until September/October.  The dwarf pear is a relatively new tree, and this is the first year we have pears on it.  Need to thin them out, so it won't over-tax a growing plant.  Another advantage of the dwarf trees is that they only get to about 8' tall.  Yes, you can prune standard trees to that height, but you need to be a lot more aggressive and on top of them, and prime pruning season is late Feb/early Mar and for some unknown reason that time frame tends to be a tad bit busy around here!

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I was so proud of myself after putting in a new shrub bed--spent a few weeks visiting local nurseries picking out just the right plants, then supervising hubby digging the perfect holes, adding the good nutrients, mulching, etc.  Abby clearly outdid me in square footage and money and effort spent!  And you can't just sit back and enjoy.  New plants need deep watering, especially in this unseasonably hot weather.  I've been spending a good half hour twice a week on watering,  surely eclipsed by the amount of time Abby has to spend.  Isn't it nice to have projects that go beyond measuring how many inches were reduced off our stack of paperwork each day?  Randall's photo reminds me of our yard in CT when the tornado came through.

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On 5/31/2022 at 8:30 PM, Catherine said:

Our house has a big ole pear tree planted when the house was built (as was common back then - neighborhood is peppered with pear, apple, and peach trees in back yards). I have since planted two dwarf apple trees and a second dwarf pear tree (big tree is definitely showing its age and won't last forever - 70 years is a long time for a fruit tree).  Also had a peach but the rabbits girdled it one winter (they got through my not-sturdy-enough fencing) and it died.  Keep meaning to replace it, the question is where to put it 'cuz the original tree's spot isn't as good due to some changes a neighbor made.  

We get about 300# of pears from the one big tree and give them away by the bushel in September.  We can only eat, and I can only can, so many, after which it's give away or throw away.  The dwarf apple trees keep us in fresh, cooking, and sauce apples until....... about now.  I have just enough left from last fall to make one more cake, and then there won't be more until September/October.  The dwarf pear is a relatively new tree, and this is the first year we have pears on it.  Need to thin them out, so it won't over-tax a growing plant.  Another advantage of the dwarf trees is that they only get to about 8' tall.  Yes, you can prune standard trees to that height, but you need to be a lot more aggressive and on top of them, and prime pruning season is late Feb/early Mar and for some unknown reason that time frame tends to be a tad bit busy around here!

Catherine, I have a lot fruit trees too. :)   Once I heard someone referred my home as " The house with a lot fruit trees at the corner."    I have pear, apple, quince apple, cherry, fig, persimmon, strawberry, pomegranates, peaches, melons and a chuck berry.  Blue berry died already.     Sounds a lot, but they are not doing well.  My fruit trees are dying.  No fruit from persimmon for last two years, no fruit from peaches because the leaves dried up by it self. , Cherry is too young.    I dont know what to do now. :( 

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