"John R Cambron" * wrote in message
...


wrote:

About that citation for "excessive"
vegetation: The inspector didn't show
up at the hearing, so the hearing officer
declared it dismissed for lack of
prosecution. Kind of a letdown, actually.

My neighbor across the street told me she
had seen somebody photographing my furry
front yard, (http://cpacker.org/a1.jpg)
and I assume it was the inspector. Maybe
they studied their prints and realized
that it formed the right backdrop, after
all, for the fake wooden mushrooms I had
"planted" earlier this year
(http://cpacker.org/a2.jpg).

--
(Charles Packer)
ungoogled: mailboxATSIGNcpacker.org
http://cpacker.org/whatnews

To my eye your "furry front yard" looks unkempt. Being that it
yours I have no say in the matter.


I find it hard to tell from the picture. I can't tell if the vegetation is
weeds or a groundcover. Also, there is no context. I see similar yards in
the "old money" section of the city. These lots are planted with
groundcovers like ivy, creeping phlox, vinca, etc. because it is too shady
for grass and the slope is not safe for mowing. That said, they don't look
unkempt with tall weeds growing in them nor are the edges spilling over the
hardscape. I think that the strip near the street looks shaggy. I think it
could be much better, and as a gardener, I would look at is as a lost
opportunity. I guess it depends on how you approach life. Lots of people
think of gardening and landscaping as a necessary evil, sort of like doing
dishes, and would never consider doing more than the absolute minimum. It's
funny though, how when people put their house on the market, they understand
the impact that landscaping has on the home's value.

Vox Humana wrote:
"John R Cambron" * wrote in message
...
I find it hard to tell from the picture. I can't tell if the vegetation is
weeds or a groundcover. Also, there is no context. I see similar yards in


Here's some context:
http://cpacker.org/a3.jpg
I enjoy sophisticated gardens of the
"natural landscaping" type. My wife and
I like to visit the National Arboretum,
about 15 minutes away. I'm a fan of their
"American Garden," or whatever they call it.

However, I'd rather spend my outdoor leisure
time hiking or roaming the city (looking at
other people's houses and gardens). So when
I bought this property, my first house, I
decided to manage whatever was there using
minumum effort. My wife, who came into my
life several years after the house did, has
an amazing knowledge of flowers for somebody
who grew up on the mean streets of D.C. She
has more conventional gardening biases, but
I told her she could do whatever she wanted
and I would foot the bill for materials as
long as she did the work. Turns out she has
an inordinate sensitivity to mosquito bites
that's apparently gotten worse over the years,
to the point that our next place of residence
will be somewhere in the US where there are
no mosquitoes. This and other health issues
have limited her will as much as her ability
to carry out any gardening plans. (And she
hates DEET.)

In the meantime, I noticed that the mix of
vegetation on my lot was evolving in interesting
ways, and I've tried to favor certain stuff by
removing other stuff. For example, I've come
to realize the extreme awkwardness of the site,
perched up above that high retaining wall.
So I've tried to arrange for the vines to cascade
off the top and literally take the edge off, visually.
I cut off the tops of the trees that had been
growing from the alley and supporting the vines
and bundled the vines with cord held down with
stakes. As another example, the oak tree at the
front corner is going to have to go, since
it's started to separate the retaining wall,
so I'll cut it down next winter -- when its
branches will be bare and it'll be easier to
get used to its absence...

--
(Charles Packer)
ungoogled: mailboxATSIGNcpacker.org
http://cpacker.org/whatnews

Turns out she has
an inordinate sensitivity to mosquito bites
that's apparently gotten worse over the years,
to the point that our next place of residence
will be somewhere in the US where there are
no mosquitoes. This and other health issues
have limited her will as much as her ability
to carry out any gardening plans. (And she
hates DEET.)

Just to let your know, LLBean and several other outdoor stores (EMS, REI,
etc) are carrying "Buzz-Off" clothing that is treated with a natural
substance derived from pyrethrins. Lasts through 25 washings and than you
can spray it with the same stuff for 6 more weeks with each spray treatment.
We used this on our vacation up to Vermont and it worked extremely well! I
am bugged by bugs all the time, especially the biting type! Look for this
clothing - this is not an ad, just something to help us poor gardeners who
get bugged all the time!

--
gloria - only the iguanas know for sure

wrote:
Vox Humana wrote:
"John R Cambron" * wrote in message
...
I find it hard to tell from the picture. I can't tell if the
vegetation is weeds or a groundcover. Also, there is no context.
I see similar yards in


Here's some context:
http://cpacker.org/a3.jpg
I enjoy sophisticated gardens of the
"natural landscaping" type. My wife and
I like to visit the National Arboretum,
about 15 minutes away. I'm a fan of their
"American Garden," or whatever they call it.

However, I'd rather spend my outdoor leisure
time hiking or roaming the city (looking at
other people's houses and gardens). So when
I bought this property, my first house, I
decided to manage whatever was there using
minumum effort. My wife, who came into my
life several years after the house did, has
an amazing knowledge of flowers for somebody
who grew up on the mean streets of D.C. She
has more conventional gardening biases, but
I told her she could do whatever she wanted
and I would foot the bill for materials as
long as she did the work. Turns out she has
an inordinate sensitivity to mosquito bites
that's apparently gotten worse over the years,
to the point that our next place of residence
will be somewhere in the US where there are
no mosquitoes. This and other health issues
have limited her will as much as her ability
to carry out any gardening plans. (And she
hates DEET.)

In the meantime, I noticed that the mix of
vegetation on my lot was evolving in interesting
ways, and I've tried to favor certain stuff by
removing other stuff. For example, I've come
to realize the extreme awkwardness of the site,
perched up above that high retaining wall.
So I've tried to arrange for the vines to cascade
off the top and literally take the edge off, visually.
I cut off the tops of the trees that had been
growing from the alley and supporting the vines
and bundled the vines with cord held down with
stakes. As another example, the oak tree at the
front corner is going to have to go, since
it's started to separate the retaining wall,
so I'll cut it down next winter -- when its
branches will be bare and it'll be easier to
get used to its absence...

Where in the US do think there are no mosquitoes?

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5