Landscape Project, Phase 1

We've been extremely busy since our trip to Illinois but somewhere, somehow I have been doing some research and landscape planning.  I should say decisions because we've had ideas and plans developing since we first put an offer on the house 5-1/2 years ago.  It really doesn't seem that we could be homeowners for so long...but that's a whole other story.

 Here is the sketch to give you an idea.  The plan is to add more fruit trees--apple, peach, nectarine, plum and pluots (plum-apricot).  We already have a mandarin, lime, lemon and struggling orange tree.  Eventually blueberries, raspberries, grapes and a whole plot of strawberries.  I also want to have more designated veggie beds, and chickens.  Yep, I said chickens.  Not so long ago, chickens were legalized; until then I didn't realize you couldn't have chickens.  I guess you could say I'm converting our postage stamp lot into an urban homestead.

 To accomplish this, we need to take out the fruitless mulberry tree (leaves falling because it is fall here too).  The tree provides us with awesome shade...something you need during the hot summer months but you can't grow too much under it.  It saddened me to have this 40 year old tree removed but it was planted too close to the house and the previous owner topped it every year (she cut it back so it was just a stick).

 Nearly demolished.  The guys said there was heart rot due to the maintenance the tree had received.  That did make me feel a little better.

 The back yard looks completely different, doesn't it?  It looks naked but not for long.  9 fruit trees have been ordered and will be planted soon.

 Now onto the front yard.  Several of our neighbors have commented about our "fro" tree.  It's actually a Chinese elm.  It's a beautiful tree but again was topped by the previous owner.  We've let this tree grow since purchasing the house.  It used to look like a green cotton ball on a stick.  It has grown beautifully but does need to be trimmed and molded now.

 I was happy the tree was salvageable--but whew, look at that hair cut.  It felt like there was nearly as much on the ground as there was still on the tree.

 The end result is a beautiful tree.  We feel a little exposed to our neighbors now, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.  I still call this tree the "fro tree" and it will need a trim every few years, but isn't this a beautiful tree?

Looking West from our driveway...you can see the mountains again :)

Stay tuned for more landscape/garden/homesteading updates.  I'm looking forward to this new chapter of the house!