Landscaping experiments II

In one of our side yards I have an ongoing series called "Famous Buildings of the World". These are various minature mock-ups of edifices such as the Eiffel Tower, Stonehenge, Mesa Verde, the Dome of the Rock, Big Ben, etc. I almost put this post in my art blog, but my mother asked me to show people only my best art. Many are laughable, but that is the point of the exercise. Over twenty years or so some were destroyed by storms and others attacked by squirrels. To be honest, Big Ben kind of collapsed on its own. I sporadically add monuments when the spirit moves me.The Taj Mahal and Statue of Liberty are currently under construction in the basement. Below are a photo of my godson Balduin assisting me many years ago and a shot from another period in the series.

Stone age Communication

There are many new ways to reach out. These include twitter and snapchat. I don't play that way. When asked about facebook, I say "maybe when I retire". My gal wants me to start a pinterest page and the next time I am actually bored I may attempt this technological feat. Here at the homestead we love to reuse items which alot of folks would discard. My lady works at a university and they were getting rid of a large chalkboard. Chalk is made from stones. We decided to put it on the front porch for friends to write us notes. Over time passers-by began to use it as well. It has gotten to be so much fun that now I periodically take a photo for posterity. Below is the latest incarnation.

Halloween Fun

Since it's May I thought I'd write a post on Halloween decorating. It will serve to show that not all things are a calamity at the H. H. homestead and also to be obstreperous. We have several skeletons outside and skull masks inside which are year-round fixtures. These don't count as projects, they are merely part of the scenery. For several years, I covered a topiary of a child with a sheet to make it ghostly. We also had a life -size, store bought Grim Reaper which greeted guests for a couple of Halloweens. However, every few years we go all out and create a full blown display for the All Hallow's Eve season. One year my gal came up with the idea of Halloween scarecrows. Using a bale of straw, some fabric candy bags and thrift store clothes we created a couple out for a stroll with their pooch. Compliments about our work came in several forms, but the best was whenever a neighborhood dog barked at the trio!

Is it a Yard or a Garden?

In colloquial American English a yard is a simpler affair, but seems to require more tidiness. As my readers know, neatness is one of my weak spots. I often hear acquaintances mention "cleaning up the yard". As my neighbors must know, I feel as though life is too short for sweeping the sidewalk immaculately, for example. Some folks even use a hose and blast the cement until its perfect!  I don't call the lot surrounding our house a garden because it's high-falutin'. Using the term has the added benefit of reduceing the level of upkeep. One of the first things we did was eliminate 9/10ths of the lawn, on the front, sides and back. By changing things to a "natural" look over time. we reduced the shock to our  neighbors and pedestrians (psychologists refer to this as "conditioning"). Later,  I invented a technique called "selective weeding". This means that if something we like comes up, such as a violet, we incorporate it into the bed design. If it's invasive, ugly or too outrageous to get away with, then we dig it up. Sometimes I let the Autumn leaves over-winter on the beds. If asked, I refer to them as "Nature's blanket" for the frigid season. Today I got a random call from a lawn pesticide company. I assured them that we don't have a need for their services. In keeping with a woodland theme there are some trails which are also low maintenance. Probably the well kept part of the property is an Asian themed section. For some reason keeping this in order is pure pleasure. However, even here I may miss a dandelion or two!