My Old House...

The current owners of this property have lived there longer than my family did, but I will always think of this as "my old house"...

What a special treat it was to work in "my old back yard!"

Move over Leylands...now there is something meatier!

Sure, Leyland Cypress are great...they provide an almost immediate screen between you and your neighbor...

But then what?

That was essentially the dilemma for this homeowner...how can we make this prettier?  And, what can we do now to protect us from the inevitable thinning of the leyland's later?!

Well, I had a few ideas...

A multi-tiered garden...

Our brand new garden uses the existing Leyland Cypresses as a backdrop...they almost disappear as your eyes take in all the other textures and colors...

We planted some Skip Laurels in the back which provide a glossy, evergreen presence...coupled with hydrangea that bloom in the spring, a verbena for more blossom and pretty fall foliage, a variegated red twig dogwood for winter time color...the smaller plantings are perennial in nature and will continue to get bigger every year...spotted dead nettle, anemone, liriope, hosta, vinca...its such a feast, these photos barely do it justice...

Ah...that was fun!