The Suspense before ‘Wow!’ by Rolynn Anderson

Wait for it…wait for it…  Will people gaze upon my renovated landscaping and say ‘Wow!’ or will they blink their eyes like frogs in a rainstorm and ask themselves, “What the heck was she thinking?”

I suffered some angst when I tackled the renovation of our home’s interior, but nothing matches the turmoil involved in a landscaping redo.

Our yard is badly in need of a refresh.  Some plants (bushes and trees) are too big for their spaces (I show one example below), and others don’t look healthy and happy.  Our grass is green but much of it is ‘bad’ grass and we have spots where not even weeds want to grow.  So changes must be made; the question remains, what changes and how much will those alterations cost?

Here’s the good/bad news.  I live in a community of 50 homes with half-acre yards.  We were attracted to the gorgeous, wide-open yards of the houses in this neighborhood, so to complain about size doesn’t make sense.  But big changes in landscaping will cost more for a half-acre.  In fact, one couple just paid $155,000 for a complete renovation of front and back yards. 

Can’t.  Won’t.

A professional design is costly.  Instead, I’m going to use two apps for the process, aided by my husband’s CAD drawing of the yard.  Here are the apps, if you’re interested: iscape ( https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iscape/id384042176?mt=8 ) and home design 3D outdoor & garden ( https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/home-design-3d-outdoor-garden/id978726175?mt=8 ).

We want to reduce water use, so we’ll let go of some grass in a ‘cash for grass’ county program.  Drought tolerant plants.  Easy maintenance=a yard person employed twice a month, down from weekly.

But the wow?  Help me here.  When you see a front yard and say “Wow!”…what triggers your approval?  

Here’s a little escape from renovation ponderings:

Cézanne’s Ghost-e-book and print… http://a.co/bQdl7jp

Eight Suspense Novels Spiked with Romance and Exotic Settings

Web and Blog:

http://rolynnanderson.com

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rolynn-Anderson/188767867821613  

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/rolynnanderson

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4990049.Rolynn_Anderson

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/author/rolynnanderson

There Really is a Garden Under There by Brenda Whiteside

My husband retired this year and we moved from Minnesota to Arizona. The main reason for our move was family. I was born and raised in Phoenix, and Frank's family moved there when he was a teenager. All of my family still lives in the Phoenix area. At the time of our move, our son and his lady lived in Flagstaff. Frank and I don't like the heat/desert environment of Phoenix. We chose Paulden - two hour drive from my mom in Sun City.

The Orchard

One of my favorite things to do in Minneapolis was garden. The spring/summer season in the cities was brief but glorious. After coming out of winter, the burst of sunshine and color renewed me. Frank on the other hand has a motto - "I don't play in the dirt." He headed off to the lake every chance he got. So we moved to Paulden, Arizona to farm. How I got him here is still a mystery. I think my son had a lot to do with it. We've bought a rambling house to share with him and his lady, each of us taking a wing. Our plan is to raise our own fruits and vegetables. The people who lived here before us did just that, or at least started it, but family matters took them to Washington. The place set empty for over a year.

The Garden

We have a little work to do!

Luckily, my son has vision. I can tap into that vision - sort of. Frank is clueless and still not sure he'll "play in the dirt." Although I am encouraged. He bought a pair of knee high rubber boots for tromping in the orchard and garden.

The Blackberry Garden

Clearing the land of tumbleweeds is the first order of business. A neighbor told me this has been an epic year for tumbleweeds. Oh goodie. Underneath those tumbleweeds are rows of dirt where the last tenants had veggies. And you can mostly see the rows of blackberries. We have twelve fruit trees, but they sure look sad. Am excited to see those first little nubs appear to indicate the neglect hasn't killed them.

Green is possible!

Meanwhile, in front of the house some green has pushed up through the earth and started to flower. Spring could be around the corner! In spite of 28 degrees and a wailing wind today, I'm anxious to get my fingers in the mud. Once it warms up, we'll see if I can get Frank to come play in the dirt with me.





I had three releases in December from Melange Books. I hope you'll visit my web page to read excerpts and find the buy information.
www.brendawhiteside.com

March Means Spring, and a Middle-aged Woman's Fancy Turns to Gardening!

As I write this, only a couple of inches of snow linger on the ground here in Minnesota. At the rate things have been going this winter, they’ll have melted by the time I finish. Some winter enthusiasts up here may be screaming, but I can’t hear them. I enjoy the changing seasons, but twenty-two years in the frozen northland have failed to win me over to the wonders of winter. I’m ready to garden!

Being a northern gardener challenges one’s optimism, but so far, every year I’ve won the battle. Not only do I garden, but I dare to grow roses in this climate. When we moved into our current home seven years ago, I was excited to have a south-facing front yard for the first time. I ripped out the aging junipers (actually, I paid some strong young men to do it) and drew up an all-new design that included nine hardy shrub roses in three different shades of pink.

I chose a variety developed at the University of Iowa and have been thrilled with the results. Every year, the bushes grow larger. A couple of them are now as tall as I am. And when they’re in bloom, they literally stop traffic. I’ve had strangers in cars and neighbors out dog-walking stop and admire them.

This year, I’m taking on a new challenge. My husband and I bought a vacation condo on the Central Coast of California, a region with very limited seasonal rainfall. It’s a gorgeous area where anything will grow if it gets enough water. I have a small, shady front garden and two sunny squares cut into the back patio, so I’ve been studying drought-tolerant plants that can survive when I’m not there to water them.

Very few of the Midwestern plants I’m familiar with grow in coastal California, and that’s a big part of the fun. I’ve discovered some exotic options - like sticky monkey flower! How can I resist something with a great name like that?

Lavender is another lovely choice. It reminds me of Provence and only has to be watered the first year. Roses thrive in the area, but they have to be watered regularly. Maybe when I retire and we can spend longer periods of time there, I’ll install drip irrigation. At the moment, I’m nervous about leaving any kind of water on when we’re gone.

A new garden is like a blank canvas (or page), full of hope and possibility, just waiting for the creative expression of the artist. I can’t wait.

Alison Henderson

www.alisonhenderson.com