... now you don't.
All it took was a couple of weeks of agony and $2500.
And yesterday I got a surprise from neighbor Michael of Bramble & Bean. Visiting the gardener next door, he took this birds-eye-view of my garden from the roof. It gives me hope.
Plantings will soften the rather severe geometry. Trees, already purchased, will be first--as soon as I find a way to transport them 80 miles from western New Jersey.
The 'trades' do whatever they want most of the time here..seems you are afflicted with the same 'elitism' in the Empire of the north!
ReplyDeleteThey definitely don't put the customer's interest first.
DeleteJames,
ReplyDeleteAlthough it was very painful, in my book, you made the right decision. It looks amazing! To me, all that geometry feels right in a small urban garden. Looking forward to the installation.
Thanks, Michael. It certainly gives me a complete change from the country garden, which doesn't have a straight line in it. By the way, I did find four Stewartia pseudocamellia but they simply branch too low and would become much too wide for my small space. I couldn't take the risk of doing the kind of "killer" pruning it would require to try to shape them appropriately.
DeleteI gave to say, James, that apart from one of your near-neighbours, you don't seem to have much competition. Perhaps you could make theirs over too?!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Faisal, but I have my hands full trying to juggle city and country gardens. I have to consider myself very fortunate.
DeleteSeeing the space without it now, I'm reminded just how horrible that thing was. Oh, the relief you must feel! Where did the unit end up, on the roof? Surely you're not going without A/C this summer! I think all of us who undergo renovations suffer the unfortunate expense of at least one "mistake".
ReplyDeleteYep. Moved it to the roof, where it should have been in the first place. I won't go into why that didn't happen the first time.
DeleteDefinitely worth it.
ReplyDeleteSo true, so true.
DeleteJames you got it moved and the whole thing looks infinitely better! Two and a half grand is a bit eye watering but it's better than living with it. I agree with Micheal B. Gordon about the geometry.
ReplyDeleteI llok forward to seeing the trees. How's spring progressing in your corner of the States? I've just returned from Cornwall and it feels a full month ahead.
Rob, the geometry will just become a frame once the planting starts, I'm sure. We're well into spring, with two days above 80 last week, though the temp dropped below freezing last night. With the lack of snow in our so-called winter, and no spring rain so far, I'm afraid we're headed for a drought. Don't particularly want rain, but we need a lot. Are you from Cornwall originally?
DeleteNo, my sister has a place in a town called Padstow. Beautiful, rugged, wild area. I've also been to Cadgwith, a fishing village, down on the Lizard peninsula, again all of the above.
DeleteFantastic - I can't wait to see the Robinia's in place... (Robinias they were, if you haven't changed you mind lately?) Have a great week, Liisa.
ReplyDeleteSo you remember my dithering over which trees to plant. Not Robinias; they get too large and they run. Sunburst honey locust, which I think I can keep as spindly, elongated forms with a relatively high canopy. If not, I'll pollard them. Wish we had some of your Seattle rain.
DeleteJim, what a wonderful resolution to the "the problem"! I remember brainstorming with you about plantings or screens you could put around the unit, but you picked the best solution and simply moved the damned thing! You will have to tell me all about the chicken coop your neighbor has. I took a photo of it and it looks like they have quite a few chickens.
ReplyDeleteMichael, yes, after further dithering, we decided to just pay to have everything moved to the roof where it's almost invisible. Our neighbor two doors down does have quite an elaborate chicken coop. I think he's a physics professor at one of the NJ technical colleges. It all looks quite scientific. Most important, the chickens don't make noise. Or smell (I hope).
ReplyDeleteIt looks good, James, money well spent. I've made far worse mistakes myself... p.s. it might be interesting to consider tiling the pool, at least around the edges. It would make it more of an object. just a thought...
ReplyDeleteRoss, I know you thought the wall should be red (hints of Napoli?), but I quite like the shadows of the neighboring trees on the neutral wall, and that effect will be amplified when I put in my trees. (By the way, Saint Gaudens used a Pompeiian red on a large masonary wall of the pergola outside his studio in Cornish, New Hampshire. I have to admit I was dumbstruck by its beauty.)
DeleteInteresting that you suggest tiles. I've thought about looking at Mercer tiles at the Moravian Tile Works in Doylestown. They still manufacture original Mercer tile designs. Great idea ... and it eliminates need to have stone cut for coping around the pool. Perhaps I'll drive over this week to see if anything strikes my fancy.
Contractors just put things where it is the easiest. As for your tree transport, the Home Depots here in the Midwest have a small dump equipped truck they rent very cheaply by the day or hour. I'd rent a truck of some sort.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion. So Home Despot may come to the rescue.
Delete1] Glad to see the A/C moved. I am so paranoid about contractors doing what they please, that I insist they walk me through their intended execution of the work before I agree to it.
ReplyDelete2] I like the neutral color of the wall. Its rather serene.
3] Whenever I had to transport trees, and depending on their size, I would rent a Dodge Caravan, or small truck, from a rental agency.
I believe I'll like the shadows cast against that wall, so I'm pleased with it. Thanks for suggesting the Dodge Caravan. The drive from the country to Brooklyn takes me through lots of toll bridges and tunnels, some of which have various truck restrictions, so I like the idea of being in a vehicle that doesn't call attention to my travels.
ReplyDelete