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| The Rest of the Side Yard (Looking towards the back) |
After I posted a photo of the front section of the side yard in yesterday's post, June asked about the rest of my side yard. Originally, there were two guava trees growing in the side yard, one against the wall and one against the house. They both died and I cut them down. I also planted some oleanders there, along the wall and they did well, but, had to be removed when the sewer line, which runs through the side yard, had to be replaced. Then, I planted sugarcane there and they did well, too, until the years of drought meant I couldn't water them properly and they started to die out. After that, the side yard became a bit of an overgrown weedy area that I referred to as the meadow.
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| Side Yard in April 2020 |
M and I cleared it up and I put down flattened out cardboard boxes as a ground cover to prevent the weeds from coming back. I thought I would put down mulch to cover the cardboard and maybe create a little winding path with some pavers and plants on either side. Eventually, however, we planted cuttings we took from the Euphorbia tirucalli plants growing elsewhere in the garden as they are succulents and drought tolerant. I planted them across from the windows; they have grown well and provide a bit of privacy from the neighbors' RVs that are parked in their driveway. There are also clumps of self-seeded osteospermum and gazania plants growing between the succulents. The cardboard is starting to deteriorate and it might be time to remove it and put down some landscape fabric. Something to discuss with M as he'll have to do the work!
I had a relaxed day on Sunday. It was sunny with a high of 68F, which felt quite comfortable. The house was cooler, so I opened the windows to let the warmer air come in! Later, in the afternoon, I went for my walk and when I passed by neighbor T's house, I saw her daughter K's car in the driveway. K saw me and came out to chat with me. She and a friend of hers were in the process of cleaning out some of the things being stored in the garage. K said they are planning to have a big garage/yard sale in June and then, get the house ready to be put on the market. Afterwards, I took over some of the cake I had baked so that K and her friend could enjoy a snack.
In the evening, I picked more snow peas from the garden and watered the back garden. While I was out there watering, I heard a loud, rather high pitched buzzing, whirring noise, and looked up:
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| A Drone! |
- A brief visit with K
- Being able to take her some cake
- Water for the garden
- Phone calls and emails with friends
A drone! Well at least not one of those mystery white balloons (lol). I would also find a a hovering drone over my yard concerning. Hopefully nothing un-towards. Side yards can be quite a challenge as how best to use the space. The newer houses in our region are packed so close (maybe 4 feet apart) that the majority choose to put large river rock between the houses to avoid having to do anything with it later. I think your option of succulents & other drought tolerant plants was the best choice. Minimum work for you & M :)
ReplyDeleteOr a spaceship coming to abduct me! :D
DeleteI've seen some beautifully landscaped side yards, but, for me, succulents and other water-wise plants are the best solution. We will probably tidy up the area later this summer.
Thanks for the pictures of you side yard. This is a different perspective and shows how much is growing there. I would find the drone hovering over my house unnerving, also. If we've had one, I haven't seen it. I bet they were hovering over you because they were looking at your interesting gardens.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure! Thank you for asking about it! :) Maybe it was the red jacket I was wearing when I was watering that caught the drone's attention! It was the first time I've seen a drone in real life; I'll be on the look out for more!
DeleteI was interested to see that you had sugar cane at one time. Did you ever chew on a piece. or press it to extract syrup? I seem to remember seeing some being processed on a small scale in Ecuador years ago. I was wondering how long it would be before the cake became part of the "food go round"! 😀. As for the drone, that is a little disturbing, but of course it could have been someone so delighted with your garden that they wanted to see it from above. The only time we had one over our house was when DH asked a friend to bring his so that he could see the state of the roof shingles without climbing up there.
ReplyDeleteYes, I had quite a few sugar cane bushes growing (all started from a piece of cane tossed over to my garden by a neighbor or perhaps the neighbor's child!) and we used to cut down a few canes, peel them, and chew on the sugar cane pieces. My daughter's favorite treat, at one time! But, without sufficient water, the canes became very woody and not juicy. They did make a good screen along the side wall, though!
DeleteHa, ha, the very next day was when the cake became part of the food go round! :D
I think the drone was someone's new toy and they were just playing with it. I was wearing a red jacket while I was watering and maybe that was what made the drone hover over my yard? It was the first time I've seen one or had one hover over my yard! What a good idea to have a drone check out the roof shingles!
A drone flying over would not bother me too much, but hovering really would!
ReplyDeleteYes, it hovered for awhile, then, darted away, but, came back and hovered again, before leaving! Maybe it's the only green back yard to be seen?
DeleteI've seen people flying drones at the harbour before but never over my house, I would find that very unnerving too. I watched the coronation concert from Windsor Castle on the TV last evening and very enjoyable it was too. It's a Bank Holiday Monday today and just another restful day for me.
ReplyDeleteIt was the first time I've seen a drone flying, especially over my house and garden! Not sure what they were hoping to see! I missed the concert (didn't check to see if they were showing it on our TVs), but, I see that there are videos available to watch online, so I might do that.
DeleteEnjoy your bank holiday! It's just another Monday, here. :)
Narrow side yards are hard to do much with. On one side I have about three feet then my neighbor's fence. I just weed whack that area. On the other side my property runs into that neighbors without a fence. They love to garden and maintain both shares of that area, so it's all done nicely. I am very grateful! I've not seen a drone over my home. Where I work there are many mapping drones, some quite large. I've not used one, no idea how, but I have watched them in use out in the countryside. No secret gardens anymore!
ReplyDeleteYes, narrow side yards are hard to maintain. That's nice that your neighbors maintain both their side and yours on one side. :)
DeleteHa, ha, no secret gardens, anymore! At least I was not sunbathing or anything! :D
Drones can be quite noisy! I hear them sometimes when I'm out. I think about giving them a wave lol
ReplyDeleteHa, ha, maybe you should! :D
DeleteYour side garden has been through a journey with a variety of plantings. That spot can be a difficult place to garden and it looks like you've found a good combination of plants to handle the size restrictions and the drought conditions.
ReplyDeleteA drone! No I have never seen a drone flying up around my house but with google maps, etc I'm sure they've been there.
I wonder what is going on with the one hovering over your garden?
I have my fingers crossed for the new neighbors next door,
(and am happy the party on the other side didn't get out of hand the other night)
Yes, the side yard has been through many revisions, but, as you say, I think I've found the right combination of plants. The succulents will do fine with minimal water and I will encourage some water-wise flowering plants to grow in between, too. I'm still going to try to get a paved pathway in there, just to make it look a bit tidier (the cardboard isn't the prettiest thing!)
DeleteI haven't noticed the drone being back, but, I haven't been out in the yard in the evenings, since then. As for what it was doing hovering over the garden...my flowers attract bees and I attract drones? :D
Thank you! I hope for good neighbors! I was very pleased that the other neighbors had a relatively quiet party. That was a big relief!
I don't think I would be happy with a drone hovering over my house either. Even when I see them when I'm out walking, they feel rather intrusive. Xx
ReplyDeleteGardener M saw one the other day, when he was here and he was taken aback, too. They do seem intrusive when they hover over you, like that!
DeleteI have never seen a drone flying overhead, and I am not sure just how paranoid I might feel about that, as I have read far too many espionage thrillers.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen it since, but, my gardener said he noticed one when he was here, last week.
Delete