Thorn in my Flesh

When we purchased our new home several years ago, we were told that the common area behind and to the side of us would be a beautiful park like setting. With trees, shrubs and maybe a bench or two. Well, instead they put in three separate play areas. A swing area, playground, and basketball court. The swing area is right beside us. We have no privacy and it is very loud.
Weeds grow really high in the mulched areas.


They do not regularly pick up trash and it blows into my yard.

They are not maintaining the equipment. This is only after a few years. Yikes!

Here are the swings, (picture taken from my patio). It is very close to our property line. My new evergreens are leaning due to high winds; I need to straighten them.


Anyway, this is the view we have from our back yard, and specifically from the patio. You can see from this shot the three areas. We are desperate for privacy. For several years I would begin to garden in the spring and because of so many unsupervised children and teens at the park behaving ugly, (you couldn't imagine the things I have seen), I would become frustrated and quit, I just didn't care to be outside. I hated being in this location. Not only this, but the kids think my yard is an extension of the common area. They will pace back and forth through my yard while talking on cell phones, they use my yard as a path to the swings and their basketballs go through my flower beds and they trample my plants when getting their balls. This past fall I decide to take action. I love to garden, I love being outside, and I want to enjoy my home. So we began to plant around the perimeter of our lot.

Here is what I planted in the fall 2006:

• 3 Butterfly bushes
• 3 Red Twig Dogwoods
• 5 Cleveland Pear trees
• 3 Crabapple
• 1 Bradford Pear
• 4 River Birches
• 3 Ivory Jade Euonymus
• 5 Hydrangea
• 3 Burning bush
• 3 Pink Viburnum
• 1 Pink Dogwood
• 1 Crimson Pygmy Barberry
• 10 Ornamental Grasses
• Quite a few perennials

So far in 2007 I've purchased/planted (some are not planted yet):

• 12 Emerald Green Arborvitae
• 3 Taunton Yew
• 3 Bird's Nest Spruce
• 3 Common Lilacs

I am really anticipating spring and summer. I can't wait to see how many of these plants actually make it. We already feel a sense of privacy and enclosure with the stone wall around the patio and the evergreens. Hopefully we can enjoy the outdoors this year. Well, now you know my gardening dirt.