Henry Rifle Forums

Spring has sprung and is busting out all over.
When we bought this place twenty plus years ago, there were no porches, and the house sat bare, in the middle of a bare clay bulldozed two acre cleared lot with the trunks and debris from clearing the lot pushed up around the edges like a frontier barrier. Two decades of work show what is possible. It has looked better... as we are gimpy these days.... but we still like the color.

When we went to the nursery and asked about climbing roses for the split rail fence we were going to put down the drive, the Rose Club was there and suggested Knock Out roses instead. We now have a hedge line of Knock Out Roses. They will bloom soon and bloom until late October or November. I can't remember what the big bush in the center is... but Tina added it for contrast... it's a huge attraction for the butterflies and the hummingbirds.

Over the years we have added and subtracted from the landscaping in front of the house, but there are some anchor pieces, including the Japanese Maples, the Coral Bark Maple and the Smoke Tree. Gone from the deck just this last week is the 8 person spa. I'll miss it, but I got eleven years of use out of it and it was getting more and more difficult to get in and out of it these days. At the edge of the side porch is a bed that used to be packed with everything you could imagine. These days Miss Tina has cut way back, but hiding beside the Azalea is a Gnome I made forty years ago in a ceramics class run by a girlfriend's mom. He has traveled around the world with me... and still survives. Last year, we added fruit trees to the back yard. This used the be the RANGE when I was shooting PPC and needed 50 yards, but since I am limiting myself to 25 and 15 these days, Miss Tina planted landscaping. These aren't ornamental, they will begin to produce in the next year or so. Wanting to shade the back of the house, we added three River Birches, and a pair of Dogwoods. One of the dogwoods died the second year, but the Birches are flourishing and the last two years have really done the job. The river birches are interesting visually, as the bark peels. Between the shade trees and the Pella Windows, we have cut the AC bills in half. We need to get our mulch order in and get busy on the flower beds. The ranger will come in handy for that.

I'd title all your photos "The Spring Vistas of Marine and Miss Tina."

Great photo shoot....your fruitful property sure does show the good effort and planning you've done together over the years. Very much enjoyed the views. Thanks!
PT7

BrokenolMarine wrote:Spring has sprung and is busting out all over.
When we bought this place twenty plus years ago, there were no porches, and the house sat bare, in the middle of a bare clay bulldozed two acre cleared lot with the trunks and debris from clearing the lot pushed up around the edges like a frontier barrier. Two decades of work show what is possible. It has looked better..... but we still like the color.......the Rose Club was there and suggested Knock Out roses instead. We now have a hedge line of Knock Out Roses. They will bloom soon and bloom until late October or November.... it's a huge attraction for the butterflies and the hummingbirds. ..... anchor pieces, including the Japanese Maples, the Coral Bark Maple and the Smoke Tree........Last year, we added fruit trees to the back yard. Wanting to shade the back of the house, we added three River Birches, and a pair of Dogwoods.....the Birches are flourishing and the last two years have really done the job. The river birches are interesting visually, as the bark peels.

2 decades of excellent work coming to fruition .... nicely done

Beautiful vegetation Marine. You and Miss Tina have done a very nice job. Those photographs are very nice. It is great to see everything growing so nicely.

Pride of ownership shining at every turn. Home sweet home.

Ya and Im jealous because I know that Marine has a shooting range right there close by.

wow sir you have stolen the dreams straight from wife and i head, that is one fine homestead