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It would be nice to say that we had an overall plan drawn up when we began work on the property years ago. Of course, we didn't. It just seemed to evolve as we jumped around from one part of the yard to another and then back again. Luckily, the landscaping seems to have come out well, certainly looking far more natural than formal.
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Half circle drive |
Driveway in Front
Because I did not like backing out into the street, I decided to make a half circle drive around in front of the house from the existing driveway on the right side (facing the house) to the left side. No soil was removed so springtime meant a very muddy driveway. Eventually, I purchased a Troy 8 hp two wheel garden tractor with rototiller and plow. Starting by loosening up the soil, I followed with plowing it into the front oval and building that up. After bringing in tons of highway fill, I spread it out making a firm all weather driveway with the intention of using it as the base for building a paver driveway which I finally did a few years ago. Building the concrete paver driveway is explained in another link.
Front (East) Plantings
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Hostas by the road |
Yews and azaleas in front of house |
After excavating for the driveway , the plant beds in front of the house on either side of the portico were high and dry and so needed to be lowered. That meant removing the plantings (yews and azaleas), removing the topsoil, removing subsoil, replacing the topsoil and replanting the bushes. The border of rocks was put back. The next problem was that the stone steps were too high off the driveway. There was another stone step near the kitchen ell where a door had been closed off. My son and I laid out a rail of wood planks and moved the stone to the front using rollers. It became the 1st of now three stone steps to the house.
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Plot layout showing the four terraces |
When we bought the house, we decided to change the plantings in front. Many period homes in New England had plantings of yews and azaleas. We planted pyramidal yews close to the corners of the house, round yews next to the portico and the azaleas between. In front of the azaleas, annuals are planted each summer. With careful pruning each fall, the yews have been kept under control, their present size being in proportion to the house. Again, I learned the proper way to trim the bushes (hand clippers - not electric trimmers) from Roger Cook on an 'Ask This Old House' program on Public TV.
From the top of the portico, we always hang a large overflowing pot of some variety of annuals which lasts all summer if kept watered. The heavy pot is a problem. I rigged up a pulley system balanced by window weights which allows my wife to lower and then raise back up the even heavier pot with the excess water running out. We found a very nice wrought iron frame for the pot.
After finishing the concrete paver driveway, I began work on the front lawn. First, all the grass was killed and then, after waiting the proper amount of time, I rototilled the soil and had many yards of loam brought in. All this because the construction had raised the level of the drive. Attaching the plow to my Troy tractor, I spread the soil out and began leveling it by hand. Using the same long beams from the leveling and sloping of the driveway and using almost the same process, I leveled and sloped the new lawn trying to avoid any dips or high points. Why such care in leveling? After previous work on the lawns, hollow spots had shown up only after the grass was planted and growing. I wanted the front to be as close to even as possible.
Imagine my disappointment the following spring when the first 4' of the new lawn next to the road was dead due to salt from the street. I rototilled a 5' bed parallel to the street and then we planted a long row of hostas 3-1/2' in from the road. Each year we purchase eight yards of hemlock bark mulch to spread on the flower gardens. I spread a 3" bed of the mulch over the area that had just been rototilled and right up against the plantings. Happily, the hostas all came up the next spring and there was no salt damage.
The area to the left of the new driveway had always been a problem. No matter how many times I had tried to plant grass there, most would eventually die. There is too much shade from the trees on the border of the property. For two years now that area has all been mulched and looks so much better. Only a skim coating of new mulch has to be added each spring.
North Driveway Side
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Long driveway and flower bed |
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Dahlias |
When we purchased the Lucinda Manning house in 1976, it was obvious that the property had not been taken care of for a long time. It was equally obvious that, sometime in the past, it had been well cared for. We found flower beds lined with stone all around the house. Everything was overgrown with weeds, trees, etc. Here and there, there were flowers still surviving in the old beds. Over the years, the beds have been cleaned out, leaving or transplanting the flowers that had survived. Between purchases and gifts from friends, many kinds of perennials have been planted. Annuals are added in the spring for early color as most of the perennials take some time to come up and flower.
The flower bed between the straight driveway and the stone boundary wall is about 5' wide by 80' long. Facing south and with no large trees to shade or steal water and nutrients, this flower bed is always bright with flowers. We do not make up fancy plans for the types and quantity of plantings in the flower bed. I am sure that a horticulturist could come up with much better designs and choices, but we are happy with the simple beauty and many cut flowers for inside arrangements that this bed gives us.
South Side
The distance from this side of the house to the stone property line is about 40 + feet. If a second garage were to be built to replace the one I had to tear down for the addition, this is where it would have to go as there are now restrictions as to how far a building must now be from the boundary. As the dismantled garage had been my shop and now I have the new basement, I have no need for a second garage. It would also diminish our view from the south facing picture window in the kitchen.
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Herb and flower gardens |
Years ago, we decided to build a 6' high fence from the corner of the house to the property line to add privacy. The fence has two 6' wide gates which open to allow even a dump or delivery truck to back in. Also, I had an old trailer which I used to remove material when we still had a town dump and to bring new materials for construction. My wife thought it was ugly (it was) and the only happy solution was to add another fence with two more doors next to the stone wall. There I stored my trailer out of sight for years. Now it serves to store my firewood and trash barrels (out of sight). To help the fences blend with the house, I made them with red cedar shingles and blue trim.
Along the length of the kitchen ell, I made a 30" wide flower bed bordered by soldier brick. In it we planted some roses and other perennials as well as annuals each spring.
Alter both the large addition and the pantry addition were built, we had to have a new walkway around the back. It begins from the end of the straight driveway continuing parallel to the 1st terrace wall up to the rear door which is now at the back end of the ell. From there, it continues to the left side of the house and around to the fence gates mentioned before. On that side, three shorter walkways lead off the long one, the first to stone steps ascending up to the second level and the second goes to the stone wall and another ramp leading up to the terraces and the third to the new patio.
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Another view |
For a long time, the walkways were just dirt. Eventually, I dug them out, bordered them with soldier brick and filled the space to a 4" depth with packed stone dust. A critical step was to slope all the walkways from the highest point near the rear door, to the ends of the walk to prevent pooling of rain water. The walkways were now much better but stone dust was being tracked into the house. Eventually, I was able to finish the job with clay brick. I removed a brick's thickness of stone dust and smoothed off the remainder. Using a wooden template, I created a slight mound in the center of the walkway packed the material down and lightly raked it before setting the bricks with a mallet. The mound in the center of the walkways also keeps the rain water from pooling. Current thinking is that masonry sand is better than stone dust as it allows water to pass through more easily. Moss has been slowly filling the spaces, giving the walkways the appearance of having been there a long time.
The finished brick walks now framed in the herb and flower gardens. The left hand flower garden, with birdbath, is in two levels ascending the slope. The right hand herb garden is flatter with a small Japanese maple towards the back.
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Concrete paver patio |
For years, we had a dog pen with doghouse and rabbit hutches for angora rabbits. Later, the shed over the hutches became the storage area for the firewood and the doghouse now protects the emergency generator (which we haven't had to use so far). This was not a very pretty area to be looking at from the kitchen windows. Finally, everything was removed in preparation for a building a patio.
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Looking down from the first terrace |
The tons of gravel that we had brought in years ago for the dog pen would become the base for the concrete pavers. The patio was constructed using the same techniques as for the driveway described in another link. This time it had to be perfectly level with no slope, however the land does slope, requiring special attention. My plan was to make a frame out of 2 x 8 pressure treated timbers towards the west and 2 x 12's towards the front (east) where the patio would be somewhat higher than the surrounding area. The boards were all screwed together with galvanized screws, plus flat and angled plates. The gravel had long since mixed with dirt but that was okay. The inside of the frame was leveled and packed to a depth which would allow for the thickness of the pavers plus the 1" bed of sand. By the time the pavers were placed and compacted, the top of the frame and the pavers were the same height.
A new brick walkway connects the patio to the old walkway. Sifted soil was brought down from the old compost pile to build up the small lawn areas on that side and grass was planted. The job was finished off by planting various shrubs and perennials around the borders.
The patio, the brick walkways, the older plantings of the quince tree, the rhododendron, roses, etc. plus all the new plantings make this side of the yard so inviting. Over the years it had developed into somewhat of an eyesore. Now we enjoy many meals on the patio during the summer months.
West Lower Level
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The rose garden |
The rear of the house faces a very nicely cut stone terrace wall averaging 5' high which arcs from the garage on the north side to the ramp on the south side. When we purchased the house, the wall was mostly invisible, hidden by the other garage and an old porch on the end of the ell. With the reconstruction, the wall is more of a centerpiece for the rear of the house. A gentleman, whose family had once been in the quarry business, examined this wall. He showed me the marks left by the flat chisel which predated the 'modern' star drill, indicating that this terrace was built no later than 1820 and probably earlier.
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Peonies in bloom |
A 2' wide soldier brick bordered bed follows the contour of the wall next to the walkway. Every 5' are rose-of-sharon 'trees'. They are more like trees than bushes as the thick stems rise 4' before they are allowed to bush out. They supply flowers from July until September. Lower down, between the rose of sharon, are peonies which bloom in June and supply a touch of green for the rest of the season.
The triangle formed by the addition on the east, the ell on the south and the walkway on the remaining side, had always been a problem. We tried many times to grow grass without success. My wife suggested trying to plant a rose garden there and keeping the soil mulched with hemlock bark. It was worth a try and turned out successfully. With a birdbath in the middle and various kinds and colors of roses, the rose garden is a nice entryway to the back door. Being well protected in the winter, the roses survive well. We help by pruning them back in the fall and adding a blanket of leaves around each bush. This prevents multiple freezing and thawing. It is interesting that the birds all go to the birdbath on the south side and the bees come to this one using it as their main water supply in the summer.
First Terrace
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Wild turkeys passing through |
View from first terrace |
This terrace varies from 9' to 18' in width. The only flower plantings are a kind of low flax bordering the top of the wall. An area is set aside for perennial Jerusalem artichokes, the American version of the sunflower. The roots are dug in the fall, stored in the refrigerator and used in salads all winter.
The first terrace is mainly used as a grass walkway to the upper terraces. Wild turkeys find it handy also.
Second Terrace
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Spring |
Fall Morning |
The second terrace stands about 3' above the first with access ramps on either side next to the stone walls and a stone stairs in between up to the vegetable garden. Along the south stone wall, blueberry bushes are planted every 5' and mulched. Three clumps of rhubarb and some cranberries are planted there also. Along the north stone wall there is a parallel stone lined ramp 4' wide continuing up to the top level. All stone walls and the north ramp are at least as old as the house and some much older.
This terrace is about 80 wide' x 70' deep with a very large glacial boulder standing out from the middle of the west terrace wall. In clearing the area, large rocks had been placed around the east facing side. Gradually, I continued to build it up, forming a 'U' shaped retaining wall into which loam from the compost pile was placed. Heat loving vegetables and flowers as well as hops flourish in this micro-climate as the boulder stores the sun's heat and releases it at night.
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Poultry house and pen |
Spring and fall, the flock helps reduce the number |
of insect pests that inhabit the vegetable garden |
We built a chicken house and roofed pen in the northwest corner of the terrace (see the link on poultry). It worked out well there as this is the corner that has too many large rocks which interfered with rototilling the vegetable garden but made a nice foundation for the chicken house!
The remaining area became the vegetable garden. Thirty years ago, I had a very hard time breaking the soil in this long since overgrown terrace. The tomato plants we grew produced poorly. Over time, the area became very productive. There is a 4' high heavy duty fence surrounding the garden to keep the woodchucks and rabbits out. Between the beds and the fence, there are 4' wide paths for easy maneuvering of the rototiller. Inside and next to the fence, are various berry bushes. The south side is a hedge of gooseberries and the east side has red, white and black currents. Between the east fence and the end of the terrace wall, are more blueberries, rhubarb and some cranberry plants, all mulched with bark. A fairly centered 4' wide path starting at the stone steps and gate divides the garden in half. Two more gates on either side provide additional access.
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Gooseberries |
Red Currents |
Blueberries |
We use a system of gardening called French raised bed style. Our variation is to make the beds 3' wide by about 25' to 30' long with 2' wide pathways in between. I do not rototill the whole garden, only the beds. There are no boards to contain the soil, only four stakes, one at each corner of the bed. Compost and composted chicken manure are spread on the beds. When rototilling, I run a string along one side of the bed as a guide and make three or four passes in each direction with the tiller. Afterwards, I rake the soil smooth on top and use a hoe to tamp the borders of the fluffed up soil. The loosened soil is now 3" or more higher than the surrounding paths and I can stick my hand into the soil 6" deep!
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As the closely planted vegetables |
grow, less weeding is necessary |
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Initial weeding of a bed |
When planting vegetables such as beets, carrots, lettuce, etc., we make a series of parallel troughs an inch deep, 4" to 6" apart and perpendicular to the beds. The only planting directions we follow on the packets are for depth and in-line spacing, not for space between rows. The idea is to keep the plants as close together as possible to reduce the amount of weeds and keep the soil moisture in , i.e. - intensive gardening. For transplanting, if broccoli, for example requires 18" in the row then we transfer them 12" (three plants the width of the bed) by 12" to 18" apart the along the length of the bed.
Tomatoes would be planted in two parallel rows the length of the bed, 2-1/2' apart. Down the center of the bed, 4" x 6" x 8' timbers are placed upright 2' in the soil and spaced 6' apart. I run two wires near the top of the poles from one end of the bed to the other. From these wires, I hang four strings of bailing twine to four branches of each tomato plant as they develop, pinching off all other branches. The easy part is that, as each branch grows, I simply twist it up around the twine and it stays in place. In this way the plants get plenty of air to prevent diseases and the tomatoes are easy to pick. By fall, the indeterminate varieties have reached the end of the 6' of twine and are still reaching for the sky.
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Harvest table |
Corn requires two rows the length of the bed. Three adjacent beds are required as six rows are needed for proper pollination. We plant half (lengthwise) to an early variety and the rest to a late one. It is important that the pollination occurs at different times or cross-pollination will change the varieties.
Each fall, all the leaves in the yard are raked up and brought to the vegetable garden to be used as mulch or composted. All year long, all vegetable matter from the kitchen is placed in one of two buckets. One is for material that the chickens won't eat which is composted separately and another smaller one for food scraps (not meat products) that they enjoy as a treat. Hay or wood shavings spread in the chicken coup end up in the chicken pen where, combined with the chicken manure, change into compost. In the spring, the by now well composted chicken manure is spread on the beds and rototilled in. We refuse to use petroleum based pesticides on our vegetables. Sometimes we do use natural pesticides but most of the time we pick off all the 'bad' bugs that we find. The chickens love them! In the spring and fall, the chickens are allowed out of the coop into the garden where they devour all the bugs, caterpillars, etc. that they can dig up. They are fun to watch.
Third Terrace
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Spring blossoms |
Fall fruit |
The third terrace is higher and narrower at about 70' wide by 30' deep. Ramps on both sides offer easy access. After clearing all the bushes, small trees, etc. we started planting dwarf and semi-dwarf fruit trees of various kinds. Because of their smaller size the dwarfs could be planted three deep and the semi-dwarfs two deep on this terrace. There are varieties of apples, peaches, pears. apricots and plums plus two cherry trees elsewhere The plums and usually the peaches produce well but the others need a consistent spray schedule with pesticides in order to produce high quality fruit. I don't always follow the schedule as I should.
Fourth Terrace
This final terrace is only 3' high at the wall, about 150' deep and varies from 60' down to 40'wide where the property ends. The whole property is shaped like a pie. This area follows the natural terrain. Closer to the back is a well which used to supply water to our house and to a farm that was across the street. This occurred by gravity as the well is located higher than the house. It is likely that the well predates the house. When purchasing our home, a lawyer asked me if the farm still had water rights to the well and I told him that the farm was long gone. Behind the well are the remains of an ancient dump where my kids used to look for antique bottles.
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Grapevines are finally producing |
First harvest |
Busy bees |
Towards the front, there are a few more fruit trees planted and then three rows of various grape varieties. The vines are fairly recent and have not produced much yet. Behind the vines is the apiary with sometimes up to four hives but that is another link.
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Vegetable garden planted to grass |
Tents set up |
After the festivities |
Contact: info@manninghouse1860.com