Beginning Our New Garden...

Havenwood covered in snow this February.

All good things start at the very beginning, and that is where we are right now with our new garden and home, though its history started long before us. Professor Myers and his family first purchased this Lot 120 in 1916 for the sum of $1084.00. The large brick house was built by in 1925, after nine years of waiting and saving. They lived here for 19 years and then came six more sets of owners to occupy it. We are the eighth family to live under its slate roof, now nearly 90 years old.

Since we are now the guardians of this property, we have dubbed it Havenwood, a name which encapsulates what we hope to create here on this nicely wooded lot. From the start, it has loads of charm and many needed repairs; but above all the potential to be a peaceful and beautiful place for people to gather.

Welcome to your first walk around the Havenwood Garden! This overhead view from Google really helps to get you oriented...

How nice to have so many mature trees! They will help to give age to this new garden from the beginning. Notice the patterns of sun and shade that will determine so much of my decisions about the garden as our plan develops. 

One of the original survey plans for Lot 120, which is bordered by four neighbors, as Lots 122 & 239 were joined together.

From the street, you can just peek through the woodland to the house. This area shows what I hope will become the "Spring Vista", a place to view the house past hundreds of snowdrops and crocuses, bluebells and anemones under flowering dogwood trees.

House and driveway from the road. The neighbors have created this lovely patch of hostas on the left.

A sloped lawn area on the right leads up to the screened porch...

This view shows the disrepair of the small breakfast nook addition (on right) and the current garage. Our plans are to add french doors to the breakfast nook as a better way out to the rear gardens. The old garage is going to be converted to garden storage (lawn mower, etc) and possibly a pottery studio, if I ever get the daring to pick up that art again!  On top of the old garage, we hope to place a glass house we can connect to the library door to enjoy during the winter months.

(Note: these are 50 year hopes and plans! Most of it will not happen this year.)

view shows the disrepair of the small addition (on right) and the current garage. Our plans are to add french doors to the small "breakfast nook" as a better way out to the rear garden. The old garage is going to be converted (by removing one garage door) to being garden storage and pottery. The rubber roof on top we hope will be a nice home to a glass house/conservatory that we can connect to the library door to enjoy in the winter - See more at: http://classroom.my-garden-school.com/photo/1561#sthash.IZW61jmb.dpuf

This view shows the disrepair of the small addition (on right) and the current garage. Our plans are to add french doors to the small "breakfast nook" as a better way out to the rear garden. The old garage is going to be converted (by removing one garage door) to being garden storage and pottery. The rubber roof on top we hope will be a nice home to a glass house/conservatory that we can connect to the library door to enjoy in the winter months. - See more at: http://classroom.my-garden-school.com/photo/1561#sthash.IZW61jmb.dpuf

The Current Driveway: Since this is the sunniest area, we are hoping to use more of it for the garden by moving the driveway. Instead of running straight, it will curve to right to an oval court in front of the screened porch. Hence, it will create a new front for the house, allowing us to hedge off the old front yard for more privacy and garden space. Shed (on left), swing set and basketball hoop all to be removed as garden work progresses.

Behind the shed area is the lowest point of the property, and potentially a good spot for a small natural pond.

Looking back down the driveway to the street entrance

There is a gentle rise to the house, which we will have to take into account when planning our garden areas. We are hoping to have a large lawn in this area for play.

Back of the house. The garage roof (right) might be the home of the glass house. We could potentially also add railings to the other flat roofs around the house for balconies for upstairs... which would be lovely spots from which to view the garden :)

This view is from the other side of the house, looking to the back. You can just see the top of the swingset. The area just to the right of the house is the one I have marked out for a knot garden that we can enjoy during the winter months.

This is the view from the library window that I posted last month. Shorter stakes are set marking the approximate edge of the boxwood beds.

View from the other street of the old front door and the library windows.

 This is the old front of the house, which we are now calling the "garden door", since we hope that it will one day lead to a sunken garden/pergola patio area. You can see our nice new yellow gas line freshly dug; beautiful, eh?  I am hoping that we can relocate some of the large arbor vitae that line this side of the house to use as hedging by the road. Concealing this area from the street will let us use it much more freely as a garden space.

Near the screened porch, you can see the sidewalk that leads to our large yew bushes by the road. Hopefully we can incorporate these into our new design, perhaps with a side gate entrance?

Moving back around the house brings you to the woodland again. Our snow is actually quite a bit deeper at present than in this photo. We have probably 8 inches and it keeps snowing a little more everyday.

A sunset from a brighter time last November.  The woodland is a marvelous place to play, and I am really looking forward to some pretty shade gardening as well! Firstly, we will need to feed the poor soil, which has been stripped of its leaf matter religiously every autumn for many years.

Thanks for taking a walk around with me!
It is a much larger garden than Gilmore Gardens, but we are looking forward to the challenge.

I will be back this spring with our new improvements to Havenwood along the way, but also with the spring flowers from our previous garden, Gilmore Gardens, which we still own and care for.
~Julie