We removed two rhododendrons from our yard on Saturday. I’m generally not a fan of taking out existing plants, but we’ve lived with these for twelve years and were all agreed they had to go. Too close to the house, too huge, too ugly. Taking them out was no easy project. It was simple for Jon to chainsaw them to the ground, but getting the roots out was another thing all together, and took Jon and Andrew most of an afternoon. In the process they unearthed some treasures.
I moved debris while they dug, then Sunday we finished the cleaning up and Dagny and I began moving plants from other parts of the yard to fill the new garden space. For now, everything looks a bit sad – lots of transplant shock, an ugly bit of foundation to cover, and some uneven ground that needs filling and leveling – but we’ll fix it up next Spring. There were some expected consequences – the light in the craft room has changed dramatically, and we can see the rock wall which was previously mostly hidden – but there was also one that hadn’t occurred to me. When we walk out the kitchen door, we now have a view of our neighbors’ backyard, aka acres of farmland.
Much better.
Another Roadside Attraction 