I don't say this to be argumentative, but personally I'm not crazy about this garden or the inukshuks. The garden is kind of pretty, and probably looks better than most disturbed areas in an urban setting. But in general I would rather see a natural gully with native plants that would naturally grow in such a spot, not exotic plants like Canna lilies and Mimosa trees. Especially a species like Albizia julibrissin which has shown invasive tendencies in Florida and the mid-atlantic states. When I'm out in nature, I want to experience nature - not yet more signs of human disturbance of nature. JMO.

Latest news. The bulldozers went in again, and have mowed down the northern half of the farm. They will go and do the southern part. Starting Friday, there will be rallies and actions to raise awareness. The movement continues, and their latest statements are demands for secured community farming space in the 9th council district. They have been offered plots outside of the district. They want the green space where it's needed: in the district with the least green space per person, with heavy loads of pollution. Please support the farm. Write a letter to LA City Hall.

So funny. I have to add some. When you fill your pots and/or pot your plants behind your car in the parking lot because you don't want to have to carry whole bags of potting soil up stairs. When you park in a sunny parking spot just so you can claim the rest of the space for your plants for the afternoon. When you use a tarp under your planting/potting activities so the neighbors below you don't have potting soil all over their patio. You store plants under the staircase so you can put them out in the sun without having to carry them up and down stairs. You have counted carrying 5 gallon buckets up and down stairs as your workout for the day. You have stolen every plastic folding table in the house to give plants access to better sun. You have hit your downstairs neighbor dumping water out of a drain pan. Your balcony is now secluded and enclosed almost entirely with plants, which you use not only as a pleasant place to sit, but also as a hidden vantage point from which to spy on the goings on in your remote part of the complex that has recently been hit with car break-ins and has been attracting all kinds of shady people lately. You have had conversations with multiple people through your tomatoes and snow peas about why they need to park in the guest spots rather than taking the spots of the people who actually live here. You interrupt your gardening to do any of the following: write down a license plate number, ask people if they live here/what their business is, tell the teenager(s) from other apt complexes who park in the corner to get high to get out, tell the teenager(s) from other complexes who are "just hanging" in your neighbor's bushes to get out, tell that shady guy to clean up that big mess of wires and junk that he left in the middle of the parking lot when his car caught on fire last week, write progressively more angry and sarcastic notes explaining what is and is not a parking space, talk with maintenance men, contractors, or movers who are working on other units about your plants, or if you have ever said something along the lines of "I don't care if you get high/kill each other/worship satan here as long as you don't litter, make noise, or touch my plants." You have had to explain to a dozen drunk partiers from downstairs why you are sitting under the staircase at midnight wearing a headlamp so you can squish blackflies. You have ever hidden behind the plants on your balcony to avoid saying hi to the neighbors because you are grungy, in a horrible mood, not wearing a bra, hate everybody today, etc. Your plants compete with the cats for sunny windowsills. With respect to plant "requirements," the "I'll do the best I can" attitude becomes a "you're not the boss of me, plant" attitude. You have grown tomatoes in the shade and greens in the summer and you are not. apologizing. for. it. Because your garden is gangsta and it doesn't give a $%&*. And I have to second the using kitchen utensils in the garden thing. Just the other day I decided that I shouldn't be using my wusthof kitchen shears out there because I an't afford to replace them. Also seconding searching the forums for that one person who says it's okay to grow tomatoes in part shade. lol And I have to put this in there for any other knitters. You know you are a city knitter when your neighbor's guests park their bicycles on the lace shawl that you have blocking.

Chazas, we are in Mt. Pleasant, and yes it is a historic district. Besides the city, plans have to be submitted to two historical groups (the city's and the neighborhood's). Our architect has warned us to expect the permitting process to take two to three months. She has done a lot of work in the city, including our neighborhood, so hopefully the process will go smoothly! We're trying to minimize problems by not touching the front of the house at all (the non-historic dormer windows were added when the front of the attic was bumped out during a previous renovation; it would never be allowed now but we are REALLY hoping it won't be an issue as it was done before this became a historic district). Parking is not nearly as bad in our neighborhood as in Dupont or Adams Morgan (we lived in both neighborhood before buying this house) and there is non-permit parking available just down the street. We also have a garage, although that may have to be used for delivery, storage, debris removal, work space, etc. The project is extensive enough that we have pretty much decided to move out of the house. MANY people have recommended it and fortunately we have a basement apartment that will be minimally affected (downside is that we will have to ask a good tenant to move out!). Our hope is that this will help minimize both the cost and duration of construction. BTW here are photos of the house, first the front from two different angles: And a view of the back: The above photo shows (barely) the raised area in front over the attic where the bedroom will go, and the long flat roof where the deck will go. The photo is a bit deceptive as the house is much longer than you can tell from the photo (20' wide and about 50' long). Finally, a view of the back yard from one of our second floor windows; we were fortunate to find a house with a deep (if narrow and sloping) back yard AND a garage. This will be the view from the new rooftop deck, which we had talked about adding even before considering doing all this other work: