HELP!! Solution for a once Beautiful Outdoor View, now Destroyed!!
schicks
11 years ago
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Comments (117)
Nancy in Mich
9 years agopcmom1
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Please help me design the view of my pond
Comments (39)As is usual with these "please help me" posts, I start by asking one question, only to have other posters bring up additional issues/suggestions - a good thing! I now have (at least) 2 projects - one for the long (natural) view of trees and field behind the pond. A second for a "people place" at a different corner of the pond. drtygrl - yes, there were a few suggestions to make a platform or destination area. What I liked so much about pls8xx's suggestion is choosing a different corner of the pond. That way the "people place" is closer to the house, hence more likely to draw people the short distance to the pond. Also, by putting it in that corner, the human elements (adirondack chairs?) are not competing with the long "natural" view. Initially I was a bit unsure about a platform under the ash tree, because it seemed it might turn that into a "busy" area rather than a peaceful one. By moving it to the closer corner, I will be able to have my cake and eat it too :-) pls8xx, I understand about the importance of a planned view drawing, I draw home made ones all the time (pencil), and enjoy it. (it's my engineering background) I often work a plan for a year or two before implementing it. I don't see myself planting anything new here for a year at least, because I will be too busy removing cattails and reworking that corner. I'm still really impressed how you deduced those contour lines, your 50 years of experience really show. I've also learned first hand about drainage, having made a few corrections already at this property. Fortunately, my house sits on a small hill, with a gentle grade that naturally takes all the water away. Given that my driveway on a hill was not constructed with the correct camber, I experience first-hand the effects of rain and erosion and frequent repair. While I love the idea of a large sitting area in that corner, I'm not enamored with the path through the grass to get there. I like the large unbroken expanse of lawn here, creating a plain foreground for the view beyond. And the simple addition of chairs will allow the viewer to "know" which direction to go. That corner has always been difficult. The lawn slopes down to where it meets the pond, except when it gets to the low left corner, then the natural slope goes well below the pond edge in the corner, creating a small low spot that is spongy with water in spring and after heavy rains. In other words there is a dip. For the mower, it's also a sharp turn around a wet corner at a weird angle. (because of it's small and distant location I've been able to ignore it for years.) By redoing this corner with the addition of a lot of soil and a raised area, several problems could be fixed at once. And I will pay attention to scale. When I first moved here from my previous suburban yard, nothing I did was big enough. With practice and mocking everything up with hoses, I believe I've gotten much better at achieving appropriate scale for this large country property. I also really like Michelle's photos, that was a gorgeous pond! But as KarinL pointed out, that intensely landscaped pond may not fit into my WNY landscape, although there are ideas I can glean from it. Yardvaark, He's a homeless dude instead of a statesman. yuk yuk! Actually he needs no limbing, he has a long tall muscular trunk. However, he's been running with a scruffy crowd of 10 small punk trees behind him. The scraggly branches are theirs, not his. And the more I think about it, I'm inclined to agree with you that once that treeline is opened up a bit, the field alone might be a sufficient draw without a path. The reason I envision a path now is because that would give me a visual way out of there. With it opened up, that may not be necessary. Once the trees are gone (within the next couple weeks) I will go a season and observe the field and evaluate whether to mow a path. Once again, I really appreciate all the ideas here! Thanks for staying with this thread and all my wordy responses. You have all helped me tremendously!...See MoreRaccoons destroying my garden. Help!
Comments (51)"No thanks, I don't want to think like you do." "Everyone knows that...." "I doubt that you..." "I don't believe you. Sounds too good to be true, you must be making it up" "I bet that you..." It's almost pointless to have a conversation with you here. You make too many baseless assumptions like the quotes above. I asked you to re-evaluate how you think, not to think like me. "Is it legal to shoot baited deer in WV?" "...as long as it's legal." Does legality trump morality and ethics? The United States passed a law called the "Fugitive Slave Act", mandating that people return runaways slaves to their masters. Many people refused to do this and harbored slaves. While this was a clear violation of the law it certainly was not wrong to do this. The law was wrong. More recent and relevant: In 2007 California passed a law limiting the amount of hours you can tether your dog to 3 hours at time. This was done because some people keep their dogs chained up for their entire lives. They spend years on these chains and sometimes their collars become embedded in their skin. The fact that this was legal before 2007 and illegal now has nothing to do with whether it is morally right or wrong. I bring this up because you stated "as long as it's legal" that options like poisoning, dehydration, and drowning are acceptable. Legality has nothing to do with morality. It is a self-centered view to purposely prolong an animals suffering simply because 1) it's legal 2) it's convenient. While humans are animals we like consider ourselves more sophisticated than the other species of the planet. Humans should be HUMANE. That means killing animals quickly and respectfully with the minimum amount of suffering possible....See MoreNeighbors destroyed my plants
Comments (79)Jo, Sadly there's almost nothing to do at this late time. Only with-in maybe the first hour if you sprayed heavily with water you might save the big stuff but will lose a lot in looks the first year or so. I sprayed some of my plants with Deet for protection for myself and it over sprayed some of my plants. Washed off the best I could a day later but with-in a month, they all died. Take pictures and call the police to record the event and ask your insurance agent about refund or at lest could maybe write if off income tax if you file the long form. A little is better than nothing. Police report is needed to do anything first. Ask a local nursery for a estimate of damage for cost replacement. Trees are more valuable than you think....See MoreNeed a privacy solution for awful neighboring views! Please Help
Comments (26)@Denise Marchand that's a great story about meeting with the owner of the ugly ac unit and finding a solution. The business next to our neighborhood is a large complex, they won't do anything in that regard, it's really up to us homeowners to find a solution. But those images you shared are quite nice, I looked up some of those laser-cut metal panels with the pretty decorative designs, they look quite nice but are very pricey, I'm seeing prices at 100-200 bucks for even tiny 2x4 pieces, I think now I am going to stick with wood planks/pickets and put them on a standing frame and make pretty DIY wood privacy slat panels that have heavy feet and put them all along the front of this wall and let my bushes grow up onto them, they are climbers and should reach 10-11 feet tall with enough to cling to. Home depot has wood pickets for a few bucks and I think it would be the most cost feasible option, maybe also floyd's idea of using sun shade material. The creative juices are flowing, I think we're getting closer!...See MoreWater Color Interiors
9 years agoWater Color Interiors
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8 years agoplantgnome
8 years agopcmom1
8 years agoNancy in Mich
8 years agoKivi
8 years agosadsal
8 years agoNancy in Mich
8 years agoMiss_Moose (Winnipeg, Canda. Zone 2)
8 years agoWater Color Interiors
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8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoMiss_Moose (Winnipeg, Canda. Zone 2)
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8 years agoJudy Mishkin
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoapple_pie_order
8 years agoWater Color Interiors
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8 years agoMiss_Moose (Winnipeg, Canda. Zone 2)
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8 years agoNancy in Mich
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8 years agoAlex511
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoNancy in Mich
8 years agoAlex511
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8 years agoCalifornia Fence Company
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8 years agoWendi Woos
7 years agoWater Color Interiors
7 years agoLori Monteiro
7 years agoNancy in Mich
7 years agoWater Color Interiors
7 years agoNancy in Mich
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