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Out Your Back Door

HanauMan

Practically Family
Messages
809
Location
Inverness, Scotland
Here is my backyard. It is a basically just a patch of grass and a raised patio. I'm not much of a gardener so I only have a few pots with plants, mainly conifer trees. The front of my house faces south so we have sun in the garden all day. It can be windy up here, living 600 feet up a hill.

My house on the right, the garage on the left.

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The view from my study window, which overlooks my backyard, taking in the sea, hills and town I live in.

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Messages
16,813
Location
New York City
⇧ it all looks very nice with the view being absolutely killer. As a not-traveled, ignorant America, I have romantic ideas about Scotland's geographical and architectural beauty inspired in part by the movies "I Know Where I'm Going" and "Chariots of Fire." Your home and view only reinforce those ideas.
 

HanauMan

Practically Family
Messages
809
Location
Inverness, Scotland
⇧ it all looks very nice with the view being absolutely killer. As a not-traveled, ignorant America, I have romantic ideas about Scotland's geographical and architectural beauty inspired in part by the movies "I Know Where I'm Going" and "Chariots of Fire." Your home and view only reinforce those ideas.

Thank you for your comments.
Ha ha, I feel the same about NYC after having growing up with films like Manhattan, Times Square & Smithereens as a teenager and more recent films like You've got Mail! I love NYC and think your apartment, and its views, are great.
Have to say, I Know Where I'm Going is also one of my all time favorites movies.
I'm actually an expat living here, married a Scottish gal. Yes, Scotland is a pretty good place to end up living in. I love living in Europe.
 
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Studebaker Driver

One of the Regulars
Messages
223
Location
The Big Valley in the Golden State
More often than not, after seeing the swell digs so many of you guys have, I am embarrassed by the squalor in which we live.

We had our first "Harvest Party" Saturday night in the garden. Attending were all those who helped, as well as those who helped by watching.

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Studebaker Driver

One of the Regulars
Messages
223
Location
The Big Valley in the Golden State
Life has been a whirlwind for the past months and I have been so disconnected from on-line haunts, I've lost the thread of most of them. If I'm repeating myself, I beg for indulgence.

The back yard was, as prior photos attest, a bombed-out disaster zone. During a conversation with the neighbors one evening a few months ago, they lamented their small lot and mentioned how they missed having a garden [when they lived in the country on some acreage]. I offered my lot for a garden and they accepted, so we took out trees and unwanted shrubs, fixed irrigation systems, we cut back nearby trees and even found some used TIRES that locals apparently left in the yard as thoughtful gifts. We even found evidence of a camp. [Ick]

Not only the immediate neighbors, but the entire extended neighborhood has seemingly dropped everything to come by and see. Not only the transformation, but to see the garden itself. It is ridiculous. I'm about 6'-1" and most of the tomato plants are now taller than I am. I'm not kidding. The squash vines, in barely 2' of a row, have 15 yellow squash currently close to maturity. The zucchini will need shopping carts to haul them away. There are at least seven varieties of peppers in about 20 plants with hundreds of peppers growing now. Melons, peas, blueberries, eggplants, pumpkins. Most of the plants are comically big and growing. Strollers out with their dogs and kids make it a point to stop and talk.

One great outcome has been the formation of a new "Neighborhood Watch" group and the garden has been "elected" as our space for "National Night Out" August 1. We have grown much closer as a true community, if in microcosm. There is almost always a "good guy" (or good girl!) out in the yard. The added human presence has already been great for our local crime rate - petty thefts have stopped. As the weather has warmed nearby neighborhoods have seen increases in residential burglaries and vandalism. I can't quantify exactly what the effect the garden has had on these numbers, but the correlation, if it could be proven, is pretty satisfying.
 

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