August Yard of the Month

in Edgemere Park

This is my neighbor Stan's house and yard. 

I'll be back tomorrow with an inside tour.

The yard of this home was pretty much a blank canvas when Stan and his wife Terry moved in.

This is how the landscape was before they purchased the home.

This was it a couple of years ago.

Stan has done all this by himself.

I love these large urns flanking the porch and filled with sweet potato vines and white mandevilla.

An old dry sink on the porch makes it feel homey.

A glimpse of the side front porch.

A bench on the side porch.

The only thing in this front bed that existed before Stan got his green thumb in action was the crab apple tree.

Such a variety of plantings.

Their backyard is very similar to mine layout wise but they've turned it

into a tropical retreat. Stan added the deck to the back of the house.

I really like the posts he used for the pergola.

This backyard had nothing in it but patches of sad grass when Stan started all this.

A flag stone patio in the center of the backyard provides a cool spot in the shade of the trees.

Various art objects and water features dot the landscape.

A back gate leads to their neighbor's yard behind them. 

Stan painted the other side of this gate orange because he knew his neighbor behind him loves orange.

He knew she'd enjoy looking at an orange gate every day.

Isn't that nice? I wish I lived behind Stan and Terry.

They have quite a few banana trees that they over winter in their basement every year.

Here is the most ingenious part of this yard makeover and so easily copied.

A magnificent gate and fence separates the backyard from the driveway in front of the garage.

Many of us have this driveway layout in the neighborhood.

It's usually a dead space for most of the homes.

But Stan extends the garden with large potted plants along the perimeter of the driveway.

Turning the boring back drive into another patio complete with table and chairs.

Triangle canvas awnings overhead provide shade.

Masses of potted plants provides a pretty backdrop for this make-do patio and hides

the heat and air unit. Yes, I must do this.

This is the view looking from the yard through the gate onto the driveway.

Those large doors are the opening to the garage.

The yard side of the garage sports another deck with a canvas awning overhead.

This area includes a bar for outdoor beverages.

A view from the outdoor bar towards the back gated fence.

I have seen this yard in several stages.

Stan just keeps adding things one project at a time.

I have to say that most of the time I'm super happy that I'm single.

But after seeing how handy Stan is at building and making stuff, I have to say I did 

wish for my own handi-crafty man.

My fantasy is a man outside in his workshop making stuff all the time.

Of course I'd want it all built to my specifications.

Tomorrow I'll have the inside of the home for the latest installment of 

Open House Sunday.

Happy Saturday!

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