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Professional Pruning

I rarely resort to hiring help in the garden but I'm learning that sometimes it is wise to do so and worth every penny. Case in point - some hideous out-of-control trees that were beyond my ability to deal with. If I were smarter, I would have tackled these issues from the beginning but I didn't know better. The first is a pear tree that was planted along the back fence line. I've worked on this for the past several years, every year with the intent of reducing the height or possibly removing it altogether. As you can see in the photo, I had cut back everything but three limbs and finally realized that it would be dangerous for me to try and bring them down. The limbs grow straight up into the air and the remaining three are about 20 feet tall.  After -- there is a hole in the sky view but the tree should fill in nicely for a good screen and I can keep it trimmed down from this point forward. Farther down along the fence line, and the view from the deck, are two massive pho

Beverly Nichols' Merry Hall For Sale



A reader sent me a link to a real estate listing in England (thanks Lynn!) - it is none other than Beverly Nichols' Merry Hall. I wrote a post about Nichols two years ago (two years ago???!!!!

Nichols bought the Georgian manor house, located in Surrey, after World War II. It was the largest home he ever owned and three of his books are set there. He did not live there too long, however, and sold it in 1956.

It can be yours for just £3,250,000. If I had that... (I've always wanted to live there even though I've  never been).

I thought it was interesting that the real estate posting shows the grounds first, quite the opposite of listings here although I'm not sure if all British listings do that. It may be because of the reputation of the garden.







Another famous property closer to home is the Elk Rock Garden at Bishop's Close. This 9-acre property is stunning and on the market for 4.5 million. I've only visited there one time, shortly before moving here, and it was a cold and rainy day. I'm kicking myself for never returning. Let's hope someone will preserve this historic property that was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. It appears that the listing is pending...


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. I thoroughly enjoy Beverly's writing. I am happy to see these pictures. Thanks for sharing this.

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  2. As a rabid anglophile I'd be thrilled to live in the UK, though this house is a tad big for me. I bet the ground keeper's cottage is just perfect though. If you buy it and need a ground's keeper, let me know :-D
    Chavli

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  3. Ouch!! Obviously the listing is not intended to attract the average resident.

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  4. I like that the way he writes about this garden and home is as my mindset thinks about home and garden. To see/read it actually how large it all is makes my mind shatter.

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