Field of Science

Landscaping quiz

Scenario: You buy an attractive, classic home in a well-established, historical neighborhood and after you move in you decide the landscaping needs some fixing. In order to endear yourself to the neighborhood do you
1. Prune the over grown, renew some perennial beds, and replace a few too-far-gone shrubs.
2. Hire professionals to come in redesign the whole thing starting afresh with boxwoods everywhere.
3. Decide to get a cold dring, sit and study the whole problem for a year or two because you don't want to be precipitous.
4. Have a knowledgeable person make suggestions about what to do and where to begin, then start on a gradual process of renewal of the landscaping.
5. Announce a disinclination to landscape, rip out all the shrubs, foundation plantings, perennial beds, and any tree not on the property line and plant grass.

Please attempt to justify your answer so as to mollify your neighbors. This may turn out to be more of the psychological study than a gardening quiz.

4 comments:

Pat said...

3. I would want to be sure of what is already in the garden before I did anything to it. Every garden has at least one treasure in my experience.

mr_subjunctive said...

3. also, because I am thirsty and a drink sounds like a good idea.

Then #4, after a couple years.

Laura Bloomsbury said...

#4 I'd wait and see what grows there including weeds as well as what is growing in the neighbourhood. Maybe then consider and plan a re-design or a theme garden. I'd do it myself

Laura

The Phytophactor said...

Yes, yes, yes, all very reasonable responses to this quiz, but neither #3 nor #4 was my neighbor's response to this situation.