The home itself was built in 1974, and sits on a little less than 0.2 acres of land. The front of the home faces West. On this side of the house I have two mature, if ill cared for, Honey Locust trees. Sadly I recently learned that the tree on the south side of the yard has a beetle infestation and will need to be cut down soon. Much of the yard has been neglected over the years, leaving the soil badly depleted in most parts, and some poorly maintained flower beds in various locations. The back yard has a decent porch, and several grape vines growing on the east fence consisting primarily of a seeded green grape, and one vine of concord grapes -- all in need of proper pruning. The South side of the home has a large RV pad and a small strip of lawn against the fence that appears to be the healthiest soil in the yard.
The area does have a diverse aviary population. To date I have seen crows nearby, and found various finches and pigeons in my yard as well as a Northern Flicker and a Downy Woodpecker. A couple magpies have ventured into our yard on occasion as well due to the feeders I have hung on one of my trees.
There are also various bulbs in the soil and flower beds that I have stumbled upon, so this spring should be interesting as these flowers come to life.
Going forward, I intend to plant some fruit tree guilds and other shrubs with principles from permaculture. I also want to eliminate the grass from the strip and replace it with a variety of flowers and drought tolerant plants. I will be trading sprinkler heads for drip tape systems where-ever possible, and generally trying to restore health to the depleted soil. My goal is to create a more sustainable landscape that consumes fewer outside resources and benefits humans and animals alike.
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| Downy Woodpecker |
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| Magpie and Northern Flicker picking seeds from the snow. |
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