My husband, Chris and I are contemplating downsizing. To him, a smaller house means less maintenance. For me, our home is like a favorite pair of jeans that is now two sizes too big. What was once occupied by our children and their friends, now consists of closed doors and empty hallways. Our children’s birthday parties were precisely timed fun filled parties that routinely included 30 elementary school children. Those were the days. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, they are past and it may be time to move on.
Change is often difficult. Moving and the never ending series of decisions that are involved can be overwhelming. During a move, the focus is often on the items inside our home. Determining which furniture to bring, what personal items to keep and perhaps, most painfully, what we need to let go. As crucial as methodically working through the inside of your home is to the moving process, it may also be beneficial to think about the outdoor living space.
Continuity and being surrounded by familiar objects can ease the transition from one home to the next. Those familiar objects may include a beloved reclining chair, a wall hanging that includes an inspirational quote or a family heirloom. While important, these items all focus on creating a positive environment inside the home. Equally important in making the transition from one home to the other is the outdoor living area.
Unlike our possessions inside our home, we can’t pack up our flowers, shrubs and trees and take them with us. What we can do is incorporate some of the aspects of landscaping that we enjoyed most into our new home. The one aspect that I enjoy most about our yard is the trees. As you might imagine, the trees in our yard include beech, pear, maple, crabapple, hickory, honey locust, gingko, magnolia, birch, spruce and fir trees. While I enjoy the trees for the obvious reasons such as shade and gorgeous displays of flowers, they also bring me a sense of protection and calm. Incorporating a few well-placed trees would be a big priority for me should we choose to move.
One way to add the sense of continuity to a new home is by incorporating plants that may have been in a former residence; either literally or figuratively. Some homeowners are able to dig up and bring with them a few plants that have special meaning to them. It may be a peony that has been in the family for a hundred years or a hosta that was originally planted by an older relative. Plants can be touchstones for us. Queen Anne’s lace always reminds me of working in the garden with my grandmother. Seeing Hens and Chicks brings me back to planting annual flowers with my stepfather. Incorporating some of the plants that have a special meaning into the landscaping can make a new home feel just a bit more familiar.
On average, people live in eleven different homes during their lives. There are certain outdoor decorative items that can be brought with during those moves. Rocks that were collected during a family vacation, gifts from loved ones, or a special bench can all take pride of place in the new landscaping. They ground us and remind us of special moments or people.
Often times, a move involves going from a larger piece of property to a significantly smaller piece of property.
Just as the size of the rooms inside may be different; the scale of the planting beds outside are different. Adjusting to size and scope of the new planting areas is important. While most homeowners want their landscaping to look nice, no one wants a bed that is crowded with too many plants.
Another item to consider at a new home is the sunlight. While at one time a gardener may have been used to incorporating plants that do well in shade, now that same gardener may have a yard full of sunshine. Both yards can be beautiful; it just takes a bit of adjusting.
An insurance company is running an advertisement on the radio that specifically and emphatically states: “If you are shopping for insurance call us. Do not call your grandmother because she thinks insurance is putting plastic on her couch.”
While I understand that they are trying to make a joke, I find this commercial incredibly offensive. I know many grandmothers who know a heck of a lot about insurance and would trust their advice implicitly. Grandmothers – I would like to publish your advice. What gardening advice would you give to a family member, friend or neighbor who asked? Please send any and all advice to Kathleen@thegrowingscene.com
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or emailing her at Kathleen@thegrowingscene.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
