What the Neighbors Saw

I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be my neighbor. According to my back neighbor, he has the best view in the neighborhood: all the garden, none of the work. I think he may be right.

My Peggy Martin rose bloomed the heaviest on my neighbor's side of the fence.

There is no privacy in my neighborhood. Our HOA requires all fences be four feet tall and almost identical in design. We live our lives as if they were performance art. We are always on display.

I could have pruned this off but it seemed pointless and cruel.

Grass paths lead from the fence gates into the garden. The children next door love to come over and pet my four dogs.

My garden curves around an ellipse of grass like a giant Bodoni font C. When you have dogs, grass makes for a better playground than a perennial bed.

A view into the dogwood garden and a peek at the patio

I'm lucky to have incredible neighbors and don't mind the lack of privacy. After 10 years of gardening to the chatter of songbirds and a busy neighborhood, I might go crazy in the country. Or I might not.

The Etoille Violet clematis also chose the sun on my neighbors side
for the lushest display.

It took pity on me and flung a few blooms over to my side.

 A peek into the shade garden.

All of these pictures were taken from my neighbors' yards. We planted four trees when we moved in eleven years ago to help give the illusion of privacy.

Chester Thornless blackberries grow along the fence. My neighbor is free to eat whatever berries grow on his side. I leave the rest for the birds.

A view over the fence into the rain garden.

When my other neighbors had their fence built, they included a gate for me so I could take care of their garden, too, and tend to my plants that grow along our shared fence. 

Yellow yarrow and pink knautia grow near the rain garden. The reddish lump in the background is a happy dog in grass that needs to be mowed.

When I designed my garden, I picked plants I like. It didn't occur to me how much my neighbors would enjoy them, too.

My 'Night Owl' rose is recovering from a nasty bout with black spot
and a severe pruning.

The first people who lived in the house next door didn't care for their yard and it looked like a jungle so I planted this trumpet vine to block the view. Now I keep it pruned so we can both enjoy it while giving ourselves a small bit of privacy. (No special effects were used on this picture. I just shot into the sun.)

More pink mystery clematis growing along our shared fence.

I should find out its name but I enjoy its anonymity. 

My neighbors love the clematis so much I'm training several other vines along the fence. I garden and they show up at my door with homemade Indian food. Hooray!