Reshaping GardenSpirit

It took only one, frustrating experience of mowing the steep slopes at GardenSpirit for me to call Keith Anderson, landscaper and Bobcat Operator Extraordinaire, and beg for help.

We walked the grounds, talked about options. Then I disappeared for a week at my beach retreat at Emerald Isle. When I returned,the landscape had been altered dramatically.

The hilly back yard with its two towering trees is now a ledge of dirt, waiting for a new deck. The front yard is shorn of its two cedars (I really don't like cedars, regardless of how hard everyone tries to convince me otherwise). The circular gravel driveway is on the cusp of being reworked. And the Round-up I'd sprayed on the horrible grass near the house had done its work -- brown grass that would never need mowing again!

It was breathtaking. And a little scary. I'd worked with an architect/designer who had told me NOT to terrace the back yard. And here was a terrace to beat all terraces. "Not to worry," Keith told me, "we'll just backfill this after the deck is in."

I hope he's right. The ledge is pretty terrifying. But at least there's no grass to mow. That makes it all worthwhile!