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"If you want to be happy all summer, plant a garden; if you want to be happy in
life, plant trees."
Dale
Bird's Eye View of My Garden Home
This bird's eye view of my garden home illustrates
the series of garden rooms surrounding the house. Like my interior spaces, each
of these garden rooms has its own character, style and function. A connecting
circuit of paths and walkways directs the flow from one room to the next.
House
It’s been almost 34 years since we conceived
to have plans for a lakeside cottage on Little Glen Lake.
The original house had a 24' x 28' footprint and was constructed by us, family
and friends over a couple
of weeks. The framed in cottage of two floors featured a gambrel roof line
with three bedrooms upstairs.
Over the next five years, we worked year by year on completing the interior to
a rough but livable
structure. Even before the house was completely finished, we had the layout of
the garden well
established. A garage was added in the 80's and an addition, in 1990, was constructed
that combined the
garage, house and downstairs bedroom and bath. As well, as a back porch and
computer room.
Back
Garden
As you enter
the garden from the driveway in back of our house, you can walk
along a brick pathway that wanders through
a variety of perennials that begin
their bloom in late June and finish in the Fall. The brick walk leads up
to a
waterfall pond with a variety of pond fish. A split rail fence and pagoda
defines
the “wall” of this garden room. It is the seating of the pagoda that gives a
choice
evening seat to witness the birds and serenity of the gardens. Many morning
cups of coffee
are sipped while seated in the pagoda.
Storage Shed and Campfire Pit
I bought a garden shed that sits on the east
side of the property. It actually replaced an earlier one that caught
fire from a turkey
roaster (an interesting event). Inside I store the sports & boating equipment, and winter store other
furniture of
the garden. The campfire pit serves as a barbeque grill and a place for family
to gather and sometimes enjoy
the evening snack of smoires.
Back Deck and Porch
This open deck
connects to the house which then flows to the back porch. This area satisfies
the desire to have an
outdoor dining area with an outdoor grill. Since it was first completed, the
deck has been recovered with a vinyl decking. It is one of our favorite place
to have meals, whether alone or in the company of friends. The porch room is
accessorized with bird houses and watering pots for a gardening ambience and a
ceiling fan to stir the breeze on the stuffy days. The wicker furniture is
fitted with stuffed cushions.
Front Deck
The front deck features another pagoda covered with vines and finally this
year (2009) the Wisteria finally bloomed after 5 years of nothing. Under the
pagoda is a two seat swing. The deck has two tables and six chairs to
accommodate the family events.
Shoreline
The
Glen Lake shoreline is blessed with pure sand and crystal blue water
from shore to shore. With Little Glen being so shallow (13') it warms
quickly in the Spring and becomes a good temperature for swimming. The
lake also sports large amounts of perch and bass for the winter and summer
angler. Glen Lake sits in the middle of the Sleeping Bear National Park.
Our Summer gardening is one of
life's great rewards!
Doing a little gardening every
week keeps the job manageable and fun. Getting into the rhythm with the rest of
nature is very relaxing, and gratifying. With some stroll time in the garden
every day, you will see exactly what needs doing. What happens within a few days
in the garden can be kept up with a few minutes. Remember that a garden is a
relationship between two living things, a garden and a gardener.
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