1505 Lawrence Street, “Bungalow in a Garden”

 When we bought this place, the abandoned lot had a few neglected remnants of what must have been very nice original features: a small fishpond now cracked and full of refuse, including an old bicycle; an old grape vine and chinaberry on a collapsed arbor; charming stone walkways; a patio with a pergola; and a retaining wall.  It took months to clear debris and remove “weed trees” that had taken hold, though it has been fun to see the results of our work.
We planted the perimeter with fast growing trees for privacy and filled the beds with a variety of shrubs, perennials and grasses.  Over time we’ve upgraded the garden features and improved the soil with organic materials.  We’ve enjoyed creating a garden full of different plant materials with simple color schemes—pink and lavender in the back, white in the front.  We replaced the chain link fence with a wooden one, added a small arbor to the front gate, built a simple rose arbor, and added rocks and plant materials on the curb.