Good morning folks! Yet another beautiful day to enjoy and rejoice.
This morning I took a short video of "the grounds" around here, where Bill and I have resided for the past ten years. Ten years already? Wow, time does fly when you're having fun and believe me folks, our life is not dull and has not been dull since we made the Big Move to Delaware.
Every year I like to take at least one "garden tour" video our one acre (actually .98 acres) "estate" where we live here near Rehoboth Beach.
As I mentioned in the intro video, I grew up living in a second floor apartment. I remember walking the three blocks to school on Washington Avenue, envious of my classmate who were so fortunate to live in houses that had real backyards. Now I know there are those of you who hate yard work but me? I've always found a sense of pure sensual pleasure working outside, in nature in my yard, creating a natural a habitat for the birds and bees and even the uninvited guests like rabbits and ground hogs. Long sentence there folks, but I am passionate about this wonderful aspect of my life.
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| The apartment building our family lived in for my young years - our apartment was on the second floor front - this photo was taken in 2002 - still looks the same all those years after we moved in 1954 but I bet the rent isn't $22 a month like we paid |
I was 16 years old when our family finally moved into a house with a backyard. Our home was a ranch house on 3 1/2 acres of land outside Downingtown, Pennsylvania. I loved finally having "land" but it wasn't mine. I never felt comfortable having a garden on any part of that acreage because my father was a gardener also. He grew vegetables. He thought growing anything your couldn't eat was a "waste of time", which he often told me.
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| My parent's home 2005 - oh yes, I put the pink flamingos out there (my father had died 2000) |
I only lived in that house with a backyard for a year. After graduating from high school, with a six month detour to have an operation to correct a problem in which I failed my first physical to join the Army, I joined the Army for three years.
After getting out of the Army I then went on an many year odyssey of securing a job and a life. First an apartment in Coatesville, PA. Then I met Bill and we lived in an apartment in Pennsuauken New Jersey. Then we moved to an apartment in Roxborough, Philadelphia, PA. Then a row house with a little, tiny, teeny back yard that didn't receive enough light. Bill built me a roof deck on our town house in Center City, Philly to satisfy my need to grow flowers.
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| Me and Bill on our roof deck at our townhouse in center city Philly - 1974 |
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| Bhudda on our roof deck - I still have that Bhudda, it is our backyard now! |
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| Who is that man? Oh! It's me in 1974 with my marigolds on our roof deck. |
In 1976 we bought a parcel of wooded land in Cheter County, Pennsylvania, outside of Downingtown, PA. For the next twenty-five years I attempted to have a flower garden, with minimal success. The deer and squirrels thought my garden was a salad patch for them.
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| Our beautiful wood home in Chester County, PA shortly before we moved in 2006. All the charm is gone now because the new owner cut down all the trees and bushes. . Yep, he sure did. |
Finally in 2006 we bought this one acre lot in Milton, Delaware. The whole lot was cleared, no trees or bushes or deer. A clear slate
So fast forward folks and this is where I am now. Oh, I have rabbits now which provide a challenge but no squirrels to eat my tulip bulbs for deer to munch away on my shrubbery.
This folks is the 2016 garden tour of Casa Tipton-Kelly. Enjoy!