4 minute read
DISASTER turned Delight
Home and Cabin
Disaster turned Delight
How these homeowners turned a nasty septic surprise into a dreamscape for their family
By Marie Bishop
Summer – finally!
After the most challenging winter and spring on record, what a treat to finally be outside, puttering in the garden. Maybe this is the season to focus on that garden project you’ve been thinking of, in this year of “stay at home” regulations.
Last year my husband and I did a total revamp of our front garden – though not exactly by choice. We had an unexpected septic system “event” that... let’s just say was messy. So we decided it was time to hook up to the town water and sewer.
This decision meant a trench had to be dug through our front yard, eight feet wide and six feet deep, from the main road to the foundation of our house, a distance of approximately 40 feet. The biggest surprise, after we came to terms with the moonscape left in its wake, was how much privacy we had lost.
Trees that had grown up over the past 30 years disappeared and left us exposed to the sight and sounds of traffic. The upside, and there’s always an upside, is that we had a clean slate to work with, more or less. Luckily we did manage to keep a few of the mature trees and two rhododendrons that were close to the house, but basically we were starting from scratch.
For our front yard, we wanted as much privacy as we could manage, but also a space for our three grandchildren to burn off some energy, and a place to sit and enjoy the afternoon sun. Our first thought was to put up a fence, but hours of internet searching rendered a file folder of ideas and much confusion. The ideal fence needed to be open enough for the wind to blow through it, not against it, and strong enough for vines and shrubs to grow on – bringing back the privacy we had lost and also adding colour and interest to the border. For the grandchildren, a level lawn with a soccer net on one end was a given, along with a place for the grownups to sit and watch them play.
First job was to level the ground. A boulder the size of a stove had been pulled from the trench, and we decided it might make a nice feature in one corner. The rest of the tumbled ground was raked level and the rubble built into a low rock wall – which sounds simple enough, but requires patience, endurance and a good eye. Luckily for me, my husband has an abundance of all three. This also created a base for the fence, a barrier from the road and a support for a raised bed area outside the fence for planting climbing vines and shrubs. On the levelled ground, topsoil was spread and sods were laid – voilà! We had a lawn.
Second step – the fence. The design we decided on was a cedar openlattice type of fence. Using one-inch square strips of cedar to create 10- inch squares in a six-foot-wide panel, attached to 4"x4" posts, we built a fence that fit the bill. The real test was that it survived Snowmageddon – yay!
A boulder excavated during the water and sewer installation was incorporated into a new seating area.
The third item on the list was a place to sit and enjoy the view. Under the 35-year-old Flowering May tree, which managed to escape the excavator, was the perfect spot. Using our “new” boulder, some stone that was in the previous garden and a beautiful outdoor bench, we created an oasis. It’s the ideal location to sit and enjoy the noisy energy of our three Wee Ones.
Finally, and this is a work in progress, came the planting of new vines, trees and shrubs. We chose a combination of native and purchased plants, all in an effort to create an interesting, colourful view from the house, the garden and the road. This year will be the test to see what survived the winter snow, road salt and soil conditions. We will add, adjust, prune and remove as needed. We won’t have all our privacy back right away, but it’s interesting to see what grows and how quickly.
This project wasn’t exactly on our priority list – until it was. And now I am so grateful that our septic tank disaster inspired a great space for all of us to enjoy, not only in the summer, but all year long.
