I took a walk over to the next street on Wednesday night to see how well people on the street could see people in my back yard. Of course the house in back of mine can see quite a bit, but what has concerned me more are gaps between that house and the houses to the north and south of it. Through those gaps, I can (theoretically) see people on the sidewalk on the street behind, people in cars driving down that street, and people in the driveways of two houses on the other side of that street. Plus, in the southern gap, I have a direct view to the front window (not sure what room, it may be a garage conversion) of the house on the other side of the street in back of my house. That front window has cute shutters, so it's easy to recognize when I actually go over to that street.
I had been thinking that the southern gap in back was the more important one, and my new 16 foot shed would basically block that gap, so it would mostly solve the problem. But from the sidewalk, a person of my height (5 ft 6 in) can see more readily into my back yard from the northern gap, which is wider, and because of the slope of the street, the person on the sidewalk has a better view from there because it is higher up than the southern gap.
So that got me wondering if it was correct to put the new garden tool shed in position to cover up the southern gap if the northern gap is actually worse.
But after lots of thinking about this, I still think the 2nd shed works better emerging from behind Lyndhurst and blocking the southwest gap than starting from the north west corner of my back yard. Mainly this is because that area behind Lyndhurst is not all that nice. Might as well put a shed there because it can only make it nicer. (My original plan was for a small shed hidden behind Lyndhurst. But that wouldn't block any views at all.)
On the other hand, the northwest corner is a prime location in the back yard, certainly it looks that way from my house (when you are actually down there in the corner, it seems a bit low, and the way everything rises above you is an interesting but not entirely wonderful effect). I think it would be nice to have a Gazebo there, as an auxiliary patio, a place for some people to hang out during a backyard party, possibly a nicer place to have the BBQ than near the house. I looked at some Gazebos online, nice cedar ones seem to start around $1900 in 10 foot diameter, I think 13 foot diameter would be much nicer and it would actually be larger than my existing patio. Gazebos seem to require you to build a floor of some kind, concrete would be one obvious choice, though I think it would not be good for me to pour concrete over the easement (bad enough that I'm putting a large but moveable shed there). I'm thinking a modular concrete floor, if there is such a thing, would be a nice choice.
The ceiling and roof of a gazebo would block most of the northern gap view. With a circular gazebo, I could still plant trees along the fence line also.
Anyway, for now I think I'm going to draw the line at the shed, even that was pushing it. After the shed goes in, the irrigation system can go in. I'll tell the sprinker guy that I eventually plan to have a gazebo, but it's a huge additional cost (at least as much as the shed if not twice as much including the floor) with little immediate benefit--except blocking the view. The shed, on the other hand, is immediately needed to give me a place to put garden tools, which I'm finding do not really belong in Lyndhurst because they stink it up.
Visual inspection also revealed I badly need another tree, possibly another Crepe Myrtle, along the southern fence right at the back wall of Lyndhurst. If not, people from the other side of Glacier Sun (the cross street beyond the southern neighbor) can see right into my back yard also.
I still lust for a palm (Texas Sabal) tree rising out of the gap between the power transformer and the new shed, and about 7 feet behind Lyndhurst, 6 feet from the back fence. 7 feet should be enough, right? I'm worried about how it might grow, however, it might still rub against Lyndhurst as it is growing. Once the top grows above Lyndhurst, it would be free and clear, the the 2-4 foot diameter trunk would not be any problem at ground level.
Somehow, Palm tree gives me a feeling that nothing else does. It would be the final touch saying that "I've made it." Rich people in Beverly Hills have palm trees on their estates, and now I have a palm tree on mine. My house has become "Hotel California" which does include a palm tree on the album cover. I was born in California, so perhaps that is why this means so much to me. Is it too selfish? Is it too sentimental? Is it irresponsible?
Some people very irresponsibly have planted palms a foot or two from their houses. That always causes problems down the line, not limited to having rats enter into the attic. But with 7 feet from the nearest permanent structure, even though it's a bit tight (15 feet would be better), and might not even work out, still does not seem to me to be entirely irresponsible, and worth trying if it is what I really want.
Another alternative for that area would be a medium tree of some kind (anything but Crepe Myrtle, I need those for too many other locations), or a raised vegetable or herb garden. i would not want to do gardening directly in the soil, because it is near the power transformer, which may have leaked out stuff over time, at the low point of my lot which collects runoff, and over the easement. But nothing wrong with a raised bed, and it might even be compatible with having a palm tree protect against noontime sun.
Speaking of a Palm Tree being the ultimate "I've made it" statement, quite possibly a lot of the tallest Palm Trees you see were planted by people who are no longer around, the trees having outlived them. So maybe that's what a palm tree really signifies: "I've made it into the ground too."
My friend's father (and may he rest in peace!) also planted palm trees on his lot in the Rio Grande Valley. I guess that shows that palm trees are not only for rich Californians. They might not have been Texas Sabal however, they had dates my friend says. I wasn't even thinking about dates, I was thinking more about palm oil.
Since that area is behind Lyndhurst, it doesn't so much need a privacy screen, but it might not be so bad to plant a clumping bamboo along the fence anyway. I sort of imagine this little spot between transformer and second shed as a place for a secret rendezvois.
I had been thinking that the southern gap in back was the more important one, and my new 16 foot shed would basically block that gap, so it would mostly solve the problem. But from the sidewalk, a person of my height (5 ft 6 in) can see more readily into my back yard from the northern gap, which is wider, and because of the slope of the street, the person on the sidewalk has a better view from there because it is higher up than the southern gap.
So that got me wondering if it was correct to put the new garden tool shed in position to cover up the southern gap if the northern gap is actually worse.
But after lots of thinking about this, I still think the 2nd shed works better emerging from behind Lyndhurst and blocking the southwest gap than starting from the north west corner of my back yard. Mainly this is because that area behind Lyndhurst is not all that nice. Might as well put a shed there because it can only make it nicer. (My original plan was for a small shed hidden behind Lyndhurst. But that wouldn't block any views at all.)
On the other hand, the northwest corner is a prime location in the back yard, certainly it looks that way from my house (when you are actually down there in the corner, it seems a bit low, and the way everything rises above you is an interesting but not entirely wonderful effect). I think it would be nice to have a Gazebo there, as an auxiliary patio, a place for some people to hang out during a backyard party, possibly a nicer place to have the BBQ than near the house. I looked at some Gazebos online, nice cedar ones seem to start around $1900 in 10 foot diameter, I think 13 foot diameter would be much nicer and it would actually be larger than my existing patio. Gazebos seem to require you to build a floor of some kind, concrete would be one obvious choice, though I think it would not be good for me to pour concrete over the easement (bad enough that I'm putting a large but moveable shed there). I'm thinking a modular concrete floor, if there is such a thing, would be a nice choice.
The ceiling and roof of a gazebo would block most of the northern gap view. With a circular gazebo, I could still plant trees along the fence line also.
Anyway, for now I think I'm going to draw the line at the shed, even that was pushing it. After the shed goes in, the irrigation system can go in. I'll tell the sprinker guy that I eventually plan to have a gazebo, but it's a huge additional cost (at least as much as the shed if not twice as much including the floor) with little immediate benefit--except blocking the view. The shed, on the other hand, is immediately needed to give me a place to put garden tools, which I'm finding do not really belong in Lyndhurst because they stink it up.
Visual inspection also revealed I badly need another tree, possibly another Crepe Myrtle, along the southern fence right at the back wall of Lyndhurst. If not, people from the other side of Glacier Sun (the cross street beyond the southern neighbor) can see right into my back yard also.
I still lust for a palm (Texas Sabal) tree rising out of the gap between the power transformer and the new shed, and about 7 feet behind Lyndhurst, 6 feet from the back fence. 7 feet should be enough, right? I'm worried about how it might grow, however, it might still rub against Lyndhurst as it is growing. Once the top grows above Lyndhurst, it would be free and clear, the the 2-4 foot diameter trunk would not be any problem at ground level.
Somehow, Palm tree gives me a feeling that nothing else does. It would be the final touch saying that "I've made it." Rich people in Beverly Hills have palm trees on their estates, and now I have a palm tree on mine. My house has become "Hotel California" which does include a palm tree on the album cover. I was born in California, so perhaps that is why this means so much to me. Is it too selfish? Is it too sentimental? Is it irresponsible?
Some people very irresponsibly have planted palms a foot or two from their houses. That always causes problems down the line, not limited to having rats enter into the attic. But with 7 feet from the nearest permanent structure, even though it's a bit tight (15 feet would be better), and might not even work out, still does not seem to me to be entirely irresponsible, and worth trying if it is what I really want.
Another alternative for that area would be a medium tree of some kind (anything but Crepe Myrtle, I need those for too many other locations), or a raised vegetable or herb garden. i would not want to do gardening directly in the soil, because it is near the power transformer, which may have leaked out stuff over time, at the low point of my lot which collects runoff, and over the easement. But nothing wrong with a raised bed, and it might even be compatible with having a palm tree protect against noontime sun.
Speaking of a Palm Tree being the ultimate "I've made it" statement, quite possibly a lot of the tallest Palm Trees you see were planted by people who are no longer around, the trees having outlived them. So maybe that's what a palm tree really signifies: "I've made it into the ground too."
My friend's father (and may he rest in peace!) also planted palm trees on his lot in the Rio Grande Valley. I guess that shows that palm trees are not only for rich Californians. They might not have been Texas Sabal however, they had dates my friend says. I wasn't even thinking about dates, I was thinking more about palm oil.
Since that area is behind Lyndhurst, it doesn't so much need a privacy screen, but it might not be so bad to plant a clumping bamboo along the fence anyway. I sort of imagine this little spot between transformer and second shed as a place for a secret rendezvois.
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