We’ve broken ground on our last home on Solar Way, almost exactly two years to the day that my house project began. We are building for a fantastic couple who we can’t wait to become part of our community. Their house will be similar to mine – a 2 BR, 2.5 bath with finished space over the garage. The sloping lot presented some challenges due to a very small allowable building footprint, but the architect, Emily Mottram of Mottram Architecture, and I worked closely to design the home and landscape as a cohesive whole and we are thrilled with how the house sits on/in the land. As this home goes up, we are finalizing design plans for our next build project on a wooded lot in Freeport, ME.
I am continuing work on my landscape. Year Two Reports: the river birches, tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica), red maples and swamp white oak have taken to our heavy clay soil well and are pushing out new growth. My wildflower meadow is about to pop with black-eyed susans (Rudbeckia) which are always the first wave of flowering in a new meadow planting. In years to come, the rudbeckia will be joined by other forbs, slower to settle in and bloom. It will be different every year. The trick is to manage the woodies and invasives to maintain the integrity of the desired grasses and forbs.
I am getting ready to install a bluestone terrace later this summer. Since I designed the inside and outside of my house at the same time, I have known since we broke ground where the terrace is going. When we brought in crushed stone for the foundation perimeter and driveway, we also prepped the terrace area. Now all we have to do is cart in the bluestone. So easy since the heavy machine work has already been done. I spent some time this morning confirming dimensions and setting out the furniture on the gravel to make sure it’s exactly how I want it. Marking paint is my best friend! Finished photos of the area to follow later in the season!
