The start--the 1970s

     My gardens are like the earth--little is left of the beginning quarter or so of its history.  Only two trees I planted in the 1970s exist today--and one is on its last leg.  And only a handful of shrubs planted then exist today.  I really screwed up at the start.  My diligence in gardening leads me to say that, "I am somewhat embarrassed by last year's gardens--and I don't want to be associated with the gardens of five years ago."  That has been hard to do lately, so maybe I'll change it to, "I don't want to be associated with the gardens of a decade ago."
     The first photo shows me seeding the lawn in May 1970.  Our now-classic cars were a 1949 Plymouth (inherited from Dorothy's father) and a 1969 Dodge Charger (how I wish we kept it).
     The next photo shows me planting a "Greenspire" little leaf linden (Tilia cordata) in Spring 1970.  It still lives, nearing Sequoia size.  It had two near-death experiences: almost complete stripping of leaves by June bugs in May 1971 and linden borer attacks about 15 years ago.
     The first photo of the house and front lawn is from Summer 1970.  The second photo is from Summer 1972.  Only the linden on the right corner of the house survives. 
     Following is a photo taken of the north lot line.  Again, the linden is the only survivor.  To the north of the house and extending to the lot line is now the Japanese garden.  Who knew what would become of my original plans?  I certainly didn't.
     Finally, the back yard takes shape next by 1974, with the patio started.  The tree, a Norway maple, died of Verticillum wilt, a fungal disease, in the mid-1980s.  My friend, Chris Schmitt, told me there were a lot of antique bricks available along Forest Home Avenue and 32nd Street in Milwaukee, as the street was being repaved.  So I collected about 3000 of them free of charge.  Over the years, I collected 2000 more.  The patio was their first use.  I originally placed them tight together as they were in the street.  But during a trip to Toronto in 1981 I saw similar bricks set a half-inch apart with the sand between them recessed somewhat, adding an important third dimension to the surface.  In addition to looking better, it also increased the space I could cover.  Many people credit me with gardening "genius," but truth be told, lots of that comes from my copying others.  Never bothered me.
     The photo with the terraces and walls of RR ties is in what I call the Sunken Garden, as it is about four feet below the level of the house (thus, the reason for buying a sloping lot).  The ties and steps still look the same, though all the ties were replaced since the 1970s.  And there is now so much shade that grass would never grow there, so all has been changed in the base of the garden.
     The final photo shows the front yard in 1975.  Again, the linden is the only plant remaining from this original planting scheme.  The split rail fence is also gone, long since rotted out.
     I refused to buy leisure suits and bell bottom pants popular in the 1970s, as I didn't like them--nor fads.  Neither do I like most of my landscapes of the 1970s, so good riddance to both!