Progress on the Robert Gardner Home

It has been a while since I have posted and I would like to share the progress we are making on the Robert Gardner home located on Murphy's Lane in Salt Lake City

                                                                               

                                                                          

Our first project was to remove the Pyracantha bushes which were 90 feet long, 16 feet high and 16 feet wide.  What a difference it made!!!!  We can finally see the home from the street.

These are some of the roots.  This gives a picture of how old these bushes were.

This is  a 30 foot dumpster and it was able to hold only half of the shrubs that wee removed.

Our next project was to get our chimney cleaned.  This chimney had not been cleaned in years so I will let you guess the amount of soot that was removed.  Maybe it was 100 years of soot.

The Chimney Sweeper was a very friendly man and he seemed to enjoy his work.  In fact he said, "that he was the best in the valley."

These men are awesome.  Philip Roberts, on the left is my Daughter in Law's younger brother.  He is majoring in Architectural Landscaping at BYU.  He is such a hard worker and so willing to help me in the many decisions that have to be made.  Reed Gardner is on the right.  He has helped to get our antique watering system to function so we could start watering.  Each time I return to water he has added a lever or handle so it is much easier to turn the water on and off.

Philip is planting a Lilac bush and 4 Barberry bushes.  We started planting Friday at noon on the 15th and finished Sat. evening at 9:00 P.M  Of course that included a couple of trips to the nursery and other errands. We also planted a white Hydrangea, a Mock Orange Bush, more Lilac bushes and other plants that I have forgotten the names right now.  We transplanted Peonies, 5 small Spruce and 2 Heavenly Bamboo that were already on the property.  It was a big day.

Removing the Ivy from off the front porch and also clearing our the Pyracantha  in the front opens up the property,  We also planted two rose bushes in front of the rock porch and a Topiary Lilac bush where the jungle of Ivy used to be.

Our next project is removing trees and also trimming trees.  The guys started Thurs. morning and are removing a tree called The Tree of Heaven which is located on the West side of the home.  It is really a trash tree so we are looking forward to seeing this tree gone.   They have a big job of trimming 2 Sycamore Trees on the South and a Sycamore tree on the East adjacent to the house.  Also they will be trimming a Catalpa Tree, Mulberry and a Crab Apple tree..  They are removing a Box Elder, Russian Olive, and an Elm Tree.

I am on my way to the Robert Gardner home to water.  We have had over 100 degree temperatures the last few days and some wind so the new plants need water everyday.  Its quite a mess in some areas because there are lots of tree branches scattered around.  The tree removal guys equipment broke down on Fri. so they had to leave early.  They will be back in the morning.  I also have to protect the plants from the branches that fall.