then

This garden (and the accompanying house) became ours in the summer of 1998. It was love at first sight in many ways, but still not an easy acquisition. We had been hunting for a new home for months, when I spotted the sale sign the first time. The property is located in a historic neighborhood along a throughfare in the heart of Charlottesville. I knew it would be out of our price range, but something made me stop the car to have a look. The first thing I noticed was the trees. There is a gigantic beech tree in the front yard, a majestic oak just behind the house, and several large trees (tulip poplar, yellow wood, weeping beech, hackberry, and magnolias) along the north edge of the yard. The next thing I noticed was the house, with its peeling paint, broken shutters, iffy roof. My heart sank. Not only would this be a very expensive proposition, there was a lot of work to be done as well...

the house and surroundings in 1998

After much stress and agony, including a tour of the house which revealed much more peeling paint, pet urine stained floors, and a questionable electrical system, we signed the contract a few months later and moved in with our two young boys. Needless to say this place has been a never ending project ever since. We have undertaken big renovations (kitchen, family room, and bed room additions) as well as small (sewer repairs, new roof, painting, lots of painting...)

the former next door estate

We soon learned about the history of our new home. The house was built in 1936 for three spinster sisters and the land was parceled off from their uncle's next door estate, which had both a vineyard and an arboretum. The sisters never married and lived in the house until the youngest one died in the mid 1980's. Roumors say the garden back then was impeccable with large peony stands, a renowned rose garden, and a gardener to take care of it all. By the time we came around only traces of the former garden remained. The next door estate was demolished to make place for a large church built in an unfortunate 1970's design style.

the plat

There has always been something enchanted about this place, be it the sisters kind spirits still looming large, or a sense of quality and craftsmanship that we found underneath all that peeling paint and neglect. When it came to the garden I was first overwhelmed by the large space (almost one acre) and the tradition that so obviously was hidden beneath the all the overgrowth, but little by little we have reshaped the land to be ours, while trying to maintain the original feel and intent. If caring for my own garden was my full time occupation, I would have a masterpiece by now, but regretfully it has been hard to keep up over the years. Sections once redone, has been overtaken by weeds again, and there are large parts that were never fully mastered. The love and the eagerness are  still there, its just time that is lacking...