I don't think I'll ever get used to it. We live on a rural highway, up on a hill, cut through to accommodate the highway. This means, when you drive by our house, there is a sharp, 90 degree, wall. At the top of the wall, is the level ground our house sits on.
When we moved here, the front of the house had a strip of ragged growth of various kinds. Pine trees, plus honeysuckle, plus raspberries, plus scrub brush and other bushes and trees. I can't say it looked good, from either side, but it did afford of significant privacy, which is important to me.
Our neighbors always felt it should all be cut down. It looks like hell? But it provided some barrier for the dogs but more importantly, it's me! I don't want to bend over in my garden and have air horns honk! So this has been a thing all these years.
Not anymore. The cable company came through and cut it all, chipped it and hauled it away with my husband's permission. I knew this would be hell and it is it. There is no way I can work in my front yard, without being aware, I am being seen. My hair lady settled this for me, "Whenever I drive by your house... I see you working out there sometimes..."
I actually work out there, hard core, from March through September.
Does it look better? Yes, I suppose. And it will grow back, by the way. Probably very quickly. But it's impossible to be out there and not feel my skin crawl. I will be doing "front yard" stuff at the crack of dawn to limit exposure.
To be clear, it's not easy to stare, it's just possible and people do. The horns blowing are my big clue.
I'm writing this today, because yesterday, there was someone 'cross the highway taking pictures of our house. I don't think it's nefarious or anything. Probably a real estate agent or even the new house insurance people. My point is, my front yard is toxic and this is because i have a packed 8th... and I wish I didn't, simply because of this.
Also, they have not laid the 5g yet, but when they do, things will be dug up and it would be easy to plant... but so much work, as it's a very long stretch. Also, planting there will not stop the stuff that was there from coming back.
Basically, it's just a waiting game. How many years? Two? I say, grow, baby, grow!
Can anyone relate?
Haha yes. As you know I have my Sun and Moon there. My whole self is in the 8th. Chart ruler. I hate being exposed. I hate it even when I’m driving my car and people look at me. Gives me the heebie-jeebies. I especially hate having windows/curtains open at night. I don’t know how people do that? Yes, I enjoy privacy. One of the reasons I want to live in the sticks.
Yes. When I bought my house eight years ago all three sides of my big back yard had dense greenery of large and small trees. One by one each bordering neighbor thinned the density. Then one side neighbor had a huge, spread out 100+ yr old oak tree that shaded and shielded much of my yard totally removed. I literally cried all day. Painful loss of beauty and privacy.
The fastest growing and filling out option for the gaping hole appears to be clumping bamboo. Installing 10-15 ft tall clumps 5 ft apart and using an inexpensive special portable watering system for the first season should produce a decent screen in the first year. For hedges, Clusia is one of many fast growing options.
When frost appeared to kill a neighbor's stand of bamboo last year I became skeptical. But it greened right up again in Spring and looks better than ever. Not sure how far north bamboo can thrive.
My ideal house is surrounded by tall trees and high dense hedges all the way around. Investing in more of each should've been my first project eight years ago. I just burnt out over and over researching all the possibilities!