From Dream Porch to Dream Garden, Beginning a Journey

Last February, my husband and I happened upon an open house and fell in love with something a builder referred to as a "loggia." Where I come from, we call it a back porch. Nevertheless, we were smitten. Unfortunately, we were not quite ready to buy a new house. We needed to save a few more pennies. Someone else put a contract on our dream house that day. 

Three months later, we called our realtor and our loan officer and said those fateful words, "We're ready." We scheduled showings with our realtor for the following day. My husband and I both lamented that we had no opportunity to buy our dream house - it was off the market three months ago, the day we fell in love with it. As we were getting ready to go house shopping the next day, we had a surprise in the MLS database (the computer database with all of the home listings). Our dream porch and the house attached to it was back on the market, and the price had been reduced. The buyer had backed out. 

We went back to look more closely at the house and discovered why. The home inspection was as thick as a book. There was mold. Plumbing problems. The whirlpool tub didn't work. The very expensive, built-in kitchen appliances were all missing. One of the three A/C units was gone. The list went on. 

Without looking at any other house, we bought it.

It's definitely a fixer upper, but it was livable, so we moved right in. We had to expel a few bugs and critters who had moved in during the 2.5 years that the home had been vacant. There were no light fixtures, but almost every room has recessed lighting, which makes the decorative fixtures nonessential. There was a faucet to fix. We had to call a mold specialist. The walls were primered but not painted. It took several weeks and two professional cleaning teams before the house felt clean. 

It will take 10 years to make it perfect on the inside and 5 to make it perfect outside. Obviously, our energy and resources are most focused on the outside.

As you can see from the photo below, we're starting from scratch for landscaping. Actually, worse than scratch. Since this photo was taken, the yard has become pretty much overgrown with weeds. We want to add a semicircular driveway and an entry courtyard in front. Toward the side, we want a swale for rainwater and drainage.

Front yard: Starting with dirt and weeds.

The front door is the centerpiece of the front of the home. It is a huge, very heavy, custom, artisan wrought iron door. The original realtor says the builder's price on the door was $10,000. No one who has seen it has been surprised at that figure. The photo does not do the door justice (also there are clumps of dirt on the door in the photo).

Custom, artisan, wrought-iron door.

The back patio (or "loggia" as the builder called it) is the showpiece and center of the home. Upon entering the front door, you are greeted with 19 feet of glass doors that slide away, creating an indoor-outdoor space that connects our covered patio to the double parlors that flank the small round foyer.

19-feet glass doors connect patio to double parlors and foyer. Large windows (left) to formal dining room.

19-feet glass doors connect patio to double parlors and foyer. Look closely to see front door.

19-feet glass doors connect patio to double parlors and foyer. Glass door (right) to master suite.

As you can see (below), the back patio also features a fireplace, which we hope to convert into a two-sided, see-through fireplace.

Covered patio (view from back yard).

The house also has a finished basement with a game room and mini kitchen (plus two bedrooms and another bath) with dual staircases -- inside and out. Unfortunately, the outdoor staircase has the cheapest, ugliest railing you've ever seen, and it's the first thing a visitor sees after entering our beautiful front door and looking through our 19-foot glass wall. Replacing the ugly railing will be a priority, and we'll likely do something creative, like create a water feature or decorative wall instead of exchanging one railing for another.

We also want to punch through the one-sided fireplace to create a see-through, two-sided fireplace that will be the centerpiece of both the covered patio and the outdoor area around it.

There is a second back porch off of the family room (below, left). We want to create a spectacular patio and garden area connecting the two back porches for entertaining.

Porch (left) opens to family room. Patio (behind fireplace; right) opens to double parlors and foyer.

Our home has the potential to be a gardener's dream. We will do it justice. 

We will plant as many edible perennials as possible. We will use our rainwater. We will build a water garden, complete with water lilies, lotus flowers and watercress. We will attract butterflies and birds. We will turn our back yard into a shady oasis that shelters tables and chairs and hammocks under the trees. Espalier trees will line the walls and create living fences. We will connect garden areas with paths that contain little hidden elements that will surprise visitors as they discover them in our gardens. 

Unfortunately, I'm no gardener. 

I've never been able to keep a houseplant alive, but I'm embarking on this journey with much determination. I am a patient person with a high tolerance for failure learning. The beginning of this journey will last 5 years -- that's our timeframe for installing and planting the landscape, hardscape, and outdoor structures. Five years. Just for planting, building and installation. A lifetime to enjoy and maintain.

I'm sure I'll make lots of entertaining mistakes and missteps. I might even have a few full blown disasters along the way. I'll share it all right here.