The Scenic Drive is just a grandiose name for my driveway/cow path. It has, by the way, seen more traffic, probably, in the last year-and-a-half than in its entire previous history. Hospice comes at least five days a week every week, I run a short errand or two every day, family visitors have been by, and even the mailman comes down the drive this time of year to deliver bulbs to be added to next year's flower displays. Poor old driveway--traffic, traffic, traffic. You can't see a great deal of wear and tear except for one section that has worn down but only in one tire "track." No, I don't know how that works. Tilted driving. At least on the lawn mower. Yep, I have to mow my driveway.
The historical key, of course, is how scenic is the view as you meander down the drive? Can you drive from County Road 25 up to the house and actually see some of the beauty scattered here on the Acres? Of course! I must admit, though, that it had some beauty marks before I arrived. There's a gnarled old apple tree gorgeous in white blooms in the spring. Interestingly, there's a good size new apple tree coming up right in the middle of the old one. (Gives you some idea how long it's been there.) The second spring I was here the old veteran tree barely bloomed. Mom suggested that I "jolt" it out of its apathy by driving a few old rusty nails into its trunk. What did I have to lose? In went the nails. Presto! Full of blooms every spring since. Nope, I can't explain the logic or the horticultural implications, but I can attest to the outcome. A lovely blanket of white every April.
Also, along the driveway is the ancient red maple. The bark is distinctive all by itself year around. And in the fall the leaves are breath-taking--a tree on fire. And if beauty doesn't take your breath away, I pity you.
Three other trees were along the "scenic drive" as well when I took ownership. Just past the maple are a redbud and a white crab apple right next to each other. In the spring the mesh of red and white is stunning. And right across from these two competing beauties is an old dogwood. A mound of white blooms itself in April. In the winter the crab apples and dogwood are covered with red berries that sparkle in the snow. I must "tip my hat" to the previous owners, whoever they were, that planted these lovelies before I came. They must have seen me coming. Yes, I must admit, the "scenic view" was already lovely especially in March and April. And, of course, the red maple owns October.
Was I satisfied with the view along the driveway? Of course not. I have added a few beauties myself. Some are already on display; others are still maturing for later "wows." First, a "tourist" can see seven or eight of the Acre's flowers beds as they cruise down the path. And I added a new one this fall: a little iris bed of yellow, orange, apricot, and gold for hopefully next May and certainly for the Mays to come. Any slight glance left or right will bring resplendent flower beds into view as you drive SLOWLY done the lane.
In addition, I've added a couple of Rose of Sharon--pink, a flowering plum--white with purple leaves all summer long, a lilac bush (roll down the window for the scent)--lavender in spring and again in the fall, another redbud--already mature enough to bloom, and a forsythia--yellow someday. There's also a giant willow; I love its silvery shimmering. (Tip: willows grow like crazy!) This one has also proved its toughness by surviving a deer attack its first spring.
Flower-wise I've added two bouquets of Siberian and Japanese iris at the bend in the driveway. It's low there and thus under water whenever there's a heavy rain. Most of the winter, in fact, it's frozen over. (Yep, ice.) But the Siberian and Japanese iris don't mind wet feet. And as an added bonus, they bloom later than their German and Dutch cousins--June instead of May. (In fact, the largest Japanese iris usually doesn't bloom until July--purple and white.) This fall I'm going to add some camassia to the bouquets. They don't mind wet feet either, and they'll add some gorgeous purple blooms in April and early May.
There are also some small ferns along the drive, a row of hosta (5) that bloom in July, a hydrangea that will bloom one of these Junes, an immature dogwood--no blooms yet, a few crocus in late March, two hibiscus--plum and white in August, a couple small junipers, two miniscule Arbor foundation trees that I'll have to live thirty years to see mature into "real" trees, three lovely burning bush for October, and a couple "patches" of morning glories all summer long.
All in all, the "scenic drive" offers beauty from March to frost. (Not including the berries in the snow.) Sorry, there's no scenic overview to pull into, but if you just drive up to the house, you can park your car and walk back, do the drive in reverse. Walking Iten's Acres is better than a scenic drive anyway. Walk slowly so you don't miss anything. And come back periodically--the scenery is always changing. And the change is lovely.
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