I struggled with a name for this chapter. Do I use a literary, historical reference or go with a floral name like Hibiscus Row? I decided on the historical one. After all, this is a "history," and I, also, didn't want to give away the star blooms on this side of the Acres prematurely. Oops. Guess I just gave it away anyway. (Clever of me, don't you think?)
The Western Border to Iten's Acres is even more a "guesstimate" than the eastern property line--at least up front. I do not have the slightest idea where it is. I just continue to cut the same line that my predecessor mowed, but I don't know if it's accurate at all. In fact, I have serious doubts about it. There is a good size--and beautiful--white pine along this side that was obviously planted by someone so maybe that is the line. I don't really know. Not that it matters. I have planted flowers and trees further in the mowing line just in case though I know Dennis won't mind if I've planted beautiful things on his side of the "official" property line. He, too, is a lover of the beautiful. His property is immaculately landscaped. Stunning.
When I first moved in, the west side was barren like most other places on Iten's Acres--except for the pine. This side does go up all the way to the house because the pond and bog don't extend over the driveway/scenic drive. "Westward, Ho" goes all the way up to the end of the driveway.
I've planted a bunch of baby trees--is sapling the right word?--along this side. Most of them are from the Arbor Day Foundation. I became acquainted with them when I lived in Traveler's Rest, South Carolina, in my sister Janice and her husband's house with my two little boys right after my divorce. It was a great little house out in the country to some extent, and I ordered some trees for the yard from Arbor Day. They sold saplings ten for ten dollars (now, it's ten for fifteen dollars). So when I bought my acres in Ohio, I purchased a plethora of trees. I could only get ten for me, so I recruited (bugged merciously) my family and a couple close friends to buy ten trees for me as well. Poor abused family and friends! Do I feel guilty for using them? Right. Anyway, I have planted these little trees everywhere. To be honest, the survival rate is probably about fifty percent at best. (Tip; red buds and hawthorns appear to be the hardiest--in case you're tempted to order ten "babies" of your own.) Anyway, along this border there are seven of them surviving--two dogwoods, a crab apple, a red bud, two pussy willows, and a lilac. The pussy willows are already "blooming," and I think the red bud will next year. The three of them have grown stupendously. The others are still growing, just slowly. I guess the lilac is doing very well; it just hasn't bloomed yet.
The pussy willow are first in line (from the road), and they turn silver in late February, early March. When the others grow up, they'll beautify from mid-March to late April. And I have added other things as well (but yes, there's room for more!). There's a line of nine hibiscus, four butterfly bushes, a daffodil shrub, a flowering almond, a red barberry, a flowering plum, a small iris bed, of course, a Rose of Sharon, and a wild garden way up at the end of the driveway. The wild garden is a "teaser" for the massive wild area out back--postage stamp size compared to the "real thing." It has crocus, daffodils, iris, Dutch iris, lilies--day and oriental, white phlox, a few Rose of Sharon, liriope, and a lilac. Not to mention, naturally, all kinds of wild flowers from the violets of April to the asters of September. The lilac hasn't bloomed yet, but everything else is contributing it's share to the loveliness. It's a gorgeous little "stamp."
The stars of the west, however, are the hibiscus. Early August is there time to shine--huge blooms, a diversity of colors--six or seven varities, bigger every year, and lasting into late September. I always assumed hibiscus were Southern plants, but one day at Oakland Park Nursery I saw a stupendous deep red "hardy hibiscus." With undeniable misgivings I planted it. And behold! Hardy indeed! The family has grown to nine--so far. Amazing beauty. The four butterfly bush bloom at approximately the same time--purples, whites, lavender--but only one of them has reached any size. Not to suggest, that they, too, are not beautiful.
The flowering almond hasn't bloomed yet, nor the daffodil shrub, flowering plum or Rose of Sharon, but I expect them to do so any year now. The barberry is just red from spring to frost with red berries in the winter. It will grow significantly as well. The iris bed is right in front of it--touching it, if you will.
So, if you have no aspiration to move out West someday, I offer you my western property line as an alternative vacation spot--year around beauty now with more to come each year. Westward, Ho!
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