A Blank Wall

The Chinese privet tree that was up against the garage wall was cut down and the root was dug out. Now I have a blank wall staring back at the length of my whole garden and it needs . . . something.

Young men with loppers, saws, and a truck to take it all away did the job. It was completely taken out and disposed of before Jim got back from his physical therapy session, and when he tottered out of the garage and opened the door without having to brush back scratchy branches, he was confused. 

I hadn't told him of my plan to remove it. But he approves. The privet was too big, in the way of the door, and looked bad. It smelled bad too, as all privets do, when in flower in June.

Here's what the privet had looked like in better times. It was a full lollipop shape, but over the years it grew too big by the door, and got broken and scraggly from ice coming from the rain canale above. Redeeming features other than "green" were not evident.

So now I have a blank wall and will spend the winter planning what to do about it. Jim wants to have a mural painted there. I think that's a hard no.

I could get another copper rain chain to hang from the canale spout. It will be something to visually break up the flat expanse of wall. Here's what the one I installed in front looks like.

When we put that one up a few years ago Jim could install the adapter sleeve that goes on the canale to hang the chain, but he can't now. I have to get a guy to do that. A ladder is involved and lately we live in a ladder free zone.

Of course there are always plants to put in whenever a blank spot presents. I have several ideas -- not big lollipop trees this time, but small shrubs or bushy perennials to draw the eye and temper that flat stucco expanse. 

Something. It needs something now.