Welcome to the 811th Metamorphosis Monday! Back when the Dollhouse was listed for sale in 2022, this is how the landscaping looked in the front yard. Notice the small tree on the right that’s planted right up against the house. Two years ago when this photo was taken, you could barely see the window box behind it on the lower window, and you couldn’t see the one under the top window at all.
I don’t have a spring photo of when the house was listed this most recent time a few months back, but here’s an overhead view of the house and tree in late winter or very early spring before it had started to leaf out and turn green. When my realtor and I did a final walkthrough the day before closing, we had to bend way over to get under and past the branches that were completely blocking the path to the front door. The sellers stayed around 8-9 days beyond closing, and I noticed the day I was able to enter the home, someone had taken brown packing tape and had pulled back the branches that were blocking the entrance, taping them down and wrapping the packing tape around the trunk of the tree to secure them. I’m guessing the movers did that since they would not have been able to move the furniture out through the front door with the branches completely blocking the porch and path.
One day, after I had moved a few of my things in, I entered one of the two bedrooms that are located on the front of the house. It turned out to be the one that was just above the crabapple tree, and this was my view out the front window. The window was closed and I remember being so confused by what I was seeing. At first, I thought I was looking at 3-foot weeds growing out of a lower gutter. Later, I realized the house had two window boxes that I had never even noticed, and what I was seeing was tall weeds growing in the upper window box. You can see in the photo below, the crabapple tree is trying to move into the house. Hahaha. That’s its branches on the brick sill!
I don’t like it when a tree is planted right up against a house since it often darkens the rooms inside. The crabapple didn’t look to be in great shape and it completely hid the whole right side of the house, including the window boxes. I wish I had a more current photo of how the front looked after the tree had leafed out, it really took over the front of the house and the walkway.
I had both a landscaper and a tree guy take a look at the tree, and when I say tree guy, I mean the type you hire to remove trees. The tree guy said that the tree had been poorly trimmed over the years, and that’s why the branches were growing out in so many odd/awkward directions. I hate cutting down trees, I really, really do, but I was thinking how much I would love to have more sunshine in the dining room, which is the window on the lower level behind the tree. One day I was in the front yard with my grandsons and two neighbors walked by with their cute dog. I had seen them before as they regularly passed by each afternoon. We struck up a conversation which eventually led to talking about gardening. I mentioned I was thinking about having the crabapple tree removed and they both immediately encouraged me to do it, saying the house would look better without the tree blocking it. That was pretty much the only push I needed. I didn’t want to move into the neighborhood and start cutting down trees, but if the neighbors even thought it needed to go, that made me feel much better about doing it. I wish I had a better “Before” photo showing how much of the house was hidden. Try to imagine two more years of growth and even more of the house hidden, since this photo was taken two years ago.
Here’s how the house looked right after the tree was removed a couple of weeks ago. I do think it looks so much better and I love how much sunshine and natural light I have coming in through both the lower and upper windows now! I kept wishing it was earlier in the season so I would have a reason to plant flowers in the window boxes. I’ve never had a home with window boxes before, so I couldn’t wait to fill them!
I knew it was a little impractical to plant flowers this late in the season since they would most likely be gone by mid-October, but I couldn’t resist. Oh, and you may notice a bunch of brown leaves in my yard. My house is the only one on the street where it looks like fall has arrived. Ha! I think it’s because the city came by and removed a dead limb from a tree that was growing along the street right in front of the house, and I guess that’s when all the leaves came down because they weren’t there before the limb was removed. My grass will get cut on Monday so that should take care of the leaves. In the meantime, this is a little preview of fall to come. lol
I did an online search for the closest garden center, then drove over to see what they still had left this late in the season.
I visited a garden center in Beavercreek called Knollwood, and everyone I met there was so nice. One of the gardeners I spoke with told me all about the wonderful boughs they get in for Christmas. He shared how he and his wife fill their window boxes with those during November and December. I had already started thinking about pumpkins in the boxes for Halloween, so I can’t wait to see what they get in stock for the holidays!
I wish I could remember the name of the flowers that I bought. I’ve already thrown out the little tags that came in the pots. They didn’t have a lot to choose from this late in the season. They had begonias in a color that I didn’t really like, and these. I’m not the biggest fan of begonias, so I went with these in pink and white. I was warned that they probably won’t produce very many blooms once these fade away, but that’s okay since I’ll most likely be decorating the window boxes for autumn around the end of September—beginning of October. It will be fun to fill these with flowers again next spring. In addition to flowers that grow upright, I’d love to plant something that drapes down over the boxes, too.
These window boxes have a unique watering system with open PVC-looking pipe sticking up on either end. It runs along the inside bottom of the planters and there’s rope (or something that looks like rope) hanging out of the pipe in several places at the bottom of the boxes. I’m guessing that the rope wicks the water that’s in those pipes out to the plants. I watered them when I planted them, including pouring water into the open pipe sections that stick up out of the dirt at the ends of the boxes. Hopefully, I did it correctly and they won’t end up overwatered.
After the tree was removed, I realized that the Schantz Park Historic District plaque was now visible. I remembered seeing that plaque when the house was listed for sale over two years ago, but it had been so hidden by the tree, I had forgotten that it was there. My daughter-in-love commented on it one day when she was visiting, so I think it’s supposed to be kind of a big deal to have one of those, although I’m not sure how they are acquired. Maybe a homeowner is offered one if their home is in the Schantz Park Historic District since Schantz Park was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
Wish I could remember the name of these flowers. I know some of you wonderful gardeners out there will know! If you recognize them, please leave a comment letting me know. I hope whatever they are, they will keep their flowers for a few weeks. The lower window box had a lot of great-looking potting soil inside, so I barely added any. But the top window box was 3/4ths empty, probably from where I pulled out the 3-foot tall weeds. lol So I added a bunch of Fafard potting soil (purchased from Knollwood) to that window box since the Green Mountain Boxwood topiaries I have in planters on either side of my front porch in Georgia have done incredibly well all these many years after being planted with Fafard. It will be interesting to see if the Fafard makes a difference in growth between the two window boxes.
What should I plant in the window boxes for fall? Do you have any window boxes or outdoor planters around your home? What are your favorite flowers to plant for autumn? I wonder if I should do mums, but wouldn’t they just die with the first cold spell?
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Wow, taking the tree out made a huge improvement. I am not a fan of crabapple trees at all. We had one at our former home, and took it out when we renovated the landscape. In bloom they’re pretty, and that’s about it.
Those flowers look like pentas, at least from stretching them on my mobile phone. I have neighbors who’ve planted mixes of both faux and real, especially when conditions kept giving them fails (seasoned gardeners, too). I have other neighbors who just leave the blank for winter (especially if they overwinter in FL).
Your house is looking so beautiful!
Thanks, Rita! I’m not sure why that tree was planted so close to the house. It had really been hacked on a lot over the years, probably because it kept blocking paths either to the front door or down the side of the house.
Thanks for identifying the flowers, I think you’re right! I wonder if I had installed faux flowers, if it would be obvious from the road. Some of the fauxs have gotten really good/realistic! That is too funny that seasoned gardeners did that because you wouldn’t expect that. I was wondering if having window boxes can become a chore after a while. Hope not!
These boxes appear to have a pretty elaborate, built-in watering system, which could come in handy when on vacation. I’m looking forward to playing around with the boxes this fall.
Would pansies work in Ohio? They certainly hold up down here in Georgia.
I was wondering that too, I’m not sure if they will survive the whole winter here. I love pansies! As you mentioned, they definitely work beautifully in Georgia for winter, even when we get the occasional snow.
I can’t speak for Ohio, but when we lived in far northern Utah — which is blessed with voluminous amounts of the “World’s Greatest Snow” — pansies did well. I was very surprised our first spring when the last of the snow melted off in late April and the pansies popped up and resumed growing!
Oh, I will look for those. Thanks!
I can’t tell if those flowers are Pentas but if they are, they’ll last to about 30 degrees.
Though I don’t have window boxes, I decorate the front of my condo with gourds, stalks of wheat, pansies, pinecones. Some people use ornamental kale/cabbage but I gave up because of too many worms that eat the leaves. I also don’t use mums. If you use pumpkins/gourds use red pansies to offset the colours.
Btw, I love your Dollhouse.
What a difference! Aren’t you glad you had that tree removed? I LOVE window boxes, they add such charm — you are going to have fun with the seasonal planting of them. White pansies & white ornamental cabbage look stunning in the winter. I have to say, I am having fun going with you on your DH journey, and I can hardly wait for your furniture arrival.
I am, love how it looks now. Thanks so much, Marilyn! Love your suggestions!
Peg, thanks for the idea to use red pansies with pumpkins and gourds….I always use them for the front porch in the fall, and the pansies will be perfect!
Susan, I agree, your Dollhouse is a doll baby….I love it…
It looks like you’ve planted Pentas, which are perennials. It’s fun to watch the evolution taking place at your new home!
Pentax most definitely NOT hardy in zone 6(OH) I’m in zone 5 & they bloom prolifically all summer, if regularly deadheaded. They are only hardy in zones 10+, as they are tropicals.
Thanks for identifying those, Beverly!
Your home looks so pretty. The improvements in the landscape look really good. How exciting to find a new garden center with friendly staff. Maybe the folks at the nursery can make some good suggestions for the window boxes. I hope you will be happy in your new home.
Thanks so much, Nan! I can’t wait to see what they get in stock this fall. I’m sure I’ll explore a few more nurseries in this area, too.
The flowers you planted are Pentas. Here in Texas they do really well. They can take some heat and bloom most of the summer. I love your house and all that you are doing to it. We built a new house 5 yrs ago after living in our old house 40 yrs. it has been so fun making it ours and landscaping from a plain palate.
Oh, good to know! Thanks so much, Kay! That’s a big change for you after 40 years, I know. I’ve been in my GA house for 34 years so it’s hard to leave after that much time.
XXX
It would probably be a good idea to visit the garden centre again and ask them about plants that will survive the winter. If Ohio has winters like Ontario, pansies will not survive. We consider them a spring annual, unlike using them in the south over the winter.
I just did a quick search and it appears that people do plant those here in both the spring and the fall, although it sounds like they turn grayish and go dormant when temps reach the teens. Not sure I want gray plants in my window boxes all winter. lol So I should probably just “decorate” them with fall things, maybe pumpkins or gourds. I will have to research that. When I awoke this morning, it was 61 outside! In Georgia where I live, it’s 70 right now. Ugh, don’t like these chilly mornings when it’s just August!!!
That’s what I did when I had big planters outside. I would pull the annuals and fill the space with fall leaves and gourds and then faux winter greenery with berries for Christmas. No-one wants to see grey plants that look dead over the winter! 😉
Love the window boxes! You can easily plant pansies in Ohio; pansies go dormant after temperatures drop to 25°F but will survive to 20°F. Just add mulch or pine straw to the window boxes to protect them in the winter. I usually add winter greenery to my window boxes in November and keep through January. Any kind of window box or planter needs daily watering in the summer months. The house looks great!
Thanks, Mary! These window boxes have some kind of watering system built in, but I will keep an eye on them since I have no idea how it works. Thanks for that tip about watering!
The house looks so much better without the tree, and the window boxes are lovely, you are going to have fun styling them for the seasons!
Thanks so much, Jenna! ♥
Susan, the removal of the tree was a great decision. I love your window boxes and butterflies love pentas! I would suggest some faux UV resistant mums and gourd/pumpkin picks for your fall boxes.
Thanks so much, Jane! Ohhh, I love butterflies, I hope they will find these in the window boxes. Thanks for those suggestions!
XXX
Maybe take the pentas out of the window boxes when you fill them for Autumn but plant them around back somewhere close to the house? Brick would help protect them from harsh winter temps and then you would have some perennials already started. It all looks beautiful!
That would be worth trying, thanks for that suggestion, Nancy!
Cutting down that crab apple tree made a huge improvement to the house! The shutters appear to be decorative. However, if they are working, they’ve been put on the house upside down. The slats when closed should face downward to allow rain to drip off and not onto the window. Since I don;t see any hinges on the shutters, I assume they’re purely decorative.
I think they are probably decorative. The house was built in 1938, but I’m not sure how old the shutters are. They look pretty old. Don’t worry, the slats do face downward, just as you described. That would be bad if they were facing upward and catching the rain, but they are facing downward.
Looks SO much better without the tree…and the window boxes are perfect! You are making that home YOUR home…good for you. Hope you are still enjoying your LG refrigerator. Our repairman came for our GE…fixed something that was frozen and replaced the piece. Had us hold the frozen one to show how much water was in there. All good. A little while later we noticed water on the floor in front of the unit. Luckily he was still in our building so the concierge had him return….the frozen piece was masking the fact that the drain was clogged! Replaced all that and we are good to go. All our appliances are GE because they are covered by our community and service is included – replacement if needed. If we went with another brand, that is on us. So…keeping this one as long as we get good service. Have fun planting your flowers and enjoy each day with something new at your beautiful home !
Thanks, Ann! I’m trying to go slow on the big things so I don’t have any regrets or missteps. So glad to hear your fridge is all fixed now. Amazing all the things that can go wrong. I hope you don’t have any more issues for many, many years!
Is your “dollhouse” in Oakwood?? We lived in Oakwood for 11 yrs. Loved living there!! And Dorothy Lane Mkt!!! YES!!! The best!!
Love what you are doing with your “dollhouse”!
❤️
Yes, it is! Love, love, love shopping in DLM! Thanks, Donna!
I do not have window boxes in this house but in the fall plant kale & ornamental peppers alongside the dusty miller that was planted for the summer. The contrast is very ice & the “flowering cabbages” last until frost.
That sounds beautiful, Elaine! I love that contrast!
I live in South Jersey & neglected to mention that I plant the kale & ornamental peppers in my hanging baskets & large planters.
Sounds so pretty! I would love to have lots of planters eventually.
Why not consider buying some faux plants for the boxes for fall/winter. Look at ivy, greenery, mums, pansies and maybe some winter greenery…then you could add your fall items and your Christmas items. I’ve used faux blooming plants in outdoor boxes and planters for years. Usually mixing them with live plants. Mine get the full afternoon sun and in our South Georgia heat that can be brutal.
That sounds so pretty, Donna! I know, that Georgia heat can be brutal in late summer.
If you aren’t already familiar with her, you should check out Tracy at Plaids and Poppies on IG.
https://www.instagram.com/plaids.and.poppies/
She is a gardener extraordinaire with an extensive and impressive array of flowering plants around her yard(s) (multiple properties) and in her window boxes. When she walks around showing all the plants and flowers, she always mentions what variety and color they are, which makes it easy to know what to ask for at the nursery. She’s in Michigan so it is possible many of the flowers she uses would do well for you in Ohio.
Thanks, Shari, I will check her IG out!
Fall comes a good bit earlier in Ohio. Many people start the fall season after Labor Day. I grew up in Ohio and moved to Georgia when I married.
I know you’re right. In GA, it’s still blooming hot even in September. lol I love that, though. I’ll miss those long summers and early springs!
Susan, I sure understand hesitating to remove a tree, but it has to be done when the tree is poorly sited. I think your dollhouse breathed a sigh of relief, & said, “see, here I am!” when that Crabapple came down!
Love the self-watering windowboxes!—I love changing them for the seasons. The newer Ice Pansies, ornamental kale & gourds make a stunning vignette until Thanksgiving, when you want to change to Christmas. I believe in zone 6 OH, you can leave your pansies & they’ll come back in the spring when bulbs are blooming. It’s fun to plant flowering bulbs in windowboxes too!
Thanks, MerriJo! That one had really become a problem in that location and I am thrilled to have the window boxes available for planting now. I will look for the Ice Pansies, I don’t think I’ve seen those before. I’ve always loved the look of the ornamental kale and gourds for fall. I will probably plant a few pansies somewhere to experiment with how well they do through the winter.
Love the windowbox makeover. Those were some serious weeds! Thanks for having us over, Susan. Have a great week!
Thanks, Debra! They were! I guess that was a sign of some good soil in the boxes.
I think a mix of ornamental kale and cabbage with some pansies would look nice in the window boxes. They will last into the winter months. The tree was lovely but was planted in the wrong place. I think you will enjoy the light much more than the tree.
That sounds so pretty, Judy! I agree, probably seemed like a great location back in the day. I love the light coming in through those two windows now!
I love the front of the house now that the tree has been removed and the window boxes with flowers just adds to the beauty. It will be fun decorating the boxes for fall and winter with whatever you choose.
Thanks so much, Anita! Yes, looking forward to that! 🙂
OMG Susan! What a difference removing the crab apple tree made and plus the fact that it was too close to the house, you did the right thing to have it removed. I’ve always liked how window boxes look filled with pretty flowers, but where I live, there’s an HOA and unfortunately they don’t allow it.
Thanks, Antoinette! Aww, you would think they would like pretty window boxes. Maybe they are afraid people won’t keep them filled and they will get weedy or messy, or they may just want consistency throughout all the houses. I hope I can keep these filled throughout the year.
Crabapple trees are “Trash Trees”, imo. When we had to re-plant 12,000 trees following a tremendous tornado in 1996 (almost all of it in historic districts), Crabapples were not on the approved list. Redwoods are/were. They’re nice understory trees and have loads of color when they bloom in Spring, and great foliage color in the fall. See if that would be an appropriate choice for you new Dollhouse. Just plant further away from the house!
Wow, 12,000 trees! That’s horrible that your area had to do that because of a tornado. I’m sorry that happened. They are so destructive! I have several other trees in the front yard, so I don’t mind having that one gone, especially will all the extra light that’s coming in through the windows now.
You could bring some limelight blooms from the HAH after they’ve turned and dried and use in the boxes for early fall. Also for winter, if you are still back’n’forth, bring some magnolia branches (for boxes and home). You should be a real window box pro by Jan/Feb, the most challenging time. Sculptural branches? Faux snowballs? or maybe just empty for visual rest. So much fun!
lol I hope so. I’ve already learned that the window box on the second level needs watering more often than the one on the lower level. I guess it gets more sun. It should be fun experimenting with different looks this fall and winter. I can see me running up and down the stairs and to the front lawn to see how things look and to make adjustments. Will be getting my exercise!
Removing the tree was the best decision ever! Now I see those pretty window boxes. I can’t wait to see them for fall and Christmas.
Thanks, Cristina!
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I forgot to add on my previous post, whatever department manages the local Historic District will have a list of them, and the occasion for which the medallion was approved. It could have been for a house tour, or an individual listing??? The history of the house would have been required before it was approved for the National Register. Maybe somone famous built it, or lived there. Or something significant happened there. There could be many options, but another step in finding out the history of your house–that would be quicker than the old fashioned way of doing a property search at the courhouse!
I really do need to take time to do some more research on the house. I found the names of the original owners.
I wonder if you found this PDF about your historic district online, which is where I found it a few moments ago. Hopefully, the link works – you can always copy/paste it into a new browser but, you probably already know that. https://oakwoodhistory.org/downloads/Schantz_walking_Tour.pdf
PS. Like many here, I love how cutting down that tree opened up the view of your home.
Like everyone else, I think the house looks great without the tree, and having sun in those rooms will be wonderful! The window boxes are great! So pretty with your lovely flowers. It’ll be fun to watch the changes over the seasons. How fun to talk with your neighbors too. I’m sure they’re thrilled to have someone in the house who will take care of it and make it beautiful again! Thanks so much for the party, and hope you have a great week!
Thanks, Barbara! I hope so, there has been a lot of deferred maintenance that I’m trying to catch up on, slowly but surely.
I just wanted to echo everyone’s comments about removing the tree – it looks fabulous! The Dollhouse is becoming more “Susaned” by the day, and we are all here for it!
Ha, that sounds just like something my sister would have said if she were still here. Thanks for that, Kathy! ♥
I love your window boxes! I’ve always wanted them – but we have casement windows (boo!) and they just wouldn’t work. By the way – I live in NE Kansas which is zone 6b & nothing survives our windows – after a hard frost even pansies won’t last – I have a covered front porch & I usually have some mums for the fall & if I don’t bring them in or cover them with a hard freeze – they won’t last thru October. My porch faces West so it gets afternoon sun – but still – have to just go with fake by the time Thanksgiving rolls around & even in the spring we have to be careful about putting out stuff too early – we generally get faked out with some nice weather in February & then boom – winter comes back with a roar in March! So we can’t get too anxious with the Pansies. Then it gets too hot on my front porch for them by June – so have to go with Other stuff. LOL – hope this helps!
That happens a lot in Georgia where the temps get really warm in the beginning of April and it’s so tempting to put annuals in the ground. I did that once with Zinnia about a week before our April 15, allowed to plant date, and sure enough, we had a frost and it ruined my Zinnias. So now I always wait passed the April 15 plant date. I need to find out when it is here in this area of Ohio. Thanks for those tips, Jane!
Oops – I meant nothing survives our winters! LOL
Your home looks lovely already. You are so good at this! Your neighbors are so lucky that you purchased this home. I have read your blog for awhile now and I am so happy that you are near family. My husband and I moved to St Louis from New England when we were first married and raised our three daughters there with no family around. After he retired, we moved to Chagrin Falls Ohio and we adore it here. We have two of our four grandchildren three minutes from our house and it has been a gift to watch them grow. The other two are a relatively short drive to Virginia. I’m so happy for you! Also, the summertime is divine here. I have never been so happy to get away from 30 years of crippling humidity. I know that you will embrace the beautiful fall and winter seasons in Ohio and I’m looking forward to all your future blogs. Again, congratulations !
Thanks so much, Mary Lee! That’s so wonderful that you are near your grandchildren, I know what a blessing that is! ♥ Not so sure I’ll embrace the winters, unless you call staying inside doing puzzles all winter. Ha! 🙂
Good decision on tree removal – what a huge difference it has made.
Go fall decor and Christmasy then just let them be empty till early spring and go nuts. That’s my opinion. Pansies and violas are great till it gets hot – def early spring because they die off when it gets hots. Then go with bright zennias or something for summer and then rinse/repeat.
Thanks, Michele! It really did change the curb appeal. I like that plan!
Susan,
The front of the doll house is so charming…
Thanks so much for hosting!! I really appreciate the time and effort that goes into it along with visiting all the links!!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
Thanks so much, Deb!
Removing that tree was just what the house needed for a facelift! Perfect. I do wonder about the bricks….was there a German schmere applied one time….the upper part on the right doesn’t have as much white…..I think a German schmere treatment would look great on the whole house. Just a thought. But hey, you have a LONG project list no doubt! Window boxes look charming!
I’ve wondered about that, too. I bet you’re right, just not sure why that one side looks like it didn’t get very much. I wonder if it was a lime wash and the lime wash wore off there. I need to talk with someone knowledgeable about that type of thing. I would mind having it reapplied at the top where it’s kinda worn off, but I prefer it done with a lot of brick showing through. It’s a bit heavy on the other side of the house, would prefer more of the bricking showing on that side. Oh man, do I ever have a long list! I’ve been going non-stop but there’s still so much to be done. lol
I’ll be planting ornamental cabbages in my pots on my patios for Fall. I love those cabbages. I’ll also be putting cream colored pumpkins in with the cabbages.
That sounds so pretty, Carol! ♥
It looks like a different house and larger without the tree. Are you taking out those cedars (?) by the front door to open it up more? I am all for using faux floral to keep things pretty. Michael’s has waterproof bushes. I don’t know about there, but if it’s a historical home, you can only paint certain colors etc.
There has to be a person with the city that would know. I can see hay bales, scarecrows and pumpkins out front now. Save your real pumpkins when they start wasting away. Put them out back to sink into the ground, and next year you will see pumpkin vines .
When did you move in ? You have done an amazing amount of work. I can hear Mr Roger’s singing “Won’t you be my neighbor” Between happy neighbors and the trade industry, you have certainly boosted the economy in the area.
Where do you see cedars? I don’t think there are any cedars in the yard. The tall shrubs along the lot line are actually shrubs and not trees, though they are as tall as trees. A neighbor told me what those are and think he called them Taxus. They belong to my neighbor.
Thanks, still got lots to do, but it’s gradually getting there. Hahaha. I have definitely helped out some electricians and plumbers!
Susan, perhaps check Pinterest for fall ideas for fall window boxes, if you haven’t already. Carex is beautiful or weepers, small leafed ivy will cascade beautifully, small grasses for vertical movement, pumpkins, mums, ornamental cabbages, Swiss chard etc. parsley, etc.
From what I can see, they look like Pentas!
Susan, I just love to read about all your home projects! Your new dollhouse is so cute. My house is a.little 2 story but I consider it a dollhouse too. We had our landscaping redone, everything getting too big, empty spaces, etc.
we ended up putting in plants that don’t require much if any trimming and one I can recommend if you need a little tree is a dwarf spruce. We put in 2 of them and their color goes with our shutters. I always wondered if I should add window boxes, they add another pretty accent.
Your new home is (charming). I can see why you have fallen in love with it! I am so enjoying reading the things you are doing to make it your home. Just being near your grandsons and son and dIL is a huge plus. I enjoyed your Atlanta home and the beautiful landscaping. This is very exciting and know you will make this home so loved!
I love the look of the historic plaque. I’d love to know the significance. Maybe when you have time (lol) you can do a post about it?
I do mums for the fall in Michigan. I try to stay away from things like hay bales or cornstalks as they tend to attract a lot of mice around me.