Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Visiting Northrup Acres

Where's your dream garden located? Do you favor a city lot with clearly defined boundaries — ones that keep your plant lust in check? What about a condo balcony with plenty of easy-care containers? Or do you dream of acreage and life in the country? Borrowed views that include pastures, orchards, hay-fields and a hazelnut farm?
For my friend Mindy it was definitely the latter, she and her family made the move a year ago and are living the dream in Oregon wine country...

Mindy (and family: husband and three kids) used to live in a tiny house on a tiny lot in a very urban and gritty part of Portland. She had time to blog then (Rindy Mae), which is how I know her. Us Portland bloggers are a social group who get together fairly often.

The group has held a couple of gatherings at Mindy's new place but I'd not been able to attend those, instead I had my own private viewing a couple of weeks back.

Mindy kindly took the afternoon off (kids, garden, animals, harvest, house, meals, laundry, her must-do list is never ending) and showed me around, chilled glass of wine in hand (both of our hands) of course...

I wish I could tell you how old the house is, but I'm bad with numbers. I also wish I would have snapped a couple of photos inside, because it's just so darn perfect (Mindy's got the design skills) — but I did not.

This planting bed is Mindy's work. It borders the cow pasture and if filled with plants she brought from her old garden, as well as plants from our blogger's swaps.

Hot-tub for relaxing those tired country-living muscles.

With fabulous plantings nearby.

I had to repeatedly remind myself they've only lived here a year. Vignettes like these say "home" and aren't something that materializes over-night.

Behind the garage (?) there's a stock-tank "swimming" pool.

And that's their picture-perfect barn, separated by a still-used train track. In fact I arrived just in time to see the train go by, but I hadn't pulled out my camera yet. Your loss.

We'll get back to the barn in a minute, first the garden — veggie and ornamental. Aren't those Verbascum amazing? Their checkerboard-like planting definitely plays up their architectural style.

That is a greenhouse in the distance (above). Unfortunately I don't have a close-up photo of it to share. The front (left-side) has the most amazing wall of RV windows. What they lack in style they make up for in practicality, they all open for ventilation.

Libby Lou (the dog) is a sweetheart with purpose, she made sure the stranger (me) wasn't going to bring any harm to her family.

Blueberries, so many blueberries. Fenced to keep blueberry-predators away of course.

It was hard for this city-girl to not become completely overwhelmed with the amount of work that goes into maintaining property this large. I found myself getting a little stressed out, until I remembered I was going to leave in a couple of hours it was not my responsibility.

So that barn. Wow. Inside is a party waiting to happen. Outside the party is already happening.

Hello there! The donkeys, Jackson and Elsa ,and Libby Lou. coming up on the rear.

The horse, Pride, Libby Lou and the black goat.

There's Mindy and her gang (fist appearance of the white goat), If you'd have told me I was inheriting these creatures with my new home and garden I would've declared the deal was off. Luckily for everyone Mindy and family have embraced it.

Another angle on the garden.

And a shot of the front of the home.

The driveway...

And Delilah (also inherited)

And Leonard (ditto)

But that's not all! Before I left we all hopped in Mindy's mom-van and drove over to see her neighbor's garden. Which features a tree as large as my entire city lot and a swing which Mindy's kids quickly put to use.

Can you even imagine having a garden this large and this immaculate?

The perfect size of a Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana). Not too small, not too big.

Not just one or two sunflowers but an entire hedge of them.

And tomatoes that, well, need supports as solid as those.

I have an emotional attachment to outdoor clotheslines. The house I grew up in (until 4th grade) had one, and a sweet house we made an offer on here in Portland had one (we were outbid). This one takes it up a notch (or twelve) because it's got romantic rose bushes growing up each end.

There's a greenhouse.

And a cool old well.

I did live the country life as a child and teenager. We moved to three acres in the country when I was in the fourth grade. We had an old well on our property too, only it didn't stand proud of the ground level like this one.

I've got no desire to return to rural living, but I love visiting! Thank you Mindy and Joyce for letting me totally disrupt your Friday afternoons and sharing your gardens with me.

Weather Diary, Aug 6: Hi 92, Low 63/ Precip 0

All material © 2009-2018 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

23 comments:

  1. Geeze, no wonder she hasn't had time to blog. I miss her posts and am amazed at how much she's accomplished in only a year! A beautiful garden and home in a to-die-for setting (well, minus the train thing.) Joyce's house, greenhouse, well, and garden are equally fabulous. For me, living in a bucolic setting like this, away from the crime and noise of the city, is the dream. Although it needs to magically be a 10 minute walk from city amenities.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I left the dream location at around 3:30 on a Friday afternoon and my phone said 2+ hours to get home, roughly 56 miles. That 10 minute walk ain't happening...

      Delete
  2. A garden that perfect in a year! Between Mindy and Tamara, I feel like a slackard. I'd have taken the animals too if they were offered, although that part of the bargain would've sent my husband running.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That donkey photo! I sometimes feel like I could live on a farm, so I'm glad you didn't show details of that barn (to avoid temptation). :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't take the offer to climb the stairs to the upper level. I guess it was the location of many a barn dance...

      Delete
  4. We started looking at 13 acres and after viewing many country and suburban properties, realized we are city folks. Love the country fantasy but have learned a half acre is almost more than we can handle. But those trees and big views sure are seductive.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ya, the views were certainly calling to me. Much better than my neighbor's trash cans (which they can't seem to bring in the same day trash is picked up) and cars.

      Delete
  5. Mindy's off to a great start, for sure. She's done so much!

    For you, the animals would have been a deal breaker. For me, the in-use train tracks would have had me running before I even saw the animals. Do not like loud noise.

    I can really relate to the anxiety you felt at the thought of taking care of all that space. I wonder what will ultimately win out, my plant addiction or my desire for simplicity? Probably the addiction.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My money is on the addiction.

      Delete
    2. That's where all my money seems to go, too...

      Delete
  6. I bet you slept well that night. There is something about being in the country that is very relaxing--especially when someone else is doing the work. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was my birthday, so a couple of margaritas with dinner that night certainly helped the sleeping.

      Delete
  7. Great tour, Loree. You captured the spirit of Mindy and her paradise. It's interesting you got stressed out...I wonder if large properties do that to people?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I felt the same way when I visited your place!

      Delete
  8. Awwwww, so fun to see the place through someone else's lense. Of course, I see the to-do list. But honestly, as we're days away from the one year mark, I look back at photos from the first month and am proud of how much we've accomplished. Thankfully, this old body is still keeping up with the head's demands.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And just think, you don't have to drive to the gym to work out!

      Delete
  9. I'm so jealous, it seems like everyone except me has been to Mindy's! Thanks for the great tour of both gardens. Mindy is so lucky she got her dream now while she's young enough to work it. If you had asked me 20 years ago I would have said I wanted a big suburban house and garden, which I now have, but almost too late to really enjoy it. My dream now is for Nigel to retire with me back to England in a little stone cottage in a village with a small garden, maybe even just a courtyard with pots. I'm even willing to become a subject of the Queen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm picturing a GB swap at her place some year? Of course camping for the people who have to drive so far...

      Back to England huh? Better the Queen than #45...

      Delete
    2. And all the asshats who voted for #45, they don't deserve to have me as a fellow citizen.

      Delete
  10. Mindy...those are some buff arms! You've earned that muscle with all your amazing hard work to make your country home, picture perfect. I'm so happy you found your dream home!

    ReplyDelete
  11. How cool for Mindy and family to live their dream and make this courages move. I know what you mean about the overwhelming feeling when you realize the sheer magnitude of the challenge, but life in the country put one's mind right. Taking care of farm animals is a lot of work, but it also sets up a routine to follow that probably helps manage the day.
    The train tracks are a riot! I hope trains don't run through too often though...

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to comment. Comment moderation is on (because you know: spam), I will approve and post your comment as soon as possible!