Family Landscaping Project
Developing the Full Potential of Our Home
One of our goals as a family is to develop the full potential of our home. This includes developing five centers of the home: worship, learning, health, hospitality, and productivity. We want people to experience God’s design for a home when they visit us; this includes how we keep our home, both on the inside and outside. Since I have been travelling more in the past three years I was getting behind but I was able to experience the joy of getting outside once again to work the ground and do what Adam was first assigned by God, to keep the garden and dress it.
The Great Provocation
We bought our two-bedroom home twelve years ago and have had to steadily increase its size as our family has grown. Since purchasing the house, I have not had the time or resources to complete a landscaping project that has been on my mind from the day we bought the house. God tells us to count it all joy when we experience trials, and last year we had an opportunity to do this as a tornado came through and uprooted many trees and destroyed our garage and rear deck— but because God hears our prayers— the tornado miraculously jumped over our house.
During the night of the tornado, we found shelter in our basement and began asking God to place a hedge of protection around our home. I forgot that my garage and rear deck were not attached to the home, and consequently did not ask God to protect them. The tornado passed directly over our home, destroying much of what was surrounding the home. Our house was nearly unscathed; we only replaced a few screens! After the tornado, we rebuilt the garage with an upper room that is now used as a ministry center for couples in crisis. It is also used on a weekly basis for men’s discipleship and Friday night couples discipleship.
The Landscaping Project
After rebuilding the garage, I decided to tackle the landscaping project in the front of our home that used to be filled with ivy. I decided to make this a family project, teaching my children how to make a plan, research a design, contact professionals for advice, negotiate deals, and then do the layout and actual landscaping work. I contacted an owner of a landscaping company, Frank Mosdcardelli from Pleasant Nurseries, whom I met twenty-one years ago when I sold him his first Ford truck. He has since bought
many more vehicles from my father’s company and was glad to help me put together a design, giving me expert advice on each stage of the project.
Frank helped us pick out the tree, plants, and stones we would use in the project. He
is now in his eighties and is still a driving force in his family business. He enjoyed helping my family get involved in something that is very meaningful to him, and it was great to watch him pass on some of his experience and wisdom to another generation of children.
We began the project on a Wednesday afternoon and finished Thursday evening. The children learned how to level a wall and rebuild it on a rock foundation, and how to choose the best plants for sun and shade.
They also learned about spacing plants, choosing colors, and knowing what plants look best in the front and back of the garden. They learned about transplanting trees and plants and how to feed and water them.
Josiah and Ben became my helpers. They saw the inner workings of a nursery, and enjoyed seeing all the equipment, as well as watching the men load our truck with a Bobcat skid steer. They observed the many types of equipment necessary to run a business like Frank’s, and I asked Frank to tell them what he looks for in a good employee. Frank gave them a lot of insight into what he values in those who work for him and why others are let go. He pointed out those employees who were demonstrating good character and why this was essential to keeping his customers satisfied.
Children learning to work together as a team to prepare the area for landscapting.
Building a wall on a rock foundation.
Leveling the wall one stone at a time.
Working as a team.
Emily planting annuals to compliment the perrenials.
Learning how to use equipment.
Josiah shared with me how much he enjoyed working with his older cousin, TJ, who let him use his tools and wasn’t afraid that Josiah would break them or ruin the job. Josiah learned how to use a paint compressor, a air paint gun, and many other tools. I decided it was time for him to learn how to drive his grandpa’s tractor and learn how to use the bucket and box scraper. It is great to see Josiah grow in skilfullness of hand as well as integrity of heart. Boys become men as we their fathers confirm that they have what it takes in Christ. They look to us to say, “Son, I am well pleased, you are a fine young man.”
Some final shots of the project as we were nearing the end of it.
A before and after shot
Posted by Chris Hogan on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 at 12:31 PM
