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This is “the house that bush ate” (in a booming, echoing voice).
It falls under the category of many other dumb homebuilding ideas that I’ve stumbled upon.
I firmly believe that tree pruning tools are in order for this particular job, rather than your basic pruning shears. This home’s landscape is way past the minor trimming and pruning phase!
This house is for sale in Kennesaw, Georgia. So, if you want a fixer-upper, this one qualifies. It’s an old ranch-style home with a few outbuildings in a pretty nice location actually.
What I don’t understand is why the bank/real estate company hasn’t come in with a chainsaw and made one very quick, vast improvement to the curb appeal of this poor, old house. Somebody (besides me…a passerby) has surely noticed that the curb appeal has vanished behind the humongous holly bush that looms over the front of this house.
But Wait, There’s More!
The front door of this house is accessed through the tunnel that has been carved into the heart of this mature holly bush. (See the photo at the end of this post.)
Can you believe it??!!
Notice that they have gone to the expense and trouble to build a secondary entrance by the garage. I guess they really like holly bushes.
I’ve driven past this house hundreds of times and never noticed it before. I wonder why.
This is a mature holly bush. It has been years — probably decades — in the making and claimed itself as the supreme ruler of the property long ago.
The carved-out front entryway tells me that people have actually been living in harmony with this monster-of-a-bush.
Essential Bush and Tree Pruning Tools
There are 5 basic pruning tools that every homeowner should either own or have access to if they have bushes and/or trees on their property:
- Grass Clippers – They might seem old fashioned, but I find them handy for fine trimming in tight spots up against hardscape borders around the yard and garden. I have the manual type, but you may opt for the lithium-ion battery-powered type. It wouldn’t be a bad idea because I can’t tell you the number of times that my hand has cramped up after a grueling trimming session.
- Hand Pruners – I use these more than anything else in my arsenal. They’re great for precision cuts like cutting back rose bushes, etc.
- Lopping Shears – I have 2 types: Anvil Lopping Shears and Bypass Lopping Shears. They are both acquired, otherwise, I would only own 1 type.
- Telescoping Tree Trimmer – Buy a fiberglass model that has a saw blade and a pruner. I get mine out of the shed about 2 to 3 times per year to cut back limbs that are being a little selfish with the tiny bit of sunshine that hits my yard. Large trees throughout my lot provide a great canopy and conserve energy.
- Chain Saw – Last, but definitely not least… Yeah, baby! An 18″ chainsaw is perfect for homeowners — because it gives you the capacity to cut down medium-sized trees with ease, but prevents you from trying your skill on much larger trees. My chainsaw comes out of the shed a couple times every year to do some thinning. I probably cut down about a half dozen trees each time. No worries… they are mostly smaller trees that are not doing well under the huge shade canopy that prevails on my property.
You can make a huge difference in your own yard by making selective cuts here and there to ensure that it seems less cluttered.
Not only that, but you will also gain points in the curb appeal category.
Don’t let your home’s landscape get anywhere near this home’s! You can barely make out the front door of this house through the overgrown holly bush that has taken over the front facade:
I started as a home-stalker… visiting brand new homes under construction in the neighborhoods near my house. That inspired me to write about home building and home renovation projects — chronicling homes during different phases of construction from a consumer's point-of-view. Basically, the tips you'll find in my articles are a collection of checklists for what I think should (and should not) go into building or remodeling a quality home.
