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mas-ai · 5 years

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Mini-Golfing Date With HEAVENS: PT 1

I completely forget what sparked this idea but here we go. Like the group, this is entirely a chaotic mess so be warned for that. It was kinda written with the mindset of a poly-HEAVENS. Can absolutely be platonic though, or just choose your favourite boyo and insert MC! I tried to keep it open.

Nobody quite knows how this all got started for sure and it's a blur for them all, but Shion wanted to do something as an entire group. Eiji suggested a theme park. After discussions, missed dates, bad timing and work getting in the way - everyone was left with an extremely upset Shion after being disappointed so many times. A power outage during a HEAVENS photoshoot made Eiichi take charge of the situation and he coralled everyone a few blocks over without telling them what was going on. Unfortunately, the mini indoor-golf and arcade (not quite the theme park Eiji wanted, but it works) was closing. After threats from Yamato and Kira dragging him off, Eiichi convinced him to let them in. It was on the verge of going out of business and if HEAVENS was seen here, the publicity would attract hundreds - they could have a more interesting photoshoot, as well as their date!

SHION

A baby boy that gets lost in all the bright lights of the arcade.

Goes missing while the photographers are setting up.

He's found half an hour later behind one of the vending machines, by Van.

Nagi has to keep him relaxed until it's time to start.

Surprisingly good at mini golf?

Like a hole in one almost the entire way through?

Accidentally knocks Nagi's (It's always Nagi's) golfball

His shots are dreamy, featuring him sitting and posing with the putter a lot.

Stares into the indoor water features when it's not his turn.

Refuses to leave when the photographers do

makes everyone play another course.

Stands directly behind everyone, pressed against them

Ofc while they're trying to play.

He's pretending to sleep, but actually is lonely

Also he's making sure he does win.

EIJI

Was so, so impressed that his brother was able to manage the situation.

He didn't play for the first several holes

He was following management around apologizing.

Also on the phone with the agency making sure details were in place

"Is it okay to play"

"It's too late to join in now everyone started already I'll sit out"

He's pretty okay. Comes in like 3rd or 4th at the end, overall

Probably the one keeping track for everyone else

He had to take the score sheet from Nagi who kept changing points

Now Kira manages the sheet during Eiji's turn

Probably prefers to play the arcade games

Most of his shots are around the arcade games upstairs

Also he was able to get permission to go into the kitchen and make a small cake

He hardly played mini golf for the first round

He was concerned when Shion wanted to play a second course

But he had much more fun while not worrying about working

He really enjoyed himself

Rests his chin on everyone's shoulders

KIRA

Team Mom

Organized everyone when they arrived! Set to go in under 30min

All without a single word

This entertained Nagi a lot

During others’ playtime he goes upstairs to bring water back down for everyone

Including the entire crew

Runs into Eiji at this point and they have photos together by the fountains

Probably some pretty fountains upstairs/outside on another course or smth

Nearly missed his turn because of this and was extremely apologetic in the form of deafening silence

Collects all the lost golfballs from the scenery into a bucket to return at the end

Photographers had fun shooting that!!!

Pictures show a caring and thoughtful side to Kira!

There’s one where he’s on his knees, reaching far in front and down into the water for a golf ball

Except there’s also coins at the bottom of the indoor pond

They all reflect against the lights

It looks like he’s reaching for a pearl

Nagi thought Kira might be a mermaid

Handles coins for everyone after they’re done golfing, to play at the arcade

Also handles all the tickets

Doesn’t do or say much but

He looks at everyone in certain ways

With really soft eyes and a full heart

Everyone knows Kira loves them

EIICHI

Complete. Calm.

He has this guys don't worry.

Except he's actually in an absolute panic in his mind.

"Everyone's counting on me and if this doesn't work.."

He disappeared sometime after they found Shion, just for a few minutes

He just needed to breathe and relax by himself for a min

Super grateful he wasn't a disappointment

"what do you mean there's not a race track here?"

He thought there would be go karts

He wanted to ride on the go karts

An upset boy

"iii" energy intensifies as he takes all this out on the golfball

90% of the golfballs kira saves are because of him.

Seriously, Eiichi has no chill. He slams the golf balls like hockey pucks

He's so bad it's almost comical

There's one hole with a hill, that is almost straight up

It takes him 12 tries

And then Nagi's ball (after Shion hits Nagis) sends Eiichi's all the way back to the bottom

He almost cries okay he does cry but tell no one

Takes the time to help others when they struggle

Stands behind them and puts his hands over theirs

Shows them how to stand, swing, hold the putter

And just exactly how much force to use

And he's concentrating really hard and is very determined when helping

More interested in making Shion happy, so no special shots

All of his pictures are extremely authentic

When Kira offers him a bottle of water, all he asks is "Did you get one for yourself?"

And Kira forgot about himself, so Eiichi gave Kira his and went upstairs for another bottle.

REALLY GOOD AT ALL THE ARCADE GAMES

He won so many tickets that the ticket counting machine broke

That is the story he, Van and Yamato told the owner

Not that they were all jamming them forcefully into the machine

#utapri #my posts #my writing #headcanons #scenarios #heavens #i know i'm missing nagi van and yamato #this has been in my drafts for a really long time and i kinda lost inspiration for it but i really want to finish it eventually #so consider this a part one #idk when i'll get around to the other three but this still rolls around in my mind at times!!!#tw: long post #long post

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centaurstechsticle · 4 years

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Tips For Creative Home Garden Landscaping

If you're searching for a way to make important changes to the appearance of your outdoor space you need to look at the larger picture of this area with which you've got to work and think about the elements that you want to take into consideration such as matters that you can/ can't change and do/don't need to modify. Factors could include geographical location, buildings, large trees or bushes, rocks, water placement, shape and gradient of the outside area, etc..

After you armed with this information you are able to work out what you will need to do to cause the appearance and feel you want to accomplish. You may not always need to perform major landscaping changes. Minor changes can offer you stunning effects. Adding an outdoor water feature to your garden area can give your house a whole new look and feel.

There are water features that will fit any size area and installation limitations with which you could be faced. It might be a small or prominent outdoor water feature but will add a completely new dimension to the space and although moving water may be required for some outside water landscape designs, it is not required in most instances. Fountains are a fantastic choice in water features if you're looking for something that will require minimal effort, Fountains come in many different themes, shapes, sizes and complexities.

It is possible to choose something simple for a little patio space but if you've got the space it is possible to position a huge complex piece to create a focal point in the middle of a huge garden. Fountain and pond installation is relatively easy if you already have water running and connected to the place. Just follow the manufacturer's directions to construct the fountain and attach the water source. Not all fountain kits have additional hose or connectors which might have to attach the fountain to your water supply.

These connections would likely differ based on your water supply. If you already have a body of water like pond on your property, you can simply put in a fountain kit for it to alter its appearance. Ponds are simple to improve your property whether you've got a tiny odd sized outdoor area or an acre of garden. Whatever you need for a small place is a fundamental pond kit, some stone and a little plastic pond in the home improvement store.

For larger ponds you may have to excavate the space using a backhoe. In a typical small space such as a house garden, features like if the garden is flat or on an incline, its design and the position of the home and outdoor buildings can change the entire feel of the garden. Additional things to consider would be climate and access to water or whether you're attempting to recreate a garden theme that's beyond the norm for the region (that is going to be a good deal of work) such as an English style garden in the desert or a cactus garden where there could be snow and ice.

For more practical and less radical garden recreation your garden space can be enhanced using strategically placed planters, garden stairs, and a water component. Around the outside border of the patio area place planters to give the sense of a border between it and the wonderful outdoors beyond! Think about developing a concrete, rock or other sturdy patio construction should you not have an outdoor living area and place planters strategically around the border.

Collect and use unusual and interesting containers like wine barrels or more traditional concrete, terracotta or glazed ceramic planters. Organize them in decorative clusters at the edge of the terrace. Grow ornamental grasses, ferns, peace lilies and other lush, bushy plants to exude a natural feel to your patio and give it a soft edge. A steep grade is a challenge in any home garden but it may also be an opportunity for stunning visual landscape.

Put into a twisting narrow stairway down the mountain surrounded by patio garden beds which are separated by retaining walls. Select plants and stagger your planting to produce the feeling of descending from a mountain or mountain into a lush forest. Exotic blossoms and low hedges in planters near the top of the hill. The benefit of planters here is that if they can moved for a"vacation" when they're in their off season and replaced with crops which are in complete growth and blossom.

Follow these with plants which increase in size, like hedges, fruit trees, and bamboo. In the bottom, install big trees which are suitably sized to your home garden area. Gardening is one of the most popular pastimes anyplace on the planet. There appears to be a very special magic that's woven by daily puttering in their yards, expressing their creative colorful outdoor home garden landscape.

For those who have limited space, there might be restraints that you will need to conquer but beautiful outdoor spaces can be produced on even on the smallest balconies. You don't need sophistication to landscaping a tiny outdoor area for it to be beautiful. The simplest effects may look stunning. Plant border plants around your garden beds or use some landscaping feature such as a stone wall or planters. Use stone, little evergreens or ground cover perennials which you could train to the desired shape.

English thyme is a useful fragrant low-level ground cover which could create beautiful borders. Creating boundaries give a more formal sense but also gives a sense of"gap" between within the region and out. Even if the garden itself is not planned, the border makes a very simple and effortless landscape feature. If I can provide you only one tip it's this: once you've taken stock of the property and its features, Strategy.

Come up with a theme to your garden before you plant. Unless you have sufficient space for clearly defined garden"rooms" have a general theme. Perhaps you would prefer a garden comprising mainly plants with yellow flowers or leaves, for instance. Other theme ideas include a butterfly garden, a knot garden and a herb garden. None of them require much space, Plan them on paper so that your garden goes in correctly the first time and you do not have wasted plants and materials, or time.

#home garden #creative #garden tips

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kmalexander · 5 years

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Ogilby: A Free 17th Century Road Atlas Brush Set for Fantasy Maps

“You come to a Descent sprinkled with Woods, whence by Loudwater, a small Village, (a Brook accompanying your Road on the Left) at 32’3. You enter High Wickham, seated in a pleasant Vale, a large and Well-built Town, numbering near 200 Houses, with several good Inns, as the Cathern Wheel, etc. Is Govern’d by a Mayor, Recorder, etc. Sends Burgesses to Parliament, hath a well-frequented Market on Fridays, and two Fairs annually…”

Outside of some slight language differences, that description of 17th century High Wycombe could be taken from any modern travel guide. It comes from John Ogilby’s 1675 book Britannia, Volume the First. Or an Illustration of the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales: By a Geographical and Historical Description of the Principal Roads thereof (the full title goes on much longer, and I’ll spare us all.) Britannia is, in essence, part road atlas and part travel guide—it also serves as the source for my latest brush set named after the man himself: Ogilby.

John Ogilby’s depiction of the road from Bristol to Exeter

While the depictions of British towns, inns, and valleys are charming, the actual maps themselves are a delight. They are unlike anything I’ve seen before. These maps place the traveler’s perspective front and center making for a much more intimate experience. Read bottom to top and left to right one can trace their route through the countryside. Windmills, wells, ponds, homes, and churches are lovingly depicted as well as are the small towns clustered around roads and random points of interest. Climbs and descents are documented as one would encounter them as they crossed the rolling countryside. The route will move, but barely, instead, significant turns are shown with subtle shifts indicated by the compass rose that rotates on subsequent “scrolls.” I thought this was an interesting solution to show more substantial variations in a road’s direction.

Fiction has long had a fascination with the road story, and fantasy isn’t an exception. So it’s a wonder this sort of map hasn’t been attempted before. (Prove me wrong, if you know a book with this style of road atlas, let me know!) It’s so useful and such an interesting presentation. After spending some time with the plates and Ogilby’s descriptions, I knew at once these etchings would make an excellent brush set. Whether one is attempting to recreate an Ogilby-style road atlas or just using his various signs and symbols on a more standard map.

As I worked, I realized that I would need to build this set off of multiple plates, and uh… the set sort of grew in the making. Ogilby is now my largest set ever. Inside you’ll find over 870 brushes (yes, seriously), including:

60 Homesteads

50 Manor Halls

10 Hamlets

60 Villages

10 Large Villages

20 Steepled Churches

70 Towered Churches

10 Priories

5 Unique Churches

20 Castles

20 Unique Settlements

10 Ponds

20 Rills/Streams

10 Rills/Streams w/ Bridges

20 Rivers w/ Bridges

20 Heath/Wetlands

20 Hills

20 Upslopes (Hills with space for roads to pass up them)

20 Downslopes (Inverted hills with space for roads to pass down them)

20 Unique Slopes

30 Scrub Lands

30 Leafy Trees

30 Evergreen Trees

30 Bushy Trees

10 Leafy Forests

10 Evergreen Forests

30 Bushy Forests

40 Windmills

10 Elevated Windmills

20 Beacons

20 Gallows

5 Wells

5 Springs

10 Quarries

10 Coal Pits

10 Lead Mines

10 Parks

10 Monuments

15 Unique Points-of-Interest

20 “Plain” Compasses

35 Standard Compasses

15 Complex Compasses

5 Combined Compasses

3 Boats

The button below links to a ZIP file that contains a Photoshop brush set (it’ll work in GIMP as well) as well as a set of transparent PNGs in case you’re using a program that doesn’t support Adobe brush files. I’ve separated them by type, Settlements, Points of Interest, Flora, Cartouches, and Landforms. They’re black, and they’ll look broken if viewed in Chrome, but trust me, they’re all there.

[ ! ] Bonus #1 – I’ve also included the option to download a blank and layered PSD of the scroll background used in Ogilby’s original maps. To save on file size, this must be downloaded separately. It also includes a transparent png.

[ ! ] Bonus #2 – I found more success mimicking Ogibly’s road styles in Adobe Illustrator. This will allow one to recreate the various styles of roads Ogilby uses across his maps quickly and efficiently. Like the Scroll background, this must be downloaded separately and it requires Adobe Illustrator.

DOWNLOAD OGILBY

Download the Ogilby Scrolls Background

Download the Ogilby Illustrator Road Brush Set

As with all of my previous brush sets, Ogilby is free for any use. I distribute my sets with a Creative Common, No Rights Reserved License (CC0), which means you can freely use this and any of my brushes in commercial work and distribute adaptations. (Details on this decision here.) No attribution is required. Easy peasy!

Enjoy Ogilby. Feel free to show me what you created by sending me an email or finding me on Twitter. I love seeing how these brushes get used, and I’d be happy to share your work with my readers. Let me see what you make!

Ogilby In Use

Want to see this brush set in use? I put together a sample map using Ogilby, and you can see a few variants below. Just click on any of the images below to view them larger.

Supporting This Work

If you like the Ogilby brush set (or any of my free brushes, really) and want to support my work, instead of a donation, consider buying one of my speculative fiction novels. The first book—The Stars Were Right—is only $2.99 on eBook. I think you’ll dig it. You can find all my books in stores and online. Visit bellforgingcycle.com to learn more about the series. Tell your friends!

More Map Brushes

Ogilby isn’t the only brush set I’ve released. You can find other free brush sets with a wide variety of styles over on my Free Stuff page. Every set is free, distributed under a CC0 license, and open for personal or commercial use. I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that works for your project.

Van der Aa: An 18th Century Cartography Brush Set

This regional map set is based on a map by Dutch cartographer and publisher, Pieter Van der Aa. It’s a beautifully rendered version of the Mingrelia region of northwest Georgia. While not as extensive as other sets, the size of the map allowed for larger brushes that helps highlight the uniqueness of each symbol. It also features a failed wall!

Gomboust: A 17th Century Urban Cartography Brush Set

My first brush set to focus on creating realistic maps for fantastical urban environments! Gomboust is a huge set, and its symbols are extracted from Jacques Gomboust’s beautiful 1652 map of Paris, France. His style is detailed yet quirky, isometric yet off-kilter, packed with intricacies, and it brings a lot of personality to a project.

Harrewyn: An 18th Century Cartography Brush Set

Based on Eugene Henry Fricx’s “Cartes des Paysbas et des Frontieres de France,” this set leans into its 1727 gothic styling and its focus on the developed rather than the natural. It’s hauntingly familiar yet strikingly different. If you’re looking for more natural elements, Harrewyn works well alongside other sets as well.

Popple: A Free 18th Century Cartography Brush Set

This set has quickly become a favorite, and it’s perfect for a wide variety of projects. The brushes are taken from 1746’s A Map of the British Empire in America by Henry Popple, and it has a fresh style that does a fantastic job capturing the wildness of a frontier. Plus, it has swamps! And we know swamps have become a necessity in fantasy cartography.

Donia: A Free 17th Century Settlement Brush Set

While not my most extensive set (a little over one hundred brushes), Donia boasts one of the more unique takes on settlements from the 17th century. If you’re looking for flora, I suggest checking out other sets, but if you want to pay attention to your map’s cities, towns, castles, churches, towers, forts, even fountains, then this is the right set for you.

Blaeu: A Free 17th Century Cartography Brush Set

Based on Joan Blaeu’s Terræ Sanctæ—a 17th-century tourist map of the Holy Land—this set includes a ton of unique and varied signs as well as a large portion of illustrative cartouches that can add a flair authenticity to any fantasy map. Elegant and nuanced, everything works within a system, but nearly every sign is unique.

Aubers: An 18th Century Cartography Brush Set

An 18th Century brush set based on a map from 1767 detailing the journey of François Pagès, a French naval officer, who accompanied the Spanish Governor of Texas on a lengthy exploration through Louisiana, Texas, and Mexico. A unique southwestern set with a few interesting deviations—including three volcanos!

L’Isle: An 18th Century Battlefield Brush Set for Fant

A departure from the norm, this set is based on the Plan Batalii map, which was included in a special edition of The First Atlas of Russia in 1745. A detailed view of a battle during the Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739. Canon! Units! Battles! Perfect for mapping out the combat scenarios in your fantasy stories.

Widman: A 17th Century Cartography Brush Set

A 17th Century brush set based on the work of Georgio Widman for Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi’s atlas published in 1692. A fantastic example of Cantelli da Vignola’s influence and a solid set for any fantastic map. This is the workhorse of antique map brush sets—perfect for nearly any setting.

Walser: An 18th Century Cartography Brush Set

An 18th Century brush set based on the work of Gabriel Walser with a focus on small farms and ruins and a robust set of mountains and hills. This is a great brush set to see how Vignola’s influence persisted across generations. It was etched over 80 years after the Widman set, but you’ll find a few familiar symbols within.

Lumbia: A Sketchy Cartography Brush Set

A sketchy style brush set I drew myself that focuses on unique hills and mountains and personal customizability. My attempt at trying to channel the sort of map a barkeep would draw for a band of hearty adventurers. It includes extra-large brushes for extremely high-resolution maps.

Lehmann: A Hatchure Brush Set

Named after Austrian topographer Johann Georg Lehmann creator of the Lehmann hatching system in 1799, this is a path-focused brush set designed for Adobe Illustrator that attempts to captures the hand-drawn style unique 19th Century hachure-style mountains. This set works perfectly in conjunction with my other sets from the late 18th century.

Want to stay in touch with me? Sign up for Dead Drop, my rare and elusive newsletter. Subscribers get news, previews, and notices on my books before anyone else delivered directly to their inbox. I work hard to make sure it’s not spammy and full of interesting and relevant information. SIGN UP TODAY →

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davidoespailla · 5 years

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Victory Mansion in Tampa Bay Lives Up to Its Name as This Week’s Most Popular Home

realtor.com

A deluxe waterfront property in Florida delivered on its not-so-modest moniker. The Victory Mansion lapped the field and ran away with the most clicks on realtor.com® this week. The grand estate is the most expensive home in Tampa Bay and landed on the market just over a week ago. Its grand decor, combined with a gorgeous setting, made it irresistible to housing gawkers.

This week’s runner-up is the exact opposite of opulent—which is not to say that the underground dwelling isn’t worth a second look. The earth-sheltered, energy-efficient home in Wisconsin will appeal to buyers in search of a whimsical, hobbitlike home.

Other homes causing a commotion on the web this week include a rare (and tiny!) bargain in San Francisco, a dandy restoration project in Detroit, and a former “Fixer Upper” in Texas.

Whether or not you want to savor the sweet taste of victory, we do ask that you simply scroll down and peruse all of the week’s most popular homes…

10. 4314 NW Valencia Rd, Silver Lake, KS

Price: $485,000 Why it’s here: Room to grow! This spread sits on 17 acres. Built in 1999, the home has a gourmet kitchen, hardwood floors and new carpet, a full basement, and two master suites. Storage space won’t be an issue, thanks to an eight-car garage. The price is nice, as well: The listing details note that the seller is motivated and has priced the home at $35,000 below county prices.

Silver Lake, KS

realtor.com

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9. 5017 Great Divide Dr, Bee Cave, TX

Price: $748,000 Why it’s here: Built in 2014, this friendly home features a high-end chef’s kitchen, master suite with bath, and a room for a gym or nursery. An unfinished bonus room upstairs could be converted into a media room or music studio. Outside, you’ll find a covered patio with a fire pit as well as a pool.

Bee Cave, TX

realtor.com

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8. 50 Governors Way, Brentwood, TN

Price: $3,499,000 Why it’s here: Located on the 18th tee box, this golf-course adjacent home soars like an eagle. The layout features vaulted ceilings and a fireplace in the living room, a chef’s kitchen, media room, gym, and indoor basketball court. Deal us in, because there’s also a poker room!

Brentwood, TN

realtor.com

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7. 24051 Long Valley Rd, Hidden Hills, CA

Price: $17,500,000 Why it’s here: Perfect for a party? This just-completed showcase estate offers luxury living in this exclusive enclave favored by celebs. The landscaped grounds include a guesthouse, pool with waterfall, sports court, and entertaining areas with fire pits.

Hidden Hills, CA

realtor.com

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6. 33901 E Colbern Rd, Lone Jack, MO

Price: $2,300,000 Why it’s here: Located about 35 miles from Kansas City, this gated lake house is a sweet retreat. Set on nearly 10 acres, there are two ponds with fountains, two weather-proofed decks, and an outdoor kitchen. Inside, the “meticulously maintained” mansion, as the listing notes, you’ll find two master bedrooms, two kitchens, and huge entertaining spaces. The master wing includes a half-kitchen, dual closets, a laundry room, and a bath with a sauna.

Lone Jack, MO

realtor.com

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5. 1037 Iroquois St, Detroit, MI

Price: $629,000 Why it’s here: Designed by Albert Kahn, this Colonial Revival in historic Indian Village is an ideal restoration project. The enormous home includes a huge main house with a separate in-law suite, a carriage house with a two-bedroom apartment, and a garage. Original details include a ballroom, leaded glass windows, period light fixtures, built-ins, original fireplaces, and hardwood floors. Roll up your sleeves and get to work!

Detroit, MI

realtor.com

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4. 215 Trailwood Dr, Woodway, TX

Price: $499,000 Why it’s here: This tired 1980s abode was transformed on Season 4 of “Fixer Upper” into a modern living space that thrilled the clients. Dubbed the “Prickly Pear House,” the property is on the market just a year and a half later.

Woodway, TX

realtor.com

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3. 173 Farallones St, San Francisco, CA

Price: $599,000 Why it’s here: Tiny pad in the big city? Here’s a fixer-upper with huge potential in a transitioning neighborhood. This 420-square-foot cottage could be an investment opportunity or a starter home for a buyer in need of a place in this notoriously tight housing market. Oceanview is easily accessible to the highway, public transit, and just five minutes to downtown San Francisco.

San Francisco, CA

realtor.com

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2. N8064 975th St, River Falls, WI

Price: $285,000 Why it’s here: Get ready to move in to your own personal Middle Earth. Back in the 1970s, there was an energy shortage. This led Pat Clark and Emogene Nelson—two University of Wisconsin-River Falls professors—to seek out a design for an energy-efficient home. The result is a bermed, earth-sheltered home designed by local architect Mike McGuire.

The cavelike structure, which some have dubbed the “Hobbit House,” has geothermal properties. The place also comes with dual furnaces and dual air conditioners, although the cooling system is rarely used, according to listing agent Dale Antiel of Edina Realty. “The bottom line is, it’s a very smart home. On the other side, it’s whimsical and kind of fun,” says Antiel.

It’s also plenty bright and cozy, thanks to five skylights and three fireplaces. While the home hasn’t been updated in 35 years, everything still works. You’ll have to bring your own Tolkien collection.

River Falls, WI

realtor.com

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1. Undisclosed address, Gibsonton, FL

Price: $17,999,999 Why it’s here: Victory Mansion is a winner! The luxury waterfront estate is the most expensive listing in Tampa Bay, and offers a 10,000-square-foot home on 12 acres. Built in 2015, it has opulent details, such as carved wood, hand-painted ceilings with gold leaf, marble floors with inlay, and custom chandeliers.

Nasr “Vic” Abuoleim —an owner of gas stations and commercial properties—constructed the property after he glimpsed the skinny peninsula jutting out onto the water with nothing but a small house on it. He snapped up the land and began to build. A decade later, the pricey property has made waves.

The gated estate includes a chef’s kitchen, plenty of bedroom suites for guests, a movie theater, and an oversized garage. Outdoors, there’s a grill area, boat dock, pool and spa, private beach, basketball court, tennis court, and rooftop deck. And bonus, if that’s not enough space, the price tag comes with nearly 200 extra acres of surrounding private islands and bay bottom.

Gibsonton, FL

realtor.com

The post Victory Mansion in Tampa Bay Lives Up to Its Name as This Week’s Most Popular Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

Victory Mansion in Tampa Bay Lives Up to Its Name as This Week’s Most Popular Home

#TRUSTED LOCAL REALTOR #Victory Mansion in Tampa Bay Lives Up to Its Name as This Week’s Most Popular

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gillespialfredoe01806ld · 5 years

Text

Victory Mansion in Tampa Bay Lives Up to Its Name as This Week’s Most Popular Home

realtor.com

Other homes causing a commotion on the web this week include a rare (and tiny!) bargain in San Francisco, a dandy restoration project in Detroit, and a former “Fixer Upper” in Texas.

Whether or not you want to savor the sweet taste of victory, we do ask that you simply scroll down and peruse all of the week’s most popular homes…

10. 4314 NW Valencia Rd, Silver Lake, KS

Silver Lake, KS

realtor.com

———

9. 5017 Great Divide Dr, Bee Cave, TX

Bee Cave, TX

realtor.com

———

8. 50 Governors Way, Brentwood, TN

Brentwood, TN

realtor.com

———

7. 24051 Long Valley Rd, Hidden Hills, CA

Hidden Hills, CA

realtor.com

———

6. 33901 E Colbern Rd, Lone Jack, MO

Lone Jack, MO

realtor.com

———

5. 1037 Iroquois St, Detroit, MI

Detroit, MI

realtor.com

———

4. 215 Trailwood Dr, Woodway, TX

Woodway, TX

realtor.com

———

3. 173 Farallones St, San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA

realtor.com

———

2. N8064 975th St, River Falls, WI

River Falls, WI

realtor.com

———

1. Undisclosed address, Gibsonton, FL

Gibsonton, FL

realtor.com

The post Victory Mansion in Tampa Bay Lives Up to Its Name as This Week’s Most Popular Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

from DIYS http://bit.ly/2RJywBF

#DIYS

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wendyimmiller · 6 years

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It’s Over: Ending 19 Wonderful Years in the Nursery Business by Bob Hill

As anyone who has ever opened a small, home-grown retail nursery can tell you, the economic reality for such is straight out of the veteran horse gambler’s prayer: Lord, I hope I break even, I need the money.

So it went as we opened our Hidden Hill Nursery & Sculpture Garden 19 years ago on a hopeful wing, happy ignorance and a prayer. History was not in my favor. My obligatory role as a newspaper columnist had always been to make cheerful fun of capitalists, not become one.

Yet I had grown to love plants; a sweet addiction with no known cure – had I even been interested in one. I had eight acres of relatively open Southern Indiana land and an old barn, a modicum of plant knowledge and a yen for the nursery business.

I had growing connections to the specialty wholesale nurseries and companies that catered to the needs of we the possessed; tiny exotic hostas, glorious blooming shrubs, weeping trees, stone owls and fountains from which water fell in rhythmic wonder.

My plant enablers would be located in Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, North Carolina, the Pacific Northwest, and Wisconsin. They would supply me with the plants and owls and fountains unavailable at the local box stores, the very products for which my equally possessed customers would lust. Could our newly graveled parking lot contain the rush of customers?

My business, as I became much too fond of saying, was a hobby run amuck. It was mine. It would be free from those silly, too-constraining economic rules faced by other small businesses. Little thought was given to supply and demand, inventory control, balance sheets, insurance needs, digital knowledge, accounting expertise, employee payrolls, mandatory taxes, water bills, famine, pestilence, plant death and one-year-guarantee customer destruction.

We were off; our race begun. Our land – which included our 1860s farmhouse – became our retail nursery and living plant museum. It was soon home to Persian ironwood, ‘Wolf Eyes’ dogwood, weeping katsura, weeping ginkgo, weeping Alaskan cedar, balsam fir, Cedar of Lebanon, ‘Summer Chocolate’ mimosa, striped-bark maple and variegated zelkova. We sold and grew croton ‘Alabamensis,’ paperbark maple, sweet shrub ‘Michael Lindsey,’ sweetgum ‘Slender Silhouette’ and the lovely and historic Franklinia.

Our shrubs included bright-yellow kerria, pale-yellow weigela, purple beautyberry, red-berried deciduous holly, red-and-yellow berried viburnum, purple lespedeza, pale-pink buttonbush globes and feisty white bottlebrush flowers.

Our perennial selection offered Arum for the winter, moved on in spring to hard-to-find cultivars of hellebores, candytuft, pinks, astilbe, heuchera, phlox, iris and peony. Summer brought the more freaky cultivars; daisy, coneflower, coreopsis, hardy hibiscus, rudbeckia, geranium, bee balm and allium – with new echinacea cultivars showing up every 15 minutes.

Hidden Hill in fall

Fall brought helenium, Japanese anemone, Korean mums, asters, solidago, balloon flowers, caryopteris, sage, sedum and chelone. Then the Arum repeated itself; the plant parade come full cycle. We were all about fun and whimsey and plant knowledge and fine, hard-to-find plants.

On we rolled, year after year, but only open four days a week from April to October. Our fan base grew. Our eight-acre arboretum flourished. We added ponds, new gardens, music events, horticultural classes, whimsical art, theatrical art and beautiful, lovingly created art.

We created a full-sized door to our meadow; joking with our customers if they didn’t use it they would disappear the following Tuesday. People would come out to just wander our eight acres; happy to be there. We were happy to have them.

Our financial advisor, a good and sensible man who would hide a cash register from his mother if he thought it necessary, did understand and accommodate my passion. Yet he would annually peer at me over his desk and suggest a little more financial caution, perhaps more thought toward our old age needs, our true retirement, our bottom line.

Janet Hill, my wife of 56 years, my forever partner in life, our company bookkeeper and diligent gardener herself, would indulge me. We created “Janet’s Garden” in her honor, a circular, quiet oasis in the middle of our larger madness with fountain, flowers, bench, large antique containers and a dangling, yellow brugmansia.

In soft summer evenings, after all the customers had left, we would ride around in a golf cart. I would admire what we had created. She would look for weeds. Her mind also began to lean toward a patio home with several thousand fewer plants to water.

The years rolled on. We were able to recruit terrific help; we all became a garden family. In the winters we would visit those consonant-laden gardens shows – CENTS and MANTS – to check out what was new in plants, fountains and stone owls. In early spring I leafed through 500 pounds of plant catalogs.

I had no desire to get bigger – just better. We looked forward to March, the potting up of the new perennial cultivars, the latest in a ridiculous series of ninebarks, the newer dogwoods and redbud trees that would arrive bare-root and eager for their new lives.

All seemed good until it didn’t. We had our devoted regulars. But on our slower days I would drop by the local Lowes and see people lined up 10 deep at two cash registers buying plants – most of them already in bloom. I had to admit Lowes’s selections looked pretty good – even if it seemed the help was 17-years-old not really looking happy to be there.

We had created a 5,000-follower Facebook presence and a 2,500-person email list as our promotion materials, but it seemed the average age of our customers was about 86. Are plant geeks dying off? Do millennials plant anything besides herbs and lettuce?

We had slowly become a nursery better known than shopped. I kept running into people who would tell me “I have always wanted to go to you place” but never showed up. I continually had to resist the urge to fire back: “Well what the hell is stopping you?”

But it was never said with bitterness. I knew I was a lousy capitalist. I had always known my dream was not economically sustainable; the box stores were open seven days a week until 9 p.m. I wanted that early evening time sharing our land with my wife in a golf cart.

The bottom-line truth outed itself a few weeks ago as I went over our years of financial statements. It followed a 95-degree September afternoon in which Janet and I had spent hours watering needy plants in black plastic pots.

We are both 75 years old. We were tired. It was time to go. The financials showed our gross income was greater five years ago than it was in 2018. We talked it over, called it quits and looked ahead to more travel, more fun with friends and family, more selective use of our now sculpted land.

Sure, some maintenance is still required. But Janet could work on her quilts and spend more time with her church ladies. I could finish writing my children’s books, maybe finally write that first bad novel. We were at total peace with our decision – Janet perhaps even closer to ecstatic.

Our closure announcement brought an outpouring on genuine affection; hundreds of people sent messages or came out to tell us how much Hidden Hill had meant to them, too. One former employee – covering all the bases – brought us a six-pack of beer and a bottle of champagne.

The horse-players prayer has it all wrong. We did much better than break even. We have our family and a growing list of friends. We have our memories. We have the satisfaction and thanks that come with building something good together. We have already won.

It’s Over: Ending 19 Wonderful Years in the Nursery Business originally appeared on Garden Rant on September 23, 2018.

from Gardening http://www.gardenrant.com/2018/09/its-over-ending-19-wonderful-years-in-the-nursery-business.html via http://www.rssmix.com/

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athertonjc · 6 years

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It’s Over: Ending 19 Wonderful Years in the Nursery Business by Bob Hill

Hidden Hill in fall

It’s Over: Ending 19 Wonderful Years in the Nursery Business originally appeared on Garden Rant on September 23, 2018.

from Garden Rant http://www.gardenrant.com/2018/09/its-over-ending-19-wonderful-years-in-the-nursery-business.html

#Garden Rant

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blackpjensen · 7 years

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Story of a Landscape: Prized Landscape Features Circular Theme

In 46 years of designing landscape projects, Richard Angell has heard just about everything from prospective clients. But, what about a client who says she doesn’t like straight lines?

“She’s a college math professor, and the thing she said to me was, ‘I don’t like straight lines; I like arcs,’” Angell relates.

So, the designer for Harder & Warner Landscape and Garden Center of Caledonia, Michigan, gave her arcs – lots of arcs — including a curved deck and mirroring paver patio, and a circular staircase to a still lower patio area.

In return, the project was recognized by both the Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association and the Association of Grand Rapids Landscape Professionals for design and installation in 2015.

During installation Photo: Harder & Warner Landscape and Garden Center

Harder & Warner is now in its seventh decade of operation, and Angell says a large number of clients come his way through referrals or repeat business. Others just know what the company can do and the caliber of its work.

“They came in on a Saturday and talked with one of our managers,” Angell says. “They had a picture and he said, ‘Can you build this?’ The manager said, ‘I believe we can. I’ll have Richard call you Monday morning.’ That’s how the job came to us.”

During paver installation Photo: Harder & Warner Landscape and Garden Center

In this case, the clients had lived in the house for more than 25 years and wanted to redo their outdoor space. And, they came armed with that photo they’d taken from a website. Although it’s a far cry from the clients he started working with years ago, Angell says he welcomes their input.

“People have a lot of ideas when they come in and I have no problem with trying to build their dreams,” he says. “The more information they come to me with, the faster we can get locked into exactly what they want.”

Besides the arcs, Angell says their main desires were for an outdoor space in which to entertain up to as many as 150 people, and some storage. And, they were willing to have Harder & Warner remove much of their existing landscape, except for a few mature trees, to make it happen.

During deck installation Photo: Harder & Warner Landscape and Garden Center

“We started with a clean canvas,” Angell says. “Among the main features are a 1,450-square-foot curved deck built out of composite lumber. And, under that, at the garden level, we built a 1,500 square-foot patio from pavers.”

The patio also features an enclosed storage area that the designer says he would have preferred become an indoor bar, “but they said they needed more storage.”

The project also encompasses an outdoor kitchen on the deck, covered with a pergola. A second pergola covers deck seating on the west side of the home. A gas fire pit enhances and warms the patio seating area.