LIFESTYLE text and photos by Dr. Al Thompson
What do you do when your neighbor’s new wall blocks your once-unobstructed view?
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hat might one do with a garden wall constructed of block painted white, other than wonder what one might do with such a wall so common in Antigua? Frequently, your 10-foot wall has been challenged by new construction behind it, which may exceed yours by another eight or 10 feet. Yes. What might one do other than become distraught about what will become an eyesore? Our 10-foot garden wall to the east of the property looked decent enough with a few hanging baskets and a bougainvillea or two doing their thing. That was until construction broke our sense of quiet and an expansive view to the east. Remembering that two heads are better than one, and three better than two, Carolyn, our handyman Pablo and I addressed the problem, which grew with every course of block cemented into place for the neighbor’s wall. Our meeting of minds suggested we create a “vertical garden.” (That was before we spotted such a concept in magazine advertisements focusing on New York). Our goal was to extend our horizontal garden vertically on the east wall. How might one “attach” plants to a vertical wall? Our solution was to make a series of “H’s” out of 1/4-inch rebar with rebar joining the the top of the “H.” Our “H’s” 84 » revuemag.com