Live oaks, pines and summer rain: a Bunnell yard left alone
Inland Bunnell misses most of the salt air that wears on houses at the beach. What it gets instead is heat, rain and trees, and those three decide what a yard looks like after a few weeks with nobody there.
Live oaks and Spanish moss
Many Bunnell streets sit under old live oaks. They drop leaves through the spring, shed small limbs in any strong wind, and hang Spanish moss that ends up on roofs, cars and fences. A roof that was clear in May can be carpeted by July.
Pines on the bigger lots
Out past the center of town, tall pines stand around many houses. Their needles fill gutters and the valleys of the roof, and a pine that leans toward the house is worth a fresh photo after every windy week.
Afternoon storms, June to September
Florida's wet season brings a thunderstorm most afternoons. Grass grows fast, low corners of the yard hold water, and the ditches along the road fill and drain. Photos from the street after a wet spell show the yard and the swale as they really stand.
What to photograph, and from where
- From the street: the roof line, the front lawn, the drive and the trees over them
- From the open grounds: the back yard, the fence line and the shed
- From the air: the whole roof and every tree that leans over it
A rhythm that fits a summer away
Owners away for the summer often settle on a set every three or four weeks from June to September, and one more after any named storm that brings wind to the county.