A Perfect Partnership in Work and Life Resulted in a Glorious Garden

Yard of the Month

Neil & Margie Harper: Establishing Their Roots

A perfect partnership in work and life resulted in a glorious garden.

Perhaps it was their technology careers that made Neil and Margie Harper early adopters, but these two built one of the first houses in Preston Village. There was only a model home up on the circle when they selected their property, but they liked it. They selected a nearby lot, because it had the potential for a daylight basement and settled on a Sunstar home. They have been here ever since — a total of 18 years. Neil and Margie are both originally from Endicott, New York and came down to work at IBM. Neil worked for 29½ years and retired in 2014 (IBM gave him his last six months). Neil and Margie worked together for 24 years on a team. We get along as partners and friends as well as husband and wife. Margie is hoping to make it to 30 years and has about one year left. They share their home with their dog Roxie from the Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue.

When they started their garden there was “nothing to it,” says Neil. “It was all woods,” he continues. They had some of their own ideas for their garden, but then worked with landscape designer Harriet Bellerjeau whom Margie befriended at the JC Raulston Arboretum. “Harriet gave us a layout, selected major trees and plants and added our ideas to the garden design. It has evolved into this,” shares Neil. “Margie has tried different things over time and if it works well she will spread it around. If it doesn’t work so well, like too hot, too wet or too dry, she will rip it out and try something else,” he says.

“We installed everything out here. We planted three cedar trees. Sadly, beetles destroyed two trees, and now we have only one survivor. We planted two magnolias on the side porch when they were 6 ft tall. We remember standing over them and watering them, but now they are 30 ft tall,” shares Neil. They have kept before and after photos of their yard, and it’s quite remarkable how much it has grown and changed over time. According to Neil, they had a beautiful weeping willow that was really healthy and growing. One morning he went outside and found it lying on the ground with a perfectly pointed stump. Apparently, a beaver came by one day just passing through on the way to the pond. He just chewed it down and left. “I couldn’t believe it,” laughs Neil.

I don’t consider myself a gardener, but I have always landscaped and worked outside. I have sloped hills and put in the raised beds like the vegetable garden. Margie does most of the plants, and I manage the grass,” he adds. Neil’s grass looks like lovely green carpet.

They have installed dry creek beds to help with drainage and added walkways. The have rain barrels for water collection. “We do have a lot of hardscaping besides the fence. We have sculptures that aren’t as visible in the summer, but are very noticeable in the winter,” says Neil. They have concrete statues that represent the four seasons around the yard. “They add interest in the garden when it’s not in bloom. And magically, we have a lighted deer and moose that appear at Christmas time,” he says.

In addition to gardening, both Neil and Margie are looking forward to playing more golf at Prestonwood Country Club. Margie is considering getting her Master Gardener certificate when she finishes with IBM.

— Laura Wall