3. Olive Tree in the Courtyard

When we bought the house there was a giant olive tree in the courtyard, as is common in early Cliff May homes.  The canopy was larger in diameter than the entire courtyard, keeping it entirely in shade.  We had to duck to walk under it, it dropped messy olives, and the roots buckled the courtyard brick-and-concrete paving.

After a few years of putting up with the mess and the non-draining and uneven courtyard surface, we finally removed the tree.

Then I cleaned out some roots...,

... re-paved a level area,  trimmed up the stump,  & added a boat-BBQ to the stump.

Links To Blog Posts:
1. Discovering a Cliff May Home | 2. Comparing to known Cliff May designs | 3. Olive Tree | 4. Floor Plan | 5. Backyard Brick Path and Clothesline | 6. Pine Tree | 7. Driveway & Mechanic's Pit | 8. Wild Parrots | 9. Misc Pics 

 

4. Floor Plan

Referring back to the sketch of a 1932 Cliff May spec house, here is the floor plan:

The mirror-image of the floor plan is below:

Here is the floor plan of our house:

Links To Blog Posts:
1. Discovering a Cliff May Home | 2. Comparing to known Cliff May designs | 3. Olive Tree | 4. Floor Plan | 5. Backyard Brick Path and Clothesline | 6. Pine Tree | 7. Driveway & Mechanic's Pit | 8. Wild Parrots | 9. Misc Pics 

 

5. Backyard Brick Path and Clothesline

Cliff May often designed or suggested the landscaping for his house designs, often including brick pathways & identified areas for clotheslines.

Our back yard has a small lawn, lots of fruit and ornamental trees, and a winding brick pathway throughout the landscaping - including a dedicated area for the clothesline (since removed).

Links To Blog Posts:
1. Discovering a Cliff May Home | 2. Comparing to known Cliff May designs | 3. Olive Tree | 4. Floor Plan | 5. Backyard Brick Path and Clothesline | 6. Pine Tree | 7. Driveway & Mechanic's Pit | 8. Wild Parrots | 9. Misc Pics