Garden News

We continue to toil in the soil of our backyard garden. Our progress is documented below. Check out the main changes this year.

A Path By The Water

The cobblestones have been manufactured to look old and warn. We used them in groups of three to build a path from the patio to the stream.

A More Formal Path

Across the creek from the cobblestone path is another new path, this one extending to the "viewing rock". This path is constructed of rough stones about 4" wide that contain lovely fossils of shells and other former sea creatures. L is smiling because Play Sand makes everyone smile!

The path is only one month old, and already "pine" needles cover it. A year from now moss will cover it. The steppingstone at the end of the path to the "viewing rock" is also new.

Leaf Babies

Also, we have a very strange fern, which we got last year from a friend. The leaves appear to have tiny ferns on them (L), and when the leaf dies and falls to the ground, these tiny ferns begin to grow (R). We don't know it's scientific name yet, but we're working on it.

Next Steps

From the "viewing rock" we have built steps that rise up hill to the NE corner of our garden. The steps are cedar frames with stones inset. These are the same stones as in the formal path. (We bought a lot!)

The gardener's most trusty tool is a bottle of beer. It makes every task easier.

20 June 2005

Stepping Stones on the Edge

From the top of the steps, the path turns right. We laid steppingstones along the top off the "Head Wall" to the hot tub. The picture makes it look dangerous, but it is a good place to look at the pond.

The last stone is raised to give a step up the hot tub. When we placed this stone, the path around the garden was complete.

The Circuit is Complete!

After passing the hot tub, the steps go back down to the patio. Notice that gardeners must coordinate the color of their pants with their plants. From this place on the path, we have built a small wall below the hot tub.

This wall, built from Prichard Formation stone from Montana, may be the last wall we will build. It keeps the soil in place. The beautiful new bamboo plant Fargesia nitida hides the electrical connections for the hot tub.