A work in progress
# backyard gardening, # saved seed, #hula hoop, #toddlers in
the garden, # zinnias, #outdoorplayspaces, #garden murals
Our sloping backyard is
a work in progress.
Matt's been building
raised beds one tier at a time, out of concrete block. His thriftiness demands
a cheap material while my creative soul craves beauty. Our collaboration's are
always a work in progress...being married to Matt has taught me more about PROCESS
and PATIENCE than I ever dreamed possible. Last fall, I started doodling
on the first of the walls. This year, as soon as the weather cooperates, we
will get back to painting again. It's a great way to de-stress and have fun
together. I collect "oops" paint and buy clearance paint
brushes to have plenty on hand. Our visitors have contributed too. Here's a few pic's
of last year's doodles....It's all peace, love and lobsters here!
Tier 4 of our raised garden bed project is finished and the bare concrete needs a coat of paint.
A new circle garden, surrounding an ugly stump, just needs a few adjustments to the pavers. The paver's were left over from Matt's brother's projects, further proof of Matt's thriftiness and recycling efforts.
We are working on
building up the soil in these spaces now. Since It's important to us to know
where the soil comes from, it's a bucket at a time from our farm, mixed with
Pipe Creek sand, Chubby's perfect manure and our home compost. This area gets
full sun, so I am thinking of planting zinnia's in this space from my saved
seed. We have zinnia's in every color of the rainbow!
To take advantage of the
property's downward slope, our vision for the area includes a natural
play space for our Grandson. In my research for possibilities, I found this
article that set me dreaming of what could be back there:
Of course, rolling
things downhill will have to be included....PVC pipe and cars or balls?
Maybe a running water tube to float boats in?
This dreary weather is
keeping us from painting but we are planning for more beauty and fun. In the
meantime, we are practicing our hula hooping and I have to say that my grandson
has natural talent! Practice makes perfect, right?
The potato
box likes it's new location in a sunnier spot and we will add another row of siding and more dirt
this week. That way the roots keep going down, adding to our production.
The irises are gorgeous along the stone wall....they are mixed with fennell and
lemon balm to create a unique ground cover. The drain for the driveway runs
through this bed, so having a strong ground cover keeps our soil from washing
away! I found this out the hard way last year when the carrots went for a
ride down the hill....
These Irises are special
because they came from Matt's Clifton rowhouse garden. Even in his
bachelorhood, he appreciated flowers. Irises transplant well and love to be
divided in the fall. My Mom still has bulbs that bloom that were my
Grandmother Rosie's. I have plans to score some for transplanting when I
get back to Maine this summer. Oh Maine, how I miss our daily swims!
Thankfully, there's always plenty to do here at Pipe Creek Farm......What are you working on at your place? Please share with us!
