Sorry for the delay in getting pictures of Day Two up. We spent most of yesterday lazing around recovering, or rainboot shopping for the girls. Do you know there is not a single decent pair of size 2 rainboots to be had in this town? Josie's peeved. Off to the catalog we go.
Here are Karen and Leonard, the people who made all this happen:
Karen put the call out for help for me, and Leonard answered it. I will be forever grateful to them both. Isn't Leonard adorable? He is. I also have to thank Gail. I don't have a picture of her, but she was here through the entire process and my family's great thanks goes to her.
Here is Spencer with his trellis:
Spencer is a crazy boy, also adorable, who was out there building that trellis until 12:30 am the night before. Grapes will be on that trellis. Or something. Maybe squash or cucumber vines. Or all of the above. We haven't figured out yet what's going up the trellis. Talk to Leonard. But ain't it purty?
Speaking of adorable boys, here is JJ in the pond, and our friend Tom helping him:
They emptied it, mucked it out, found the holes that had been draining out water, patched them, fixed the fountain pump, and got it all running again.
Everyone had fun making seed balls:
Inside these balls are seeds for all kinds of flowers, herbs and edibles. Scatter the balls into spots where the world could use some green--empty lots for instance--and voila! instant wild garden with no further input from anyone else. Karen made me a big one shaped like a goddess figure--she's holding it in the top picture--but it broke! I'm going to let the pieces dry out the rest of the way and then scatter them in the front by the kiosk.
At the end of Day Two the group had finished about half of what we've set out to do in the yard.
--The swingset has been taken down, the old garden beds taken out, and five new "guild" style plantings are now in that area, anchored by two apple trees, a nectarine, a pie cherry and a fig. Underneath them are gooseberries and currants. Underneath THEM are medicinal and culinary herbs including "fraises des bois," the little wild strawberries that do well in dappled shade. I have yet to get a good picture of one of these plantings but I'll keep trying.
--A grape has been planted to grow into the laurel hedge.
--The pond is cleaned out, patched and working again. This spring we'll restock it with fish and tadpoles.
--The front of the property has been planted with forest/shade plants like salal and oxalis, and mulched.
--The new swingset is taking shape. As soon as it stops raining later this week John will start that up again, and if the weekend weather cooperates he'll have it finished then.
--The rose and iris beds have been cleaned out and the irises, overcrowded and unhappy little rhizomes that they were, have been divided. You can now get into the gazebo from all four sides.
Still to come:
--Annual garden beds sized so we can put the chicken tractor over them.
--Herb spiral plantings.
--Cane berries and kiwis on the back fence and shed.
--Guild plantings in the western half of the garden, including paw paw trees. Pickin up paw paws, put em in your pocket...
When the rest is going to happen I don't know, but I think it's soon.
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