I must confess that I had to enter my password twice to log on here today. This long neglected blog is looking a little sorry, but I’m hoping to pop on here a few times before the end of the year. And I’ve got a holiday / new year’s letter to write sometime this week!
Many of you follow me on Instagram, which is where I’ve posted all of the progress this fall on the garden. I’m going to select about a dozen (or two) photos to share here, and give a brief overview of what we’ve done so far, and what’s left to complete in the spring. If you want to see more of the progress photos, then jump over to IG – my account is private, but send me a request – and I’ve saved all the stories related to this project in my highlights. There are TONS of photos there (like 400+!) and lots of diagrams and explanations and more than a few jokes.
And since it’s holiday week and my to-do list stretches long in front of me, here’s the basic outline before the photos:
SO MUCH DIGGING. Digging up old drainage lines from the roof, and relocating them to avoid new retaining walls. Digging of foundations for walls. Digging of foundations for future planters. Removal of neighbors’ chain link fences, both sides. Digging of new post holes for new fence. Mountains of dirt. Mountains of rock. Mountains of paver base. Mountains and mountains of moved materials.
SETTING OF STONES. Stone arrived, stone was heavy, stone was hauled and cut and leveled and straightened in painstaking fashion for several weekends of backbreaking work. Concrete walk was bashed up enough to get stone walls in, then fully removed for later brick paver installation. Rock installed as a temporary walkway until paver work in spring.
NEW FENCE!! Installed on both sides of the yard! Regraded, and seeded the neighbor’s yard. Hauled a ton of leaf mulch and compost to provide a uniform look for the winter. Spring will bring large limestone steps, new (old) brick paver sidewalk out through the gate, new cor-ten steel planters in front of the stone wall at the front fence, some type of sitting area hardscape in the center of the garden, lots of landscaping and cleanup – and hopefully a safe world to gather in and celebrate!
Fabulous. You guys are amazing (do they teach that stuff in grad school?). Congratulations on getting things so far along you have decorated for Christmas. (Lesser human being would have said fuggedaboutit. I include myself in that category.) Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.
S
I’m not entirely sure why, but “stone arrived, stone was heavy” made me laaaugh and laugh. (To keep from crying, I guess, knowing exactly how much labor went into those beautiful walls.)
So fun to see the progress and I’m excited to watch where it goes in 2021! Sending best wishes for a peaceful close to this bewildering year.