Diary of a Gardener New additions to the Garden
Vertical structures in a garden help frame the setting. They create a room, an entrance into the unknown of what is behind the entry way. They signal this is where you enter and should not cross the threshold, this is private beyond this point. Vertical structures can be a trellis, a fence, a wall, or an arbor. Just last week my garden received a new arbor handmade by my sweet husband and I absolutely love it.
We had an arbor in its place for years, but a few years ago during Hurricane Ian, due to a large heavy vine growing on it and the 16 hours of wind, it no longer was upright. It was not laying down, but it was twisted and leaning. At the time I did not want to sacrifice the vine, so we managed to get it upright and since has been supported with duct tape and bubble gum. Not literally but it was in bad shape and starting to show signs of its demise. To make a long story short, my husband used a friend’s design and built a much sturdier, hurricane proof arbor to replace the old one. Instead of the old lattice and 2x4’s he used 4x4s and buried them two feet deep. We tested its strength by climbing on it. Perhaps, we can make it a new place to do parts of a workout? If it were not for splinters, I may.
The arbor was also moved back several feet due to a water line being in the way of the holes we needed to dig. Considering our house is old with cast iron pipes, I am glad we found the water line safely. Its placement now allows the cast iron bathtub I use as a large planter to be seen easier. It opens the space, draws your eye in and has helped make my little garden even more beautiful. There are small vines growing on it, solar twinkle lights strung and ready for summer.
This along with an addition of irrigation to my side garden makes my garden almost complete for the summer. I next want to learn how to espalier on the front of our house. As it heats up, already into the 90s in May, the heat is a concern. It is harder to keep up with watering, hence the addition of irrigation, and it is miserable being outside for prolonged periods of time. With no rain in sight and having had no rain for weeks, I am worried we are in for another drought ridden summer. I am not giving up hope for June, though. Maybe the rain gods will grace us with their presence soon, until then, I will just keep my irrigation running often. Having invested quite a bit of money in plants, the extra cost of water during the summer months is a small price to pay to protect my plant investments.
It has been a very busy few months. May was one of the busiest, but yesterday seems to have been the end of the craziness and I can now settle back into a routine. In this heat it is not safe for myself and my team nor the plants to be planting large landscapes. The small ones and those in the shade are perfectly fine, but the large ones really do need to be held off until September. I have learned so much about plants, landscape design, myself, and my capabilities this past spring. When faced with a challenge, face it head on. Move forward, keep going and keep your head up. But it is also important to rest. My body and my mind are exhausted, it is time to back off, take care of my muscles and bones and gear up for an even better season of creating outdoor oasis for everyone to enjoy.
