Rach's bday gift: Label maker

This lovely gem is a contorted mulberry bush. More importantly, this photo showcases a stainless steel tag made from my new label maker. I've started to replace all of the plastic info tags that accompany plants with Latin labels made by this gizmo. Thanks, Justin!

The other side of the path: South side of house

Here you can see the silverberries, strawberries and seaberries. Yum!

South side of house looking east

Our "berry lane." 4 varieties of Blueberries along with golden raspberries, 3 types of seaberries, a silverberry, numerous strawberries, a goumi tree and a dwarf contorted jujube all grow along this path. Hidden from view: our Obama Sign. Novick is getting all of the play on this blog.

Kiwi trellis takes shape

Looking west along the south side of the house. The kiwi trellis will support our Issai kiwis - kiwi "berries" that are hardy in our variable winters. We have four plants, three female and one male. The trellis is made from Ipe, the same material we used for our decking. We'll lay 4"x4" beams across the top and below that more of the stainless steel cabling (the same stuff we used on the deck.) You can see one of the kiwi vines growing behind the front post.

Soaker hoses

These hoses require muscle to master; they want to twist and turn and go their own way. Once mastered they do, however, make watering significantly easier. Far less H2O is lost to evaporation as it is delivered directly to the roots. Blueberries, seen here with golden raspberries and peas, require copious amounts of water. For more on blueberry growth and management, visit our lovely friend Clair and Beverly Klock at Klock Farm.

Front of house looking NW, May '08

Notice our "Steve Novick for Senator" Sign. He is amazing. He is also the first 4'11", hook-armed, left of left candidate to run a viable senatorial campaign. In front of the sign: 6 of our 10+ heirloom tomato varieties.

Front of house, May '08

In the last 1 month we have: Built a bioswale/dry creek bed used to to capture the rain from the downspouts, cleared and planted a parking strip including pavers, placed a gravel sidewalk (previously we lacked any formal walkway), finished 3/4 of the stainless steel deck railings, significantly trimmed the very large birch tree, removed the lilac hedge from atop the rock wall, planted and irrigated (using soaker hoses) the newly cleared areas, started our veggie gardens in front and back, prepared the water troughs for bamboo, partially built the kiwi trellis and removed the brick path beside the rock wall. Our plan: To take July and August completely off. We'll see.....

Water troughs - temporary bamboo containers, eventual raised beds

Last May our neighbors to the North cut down the laurel hedge separating our driveway from their yard, leaving our backyard and whole N. side very exposed. We weren't sure when they were going to begin their remodel, and didn't want to build a fence until their updates were complete. We purchased these water troughs to plant bamboo in as a way of insuring summertime privacy. Rachael T. is providing the (very invasive) bamboo, while our favorite wood salvage yard supplied the wood with which we built the platforms. The locking casters on the platforms will enable us to move the the troughs around. We will eventually build a fence there, return the bamboo to Rach and use the troughs as raised beds for veggies.

The back yard fills in, part two

Looking NW from the deck. The soaker hoses are subtle, but a huge help in this nearly 90 degree May weather.

The back yard begins to fill in

Looking SW from the deck, complete with installed, though not tightened, stainless steel rails. This shot gives you a general idea of the layout of the back yard. Notice the tall post on the left side of the photo: The kiwi berry trellis begins to take shape!