The Sun Worshipper Trellis

I call this trellis 'The Sun Worshipper' because it looks like a figure who is looking up to the sky with her arms raised as if to say "Please sun god, make this garden thrive, pleeeeeeeeeease".

This trellis is made with much thinner branches than the flower wreath trellis. I wired each intersections instead of using screws.

Once my basic grid was done, I cut the top centre branches to fit in a wreath for the head.

To hide the shiny wire at the intersections, I used garden twine and I added a few more branches on each side of the wreath for the arms. (In this shot, the shadows are creating this abstract, cyclops version of Munch's 'The Scream')

I then planted two stakes in the ground to affix the trellis in place. My snow peas will have plenty to grab onto. I imagine that at some point, my sun worshipper will be sporting a full-length green gown with little white flowers - if the sun god answers her prayers.

Enough with the backyard. Now for some enbellishment at the front.

Fiesta petunias for the hanging baskets...

...and the urn.

A little voice with a French accent keeps nagging me to get back to my windows.

Crested Garden

My herb and vegetable garden took the shape of a crest or an emblem so I decided to sketch one up using the lion featured on the wall paper of the library. Sun, foliage, flowers, birds and ribbon completes the composition - I should make a flag out of this.

Finished carving. The stripes of grass left are the width of the lawn mower, I think they help to keep moisture in the ground and provide good areas to step on when collecting my "bounty".

Now for planting: Heirloom tomatos, cucumbers, multi-coloured carrots, snow peas, sage, flat leaf parsley, rosemary, lavender, chive and garlic. I added Marigolds to repel bugs and to add some colour.

This year, I did not make the mistake of planting too close together, and finished with a good layer of mulch. Now to keep my beasts out of that area.

I made a trellis for the snow peas, which I will show you in my next post.

Fourth Anniversary

No special celebration went on at the DV except for a lot of backbreaking yard work. If I'm not in my studio, I'm outside. I have to admit that I've been procrastinating when it comes to repairing the last of my windows. As I expected, my enthusiasm faded due to the repetition and tediousness of that type of work. At least it's the least damaged side. I should start on them soon.

Here are things with which I've been quite happy breaking my back: planting two crabapple trees in the garden boxes that Brian built for me last year. I gave up on growing vegetables in there - it became too crowded too quickly, so I relocated the boxes along the fence. 

Once they are more mature and fuller things should be very pretty. I'll plant some flowers at the base of the trees as well.

I started carving out the grass for my vegetable garden. What is supposed to be 'Italian Renaissance' is turning out to be 'English Heraldic'.

I redid the stone pathway leading to the lower part of the side yard. I'll be planting some elfin thyme between the stones so it will look something along these lines:

I don't believe in lawns that look like golf greens. I like a healthy diversity and my many toads would agree.

I have wild strawberries, clover, buttercups, tiny white and mauve flowers, what look like tiny pansies, and much more stuff growing amongst the blades of grass, but I'm at war with dandelions.

Like zombies, they keep living for quite a while after the've been plucked out and can still seed after they're long dead.

Tub full 'o zombies.

I planted a lilac which will flower abundantly soon. Yes it will.

Casualties: two of my six Junipers are in rough shape. These were the only two that had burlap protection for winter as opposed to mesh. But it was such a mild winter that I don't think the trees went totally dormant and these two lacked sunlight. One might bounce back, but I doubt if the other will.

Another casualty was my magnolia. All the blooms froze after that warm spell we had. Death of the blooms, but not of the tree, thank goodness. Below are shots taken of my magnolia in springs past.

So here we are... spring 2012.

 Our fourth anniversary as owners and custodians of the Dusty Victorian.

Note my Chaz-Bear in the doorway, the ever-vigilant guardsman of the Dusty Victorian.