Dirty Fingers Muddy Knees | bainbridge island

Mid-Century Woodland Garden

by Susan | Jun 10, 2016 | LB Tutorial: Design Challenge

A beautiful house with history and modern lines, a stand of old mature fir trees, and wonderful clients, what more could a designer ask for?

This lovely home was remodeled and updated about 6 years ago. Built many years ago without permits it was a definite challenge. A sensitive contractor and clients with good design esthetics made for a gracious custom home. After the remodel the garden was kept clean and tidy but did not really have the same level of design and materials as the house did.

I was excited to be involved. Some of the challenges of the site were the same as in the house. How to keep the eclectic history of the garden with large trees and native plants while creating an entry walk worthy of the house. A bamboo fence added a little of an Asian feel, leaving it was important because of the history but we didn’t want the garden to be a Japanese style garden. I minimized it with a much more dominate walkway and plantings that draw the focus down to the entry of the house.

Before

Thinning out the Acer circinatum, native Vine Maple, was a hard sell for my clients. Getting to see the thin lines of trunks with their twists and beautiful bark, uncluttered the mid level of the garden was an important element. It becomes a lighter space, and you are able to view the entry while walking through the tall dark fir trees, and lovely light green trunks and leaves of the maples.

The walkway was created out of poured concrete that was acid washed. Subtle down lighting illuminated the area to walk on without giving too much light that would distract from the garden itself. By creating an indirect path it gives an opportunity to pause on the way down to the front door. Sometimes walkways that go down to an entry are more difficult to feel at ease on. The front cement stoop was removed and stone tiles that match the inside hallway stone were added. This creates a visual that draws the eye from the front porch through the entire house to the view out the front windows. A sense of arrival that is a real reward for walking down the pathway.

Stone on the edges of the walkway (Silver Falls Ledgestone) keep the walkway clean from higher soil levels along the path. These are also softened with a combination of two types of Baby Tears. Bright green plant foliage also lightens up the area. Japanese maples and mugo pines were on the property along with some additions from the client’s other home. Many of them were moved into new positions that made them more important. Focal points were created in different areas, with dog proof groundcovers on the edges of the pathways. A fine gravel, granite ¼ inch minus, (also called decomposed granite) gives a solid pathway that is still friendly to dog paws.

Guests are always excited to come and visit and while sorry to leave, the walkway gives a beautiful, totally different perspective on the way out.

Design ideas:

Work with what you can keep on a site. You don’t always have to take everything out and start over. Leaving some of the plants on a site give a sense of history to a garden.

Design for all the users of the garden. The first bright green grass I used (hakonechloa macra aureola) had to be replaced because the clients two dogs loved it so much they ate it. The acorus graminus, sweet flag grass, is just as lovely without the same attraction for the dogs.

Create interesting perspectives from different areas of the garden. Coming in should be different than leaving and cameos of special plants can be scattered around the garden.

Water Rant

by Susan | Aug 14, 2015 | gardening

Why blog about water. Why not? It is a precious resource that is in short supply this year. Just ask the trees and plants in our landscapes and gardens. For some reason the recent calls of ‘drought, drought, drought’ have given people an excuse to kill their plants. These are lovely plants that have been getting by for years with little or no water other than that which falls from the sky. This year our sky has dried up. The plants are still expecting a daily drink so they can continue to live. BUT well meaning people hear the word drought and, instead of making sure the very things that need it most get enough water to survive, don’t even give them a drop. Mind you in my area we do not have water restrictions, notices about lawn water or car washing. No public outcry against mindless useless waste of water. This is the first week that the City of Seattle has asked homeowners to reduce the consumption of water by 10 % as a precautionary measure.

Here is a picture of a lovely dogwood growing next to the church. It is at least 20 years old and it is dying. No water. Leaves are curling and dropping. It really doesn’t need much just about an inch a week around its drip line. The historical significance of this tree should demand its upkeep. We have many historical trees on Bainbridge Island and many are protected from development. However they too are stressed and may be dying from lack of water.

This row of rhododendrons has been planted for several years. They give off oxygen that helps the environment, they have a screening value for the house and there has been money spent on them. To replace them at this more mature size will impact the wallet more significantly than before and help to fill up the landfill. Giving these plants a small drink of water once a week will prevent the waste of these resources.

Don’t even get me started on the parking lots were the sprinklers haven’t been turned on at all and mature trees and shrubs are all dead. New commercial construction projects with re-forestation of disturbed land are also dead. Temporary irrigation heads and hose run by all the native plants but no water is on. You can drive down the road and see mature firs and maples struggling to survive. We can’t do much about the verges of the highway but we can help plants around us live.

Here are a few signs that the plants in your garden or area that you live in are in need of water.

Premature leaf drop. No Fall is not here early simply because the leaves are falling off, it is stress. Water it.
Evergreens wilting. Rhododendrons, pines, pieris and other evergreens should have leaves at a natural angle. If they are downturned they need water. Water it.
Brown tips of plants. Not enough water to get to the end of the branches. The tips die first and the plant shrinks its resources to the middle of the plant to help it survive. Water it.
Lots of cones or seed pods. This means that the tree could be stressed to the point of death. The method of preservation of the species for plants is that if they are stressed they will send out more seeds so the seeds can grow into new plants after the larger tree is dead. WATER IT!
Other plants close by are dead. This likely means that the shrub or evergreen may look ok (not great) but will not make it through the winter because the roots are unable to be full and plump with water. Fine hair roots will dry up and go away without water and even when water comes they will have to re-grow to recover. WATER IT!!!

Okay, rant over. Let’s talk about how to water wisely so we are not wasting this precious resource.

Water around the root base thoroughly at least one time a week on mature established plants. New plants (less than 2 years old) need water at least 3 times a week. You can use a soaker hose with mulch over it (mulch helps hold the water against evaporation), BUT make sure it is on long enough. The soaker hose has to be close to the plant, the water does not travel like on a sprinkler so if it is more than 1 inch away the plant will not benefit. If it is only on 1 side then only one side of the plant will have roots.

I visited a garden last week where the soaker hose ran down the center of the bed with plants at least 1 foot away and they were all dead. That was a waste of water.

Mulch with organic mulch to help retain moisture.
Put a small can or bowl out in your garden to measure water, 1 Inch per week during this hot dry summer. A cloudy day does not produce water from the sky, just clouds. Yes, it helps relieve the plant from relentless sun but water is still needed.
Use your irrigation system for less time and less often. Change the times and amount of flow to get to the 1 inch mark. If some plants struggle individually give them a little more. They will eventually become less water greedy if weaned off the water slowly.

As I was driving home today I drove by a car lot with a lot attendant hose in hand spraying a rhododendron shrub at the edge of a bed. It was completely brown, leaves folded in death, obviously beyond the help of water. Don’t waste water on plants that look like that. We still have most of August left, all of September and October to go. Often times the warm weather continues until October and sometimes the dryness continues as well. October 2014 broke all records for being the warmest and wettest on record.

OH…. Let’s talk about that. Yes the snow pack is down but last year was the 5^th wettest year on record with a crazy 48.50 inches of rain, 11 inches above normal! Seattle Public utilities held more water in the reservoirs than normal because of the lack of snow pack. I think there is still water in the hills, reservoirs are still holding water and there is still enough water for the plants and us. Let’s Use it wisely.

Boedel Garden Party 2015

by Susan | Aug 8, 2015 | Plantswoman Design

As I walked through the Bloedel Reserve Thursday night I remembered the first time I came. Fresh out of school, I worked for Junkoh Haraui at Bainbridge Gardens where I started designing. As Junkoh and I talked he said in his gruff way ‘Go to the Bloedel Reserve, you will find out what gardening on Bainbridge Island is all about’. I went.

Amazement and awe were all I could say. Pathways wandering through beautiful groves of trees, a garden where moss was celebrated not killed and the beautiful natural pond with a weeping willow and geese were only the beginning. The birch trees with white trunks standing in a sea of salal still influence my designs today. And the peaceful, more formal, long reflecting pool still makes me pause and enjoy the vision of tree branches on the water seeming to lie on the ground. Reflected light, contained by hedging on all sides, creates a tableau that is arresting in its simplicity. The site of gravel raked into a pattern at the Japanese Garden was a first for me. The restraint in plantings and the way the individual trees are set apart and brought to focus also influences my design thoughts. I have since studied Japanese Gardens and understand and enjoy it more.

As I walked last night I wondered if I enjoy it more today or then. The newness of it, and the questions I had about what I was seeing were so numerous they overwhelmed me. I probably did not see the peacefulness or feel the calmness, as I should have, I just wanted to know more. My enthusiasm and inquisitiveness is what I really remember. WHAT was that plant!

Now after 15 years on the island, numerous trips to the Bloedel gardens, and studying the unusual plants there I know most of them. Gracious gardeners that know more than me shared their knowledge and love of the garden. Now when I walk through I do enjoy the peacefulness, calmness, and memories of people like Junkoh. I realize what a great gift Bloedel is and am amazed at a family that would and did leave such a legacy for generations to enjoy. It truly has been an inspiration to me from the beginning.

Last night I joined hundreds of people in raising money to fund important on going projects at the garden. Sponsors, wineries, and local restaurants gave of their resources to entertain and encourage the attendees. Individuals gave and purchased auction items. Enjoying the garden in that setting with like-minded people was indeed special.

If you have never been to the Bloedel Reserve Gardens you should go. No reservations are required and it is worth a special trip. If you are interested in attending next years Garden Party put it on your calendar. It is usually in August and you can sign up online to receive newsletters that will keep you posted on events. Support is always welcome but going and sharing the garden with others is the original purpose of the Bloedel family.

Designer’s Challenge: Pond Planting

by Susan | Jul 24, 2015 | LB Tutorial: Design Challenge

Gardening is not a static thing but always evolving and changing. Sometimes aspects of the garden present themselves as challenges when least expected. Often planning and planting go hand in hand but situations change and the plan needs to be improved upon.

My Koi Pond is one of those.

The urgency to build the pond and get the Koi moved dictated a position out of the way of possible remodel (planning for the future). It also needed to be close to the house because the Koi are actually pets that need to be related to, fed and even touched. They would not like to be tucked into an out of way place (relational site location). They must also be protected from predators so close monitoring is also essential (practical site location).

One thing that has become important is the need for controlling the algae in the pond. The sun is intense in this open location so the water temperature is warm and the algae love the light and the warm water. There are several ways to handle the algae problem in any pond such as bacterial filters (called bead filters), UV light treatments, and chemical treatments. However, one of the easiest and most effective is shade. By shading the water the light is blocked and water is cooler thus helping to control the growth of algae. The bead filter, UV Filter and chemical treatments are in use but right now the pond is still the color of pea soup and suspended algae is obscuring the fish!

My recent visit to the new garden of Little and Lewis on Bainbridge Island confirmed that shade was probably best solution. They have a small pond with fragrant water lily and pitcher plants (get Botanical name) located in the courtyard with overhanging bamboo, Tasmanian Tree Fern and Abutilon. Crazy non – natives that required protection and a heater in the pond but that also create shade that keeps algae at bay.

The challenge now is how to create lush shade near the Koi Pond without blocking the view to the water. Granted there is a certain aesthetic that can be used in creating the necessary shade and also shaping a more focused view instead of wide-open view. The same principal is seen in tree pruning called ‘limbing up’ in which the gardener trims off lower branches so the focal point is cast between the tree trunks. This gives you a more interesting view by framing it and focusing the eye towards it.

Plantings at the end of the pond will help eventually but will take a while to grow into the actual shade needed to be effective. Here is a first photo of a Japanese maple in position towards the southeast.

This is located in front of the view so it will block some view, and provide shade from the morning sun.

I would love to hear the thoughts of other Gardeners out there. Share your ideas and insights on the Challenge. Here is a layout of the space. Let me know what you think!!

Hosta Rant

by Susan | Jul 18, 2015 | garden travel

When I get a chance I love to travel, mostly following my kids around in their life adventures. Last week found me in Michigan and I became a little crazed while walking down the street. This is not all that unusual but can be embarrassing for the grandkids. They start tugging my hand and saying ‘It’s ok Gma, let’s go back’. Both in this little town and on the streets of Boston (another kid lives there), there are hostas everywhere! At least I think they are hostas, without the holes and slime it is hard to tell. These are not plants that are loved, cherished and watched constantly. They are growing around telephone poles, in abandoned gardens, around foundations of houses that haven’t seen a gardener in many years.

When I see plant inventories from Plant Delights, Naylor Creek, and other growers with hundreds of hosta varieties I’m always amazed that Hostas are popular at all. Here in Slugville (not the baseball kind), we are hosta challenged. Our dreams of beautiful tropical spears of leaves and wonderful flowers turn into nightmares. We plant, pick slugs, coddle, pick slugs, fertilize, pick slugs, spread slug killer (organic pet and wildlife friendly, if there is such a thing really), put collars around, (slugs crawl over duh), and put gravel mulch around. There is even the beer method where you get dead slimy slugs swimming in beer to dispose of. One gardener I know takes the morning paper out of the plastic bag and picks snails and slugs for the first hour of her day, EVERY DAY. Still the hostas here look like swiss cheese. The little precious baby ones with tiny leaves disappear overnight with out a trace left to mark its passing.

Why is that! Can we trade slugs for fireflies? How about a two for one, slugs and snails for fireflies. How about developing an insect, bird, or animal that loves to eat slugs while leaving the rest of the garden alone. Or maybe a slug that tastes like blueberries so the Robins will be fooled. Here are a couple of pictures of my hosta!

You can see the slug method of cultivation. This is with the pet friendly slug killer around them. Maybe slugs are really pets in disguise. The first photo in this post is one that I inherited with the house growing in an odd place, on an island surrounded by asphalt, planted with gravel and Agaves. That one is safe for the time being. Maybe someday the slugs will find away to get to it. They are sneaky like that.

The Plantswoman

Hello and welcome! I'm Susan, owner and principal designer of Plantswoman Design. When I'm not designing for others I'm in my own garden growing and experimenting with plants. I want to inspire everyone to grow something. So, join in the conversation and then let's get outside!

Plantswoman Design, Inc.

PO Box 10505 Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

Garden Design: Vegetables

by Susan | May 22, 2015 | garden food, LB Tutorial: Design Challenge

There are times when I wonder if other designers get to design and plant vegetable gardens. I feel lucky that way! Recently I got to design and plant a veg garden for clients who only come in during the summer.Obviously without year round residents a fence is needed. Because we aren’t sure how many deer are in the area the whole of the edibles and roses are protected. The fencing is galvanized wire and is connected to 8 x 8 cedar posts, the metal work on the gate was created by the owner. They put the fencing and gate together as a weekend DIY project.The raised beds are concrete poured into forms but not packed down to give it a rustic finish. We left the with bottom of the form open for good drainage and installed landscape fabric membrane over the native soil at the bottom of the beds to keep the beach grass out. Water is able to go through the soil and into the native soil beneath.

Drip irrigation was added with spray emitters at the corners and along the edge for good coverage. This system connected to the main irrigation system but is on a separate zone. We added a frost free hydrant for extra water when needed.The first bed is the herb bed with a center cone of rosemary and a bay tree. Basil will be added later when it gets warmer.

Early spring crops were put in first with some starts of kale and broccoli added along with the seeds of the same. I used different colors of kale and chard along with several colors of lettuce to make patterns in the planting. Red leafed lettuces, Radicchio, Romaine lettuce, spinach, and arugula are all planted in rows to make a pattern.

Fun purple beans, purple sprouting broccoli and watermelon radishes add some interest and more color. One bed is dedicated to exuberant potatoes both fingerling and yukon gold. Chard is tucked in there for fall color. We dig the potatoes out in the spring removing some. Here in the Pacific Northwest potaties continue to grow all year so will get too congested if left on their own.

Two side beds hold a collection of roses for cutting. Two new ones we are trying this year are Chihuly and Anna’s Promise.

How many of you readers grow a vegetable garden along with the decorative ornamentals? Tell me what your favorite vegetables or herbs are!

Gardening With Deer: Distract, Divert, Conquer

by Susan | May 15, 2015 | LB Tutorial: Design Challenge, Plantswoman Design

Many times clients ask me to design a deer proof garden. On Bainbridge Island there are many deer. They are so rough looking that they look like much loved stuffed animals. You may have heard the old adage that there is no such thing as a deer proof garden. And that can seem true as deer will eat anything if they are hungry enough. All you can really do is plan and experiment to see what works for your area. Sometimes deer at one end of the island will eat different things than the deer at the other end. I’ve seen them leave the hosta to be eaten by slugs (maybe they don’t like slugs either) and eat tender fern and rhododendron leaves. While at other places anything that looks like a hosta is eaten to the ground.

This is a beautiful coastal garden in the Point White area of Bainbridge Island. The clients are not here in the winter but come back in the late spring to the blooms I’ve planned for them.

The paver driveway is good for the moist site and any excess water is directed down the edge drains. A combination of grasses, heathers, sedums are on raised berms to keep their feet from getting too wet.

The owners requested evergreens and good blooms, they also love hydrangea (aka deer candy). We tucked these in close to the front door so they can be enjoyed and are less likely to be eaten. One thing the deer have eaten are the blooms off the Bergenia. The leaves are fine but the blooms are gone. Who knew?

Here is my go to plant check list:

Plants with fuzzy leaves like yak hybrid rhododendrons.
Plants with strong fragrance like lavender, Sarcoccoca, and herbs
Grasses (sedges really) with edges on the leaves.

Design Tips:
Plant ‘must haves’ like hydrangeas close to the house, by a tight side yard, near a patio or screen fencing. Deer like some hydrangeas better than others. Oakleaf will be eaten as soon as there is a leaf showing while paniculatas are often left alone.

Plant Roses on trellises so they bloom above the reach of deer.

Repetition is your friend. Planting something like heather, pine, or Hebe and repeating it gives a great look with less worry about feeding it to the deer.

Put out a couple of sacrificial plants to see what the deer might be eating in your area. You will soon know what their favorite food is. You can always bring it back to the greenhouse, holding area or give it away if you can’t place it.

Plant ‘deer candy’ surrounded by other plants deer don’t like. It often distracts the deer and they will leave it alone. I have one customer that has a beautiful oak leaf hydrangea surrounded by a belt of Berberis thunbergia – Red Barberry. Roses surrounded by Lavender also works.

Get a dog. Even non-aggressive dogs will keep deer away…. I’m just kidding really. Sometimes a digging romping dog is more trouble than the deer!

Share what you do to protect your plants from deer. Maybe you have a different problem like rabbits. They can be devastating too. What are your ‘go to’ tips for dealing with uninvited wild life?

Plant Like A Designer: Bright & Hot

by Susan | May 1, 2015 | LB Tutorial: Skills, Plantswoman Design

Many of my clients have heard me say, “I don’t put it in your garden unless I’ve grown it myself.’ I am always experimenting and trying out new plants. After one Northwest Flower and Garden Show the sales rep from Encore gave me several varieties of Encore Azaleas. I tucked them into my garden and gave them a year to grow on to see how they survived a winter. Of the seven varieties I received, two did well, and five didn’t do so well. The ones that did well bloomed well, recovered from a cold winter, and looked good coming out of it. The five that didn’t do so well looked bad, they struggled through the winter and didn’t bloom. Because of this field test, I was able to add two azaleas to my pallet of plants which I still use today.

But, because of my field testing, my garden can look a little haphazard. Sometimes I will put a plant in two different areas to test drainage, hardiness, or sun/shade. Or plant three or more of the same species of plant in various colors together. Experimentation is exciting when plants that are not hardy survive, unexpected color combinations present themselves, and learning that not giving a plant everything it wants keeps it under control. Dead plants will always be a design flaw. Invasive plants are also a design flaw.

Pictured above is a newly created bed in my garden. As I contemplate the design for this bed, I’m taking a walk in my client’s shoes. The result is a design that would satisfy many of my customers. Striving for a minimal color pallet in leaf color, bloom and texture it looks and will look amazing. All the foliage in the bed is bright green and blue-gray. The flowers will be either white or lavender and blue. I dropped in three contrast plants to make the bed continue to pop in the late summer. A gray leafed Lobelia tupa with a brick red flower, and colocasia sangria, a gray leafed elephant ear with a red stem, and a low groundcover geranium ‘Hocus Pocus’ with a dark red leaf and blue flower.

Here’s how I planned this bed along with 5 useful tips for designing your garden bed.

1. Choose for height. There are higher plants in the center with graduating heights toward the edges. The far end of the bed has a taller section with an evergreen Eriobothrya japonica (Loquat) for screening from the neighbor.

2. Choose evergreen, deciduous, and perennial plants. I want to be sure that the bed looks good year-round. This bed is right in front of the window that looks towards the koi pond. So I made sure to strike a balance between all the elements so there are no big blank spots that would show up in the winter or summer because of dormancy.

3. Choosing color and texture. I pay close attention to the play of texture and color in leaves. The balance of texture between the Carex ‘Evergold’ and Stachys Bella Grigio’s blooms is just as exciting as the contrast in leaf color. The spikes of Agapanthus ‘Blue Leap’ between Lavender ‘Richard Gray’ and Spirea ‘White Gold’ are also an exciting combination.

4. Bloom time. Surprising enough, the last thing that gets consideration from me is the flowers. Because there are so many great plants to choose from, it is easy to get the flower color right. Early blooms from the geranium and the campanula ‘Dickensens Gold’ will be the first to show here. The Agapanthus, Lavender, and Centaurea simplicicaulis will be next. Later season blooms will be Caryopteris ‘Dark Knight’, Salvia elegans ‘Gold’ and the Lobelia Tupa.

5. Site considerations (AKA where is the sun). Usually, this is pretty easy to define. Sometimes you can add something that likes shelter behind something more prominent. The Lobelia tupa wants to have shelter, so I planted the Pittisprorum ‘Blue Wave’ between the water and the lobelia. This arrangement should protect the lobelia from the brunt of the weather.

Variations in the number of plants are flexible and entirely up to the designer. Repetition of plants creates rhythm and looks natural because, in nature, plants do seed around and create groups.

Plant List for Hot and Bright!

Lobelia Tupa, Caryopteris ‘Dark Knight’, Agapanthus ‘Blue Leap’, Spirea ‘White Gold’, Geranium ‘Hocus Pocus’, Campanula ‘Dickenson Gold’, Carex ‘Evergold’, Colcasia ‘Sangria’, Lavender Richard Gray, Centaurea simplicicaulis, Salvia elegans ‘Gold’, Pervoskia atripicifolia, Stachys ‘Bella Grigio’, Saxifraga crustata, Salvia nemerosa ‘Blue Marvel’, Panicum ‘Ruby Ribbions’.

Progress Yes Progress!

by Susan | Apr 3, 2015 | LB Tutorial: Design Challenge

I often tell my clients when we meet that I come in and make a big mess before I put it back together again. That has to happen at my house too. Last week I pulled up all the metal pieces that I had for the vegetable garden.

before: when I first moved in | after: metal edged garden

I removed grass (little bites at a time right?) and moved soil into beds. You can see the new chicken coop in the background. It is still a work in progress too (watch for a feature on the chicken coop soon).

Spring is early this year and I’m looking forward to getting the vegetable garden planted. Several of my friends have looked at it and commented on the size. Yes it is a lot of dirt for just one person. BUT I have a method to my madness. There are several community service opportunities in planting vegetable gardens for the homeless and food bank participants.

One such program is ‘Plant a Row for the Hungry’ by the Garden Writer’s Association of America. They encourage gardeners to not simply give away their excess but actually plant a row specifically for that reason. A great local resource is the Solid Ground website www.solid-ground.org. This web site has information about Seattle’s Giving Garden Network, P-Patch programs and Lettuce Link. In 2014 these community gardens donated 55,198 pounds of fruits and vegetables. We can all do our part too.

click here to read

For right now the soil is ready. I have to add some borders around the edges to keep the grass out and contain the soil and gravel. I will add gravel pathways for now and eventually put in pavers. The long beds will be the main vegetable beds. A shorter bed to the east will have the gogi berries from last year (click on the picture to read that post) along with rhubarb, blue berries, and raspberries.

The corner has been planted with two espalier cherry trees and have three different types of cherries on the same tree. My vision is to weave the branches together and graft (called pleaching) them into a living fence in the corner.

click here to read

Pleaching is a simple type of grafting. Weaving and shaping branches in this way is an ancient practice farmers have been doing for centuries. By carefully interweaving plants, clever (and patient) gardeners have made gorgeous, functional, long-lasting structures out of trees and vines.

Grafting is easier than you think! It requires a sharp knife and some grafting tape or electrical tape. Creating a willow tent for kids play area will be a fun project that I will try first. Using something that is easily grafted like willow or red twig dogwood is the best for a first project. Fortunately I have many willows on the property so using them is easy.

The other side has two espalier pear trees in a row. One more is needed to satisfy my design brain. An old gate will go into the area between the row and the Chicken coop.

One of the biggest challenges is the soil on the bank between the greenhouse and the vegetable garden. It is very yucky clay soil and very wet. I had thought to put herbs there but because herbs mostly like dry soil that will not work. It would be a great place for Asparagus but the soil is not great so I’m not sure they would be happy there. A small wall could be created and the soil filled back in, so many choices. This is one of those times when leaving it alone is a good idea. Creating a pathway and a ramp will be necessary for travel back and forth. Working on a problem in design can be frustrating unless you take your time to think the problem through. Not doing anything until you come up with the exact right idea is better than doing the wrong thing a couple of times. I will admit sometimes I’m impatient and just want it finished and that usually gets me in trouble.

I’ll keep you posted on my projects as they progress. What projects are you working on this spring? Are you going to try pleaching with me?