Saturday, April 10, 2010

Terracing work finished and ready for planting

Date: October 2009. When my husband began work on two more additions to the single terraced growing space in the back garden, I didn't imagine what a fine job it would turn out to be. If you look at the fence in the background that separates our property from the neighbor's, you get an idea what kind of angle we had to work with. Early on in the beginning stage of setting up this lot, there wasn't much by the way of flat areas to grow things in, save for the very bottom. Now that I've got these, it's makes me one happy gardener. We're going to set up the netting for hail protection and hope for the best. I'm sticking with tomatoes, zucchini, beans, peas, pumpkins, melons and corn this year. Just enough to keep me busy, especially if we get a bumper crop of tomatoes and I actually get to do some canning this time around!

Two more additions to the front yard: forsythia to add some color in early spring and aubrieta for the rock wall.

Today's high: 20°C / 68°F

12 comments:

KennyT said...

Rowena darling, u never know how much i want a garden!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you finally have a decent garden spot! You guys did a great job! I'm happy for you Rowena! I have a feeling every summer you'll add on another terrace, then another, then another....!! :)
Stellina

K and S said...

that is a steep incline, good job MotH!

Sue Swift said...

The terracing looks great - look forward to seeing things growing there.
I have tried and tried to keep aubretia alive here, and have given up. You may have more luck, being higher than us. Hope so - let me know.

Rowena said...

Kenny - but what about your tomato-growing experiment?! I hope you use those seeds that you bought!

Stellina - it took 3 years to get it to the point that it is now (we moved into our place in 2005), so it's a huge relief to finally have accomplished the brunt of the work. Odd thing is that we wouldn't be opposed to selling this place and moving again if the opportunity presented itself!

Kat - MotH says mahalo!

Sue - it was 20° out when we planted, and then the next day it dropped to 8°!!! Wretched fickle weather. But still, the aubretia looks like it's very happy to be here in the mountains.

natural selection said...

Spectacular! I have a friend with a very old and quite large forsythia row it is enormous! beautiful garden save me some tomatoes!

Rowena said...

natural selection - I hope the forsythia will "take" and not get scared and wimp out during the cold alpine winters. I'm still trying to convince the small lemon tree that it's okay to go outside, but something tells me that it prefers to stay indoors a little while longer.

MAYBELLINE said...

Wow! Pow! Wonderful color.
What is the young tree to the side of your terrace?

Rowena said...

That would be...a japanese nashi pear. I'm surprised it came back after this last winter. Hoping it won't get nailed by hailstorms this year.

Fern Driscoll said...

Gorgeous terracing - complimenti to MotH. Envy you your forsythia - it doesn't really 'do' here on the coast. Our Nashi struggled for about 5 years and finally quit last year; have replaced with a pomegranite! Fingies crossed you get no hail.

Rowena said...

Fern - we are determined to beat the hail this year so that leaves only strong winds and excessive rainstorms to live through. I sure hope we get to visit your neck of the woods this year!

Anonymous said...

Good dispatch and this post helped me alot in my college assignement. Thanks you as your information.