This January marks the fourth year that we have been building the garden on the cliff next to our place .
When we started , the incline was covered in thick berry vines and dotted with scrub tree . It was not potential to climb in the country without a matchet , so the first body of work was all about cutting narrow pathways and establishing handholds that allow us to climb up up and across the area .
The next task was outlining the canonical planting area , and this was done with rock pack up and lots of sticks stuck in the ground to outline the bed .
The first photo , from street point , show the garden after two twelvemonth of oeuvre . I ’ve always regretted that I never took a photograph of the hill before the garden employment started , but take my word for it , it was a jungle .
Clearing all those vines and slue out the roots of the bush Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree has been deadening and bloody study . I ’ve wear out out about fifteen pairs of leather gloves every year , so this labor has consumed approximately one hundred and twenty duo of gloves to particular date , as well as a dozen or more brok en hand instrument like hatchets , adage , shovel and pick .
Although the substructure work has dominated the projection so far , this has always been a workings garden , and from the first time of year we have been love a reasonable vegetable harvesting .
The fix is fair cheery , and we ’ve been able to grow a spate of tomato , squashes , peppers and bonce , even when the bed were only two or three square feet in sizing .
Each year , as the planting area has expatiate , the harvests have produce larger and the seasonal crop more adventurous . give of 2010 will see relatively encompassing planting , and that play make all the hard homework body of work seem worthwhile .
The second photograph exhibit the garden this winter after four years of work . I ’ll allow in that I ’m still not too well-chosen with the way the garden looks , but it is obvious that we are making progress .
All those walls made with concrete and bottleful have expanded the possible planting sphere considerably and these days one can stroll around in the garden quite easily because the whole internet of stairs and footpath is more or less complete .
There are several dainty features , such as the manure heated coldframe that makes growing seedling much easier and the greenhouse geographical zone that can give several hundred potted plants . There is also a nice garden sink on the top story with a boastful teak garden tabular array and a waterproof storage cabinet for tools .
Although we ’re making quite a lot of progress with the infrastructure , unfortunately the site still take care like a messy twist geographical zone . The next stage of work will be focused on specific beautification projects and cleanse up the visibly messy area .
They do n’t really show yet , but there are a bunch of new fruit trees planted on the slope , and when these grow large they will help cushion the hard look of the terrace walls . We also have a lot of perennials implant in the corners and nook where crop ca n’t be grow , so in a few more long time these collections should maturate into attractive planting .
I count on another two days before the garden evolves into something really beautiful , but I think we ’re on the right track .
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