Saturday, October 9, 2010

Land Scraping

A momentous day for the garden to be is soon approaching. The wild along the driveway and up to the electric pole was whacked in anticipation of the electric and phone lines being trenched underground to the cozy cabin. At the same time the driveway will be re-smoothed and re-graveled and the lower garden access road will also get a coating of gravel. Finish grading close to the cabin will also be done to help direct water to the opposite side of the driveway.



All this land scraping and infrastructure work marks the completion of the last impediments to free rein in the garden to be. I will be able to garden and plant anywhere I want once this work is done. The temporary power line will remain until I get the certificate of occupancy, but I think that can removed without any damage.

I so look forward to defining a bed on the driveway side of the cabin. Right now I am leaning towards a very zen sedge lawn groundcover with a nice upright form specimen Japanese Maple and perhaps a few other plants/objects of interest.



After all that land clearing, the glass block wall was tended to. All the spacer tabs were removed. The mortar joints got a good scraping. The bar code stickers were scraped off and a good dry then wet scrubbing revealed a nice shiny and sturdy glass block wall. It is now ready for the finish mortar in the joints and to get all dirty again.



Next spring for sure more time will be available for the garden to be. By next fall the monoculture of New England Aster that laps at the feet of the cozy cabin will be a fond memory replaced with diversity, some structure and just a hint of the wild.



In the not so distant future I will be able to be consumed by garden chores instead of construction chores.

6 comments:

Lola said...

Good for you. It is coming together. Once the electric & phone are buried & connected it's should be a go. A couch to sleep on, heat, soon to be BR, just need a way to cook. It's getting close Christopher. I'm so proud for you.
It sure looks different since the whacking. But next yr. it will be different. But pretty as ever.
Take care my friend.

Anonymous said...

Wow, that last photo of the cozy cabin is a stunner! So glad you painted the support piers (or whatever you call them) red! I so look forward to watching you garden! (:

bev

Christopher C. NC said...

It is coming together Lola, but I don't want to pretend it will be done in a month like the building contractor thinks. It will be done this winter I feel pretty sure.

Bev there will be a bit more of the Molera Vaquero Red added, the main girder, the opposite side columns and girder and a touch of accent on the porch railing when that gets painted. I look forward to being in the garden to be as well. I know I will still have assistant gardener duties next door, more so as time passes. A real garden is still a decade in the making.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

How exciting. I can't wait to watch it evolve into your cozy cultured creation.

Joyce said...

So glad things are moving forward..I love your cabin and all you've done here. What a real treat to be in the woods in the quiet. The Glass wall is awesome, I love those things. A Zen garden is a great idea. Low maintance also :)

Anonymous said...

I love your home there in Clyde and am so happy to see it on your beautiful property. Brings back memories of my trip there a couple of years ago. Give your parents my best regards. God bless. Ginger