17 April 2012

A garden out of dead trees

Today I started an outside project: a garden out of dead trees, my son called it (to which The Reluctant Farmer said, “Well, that kind at least guarantees success…”).

It is,  of course, not a garden of dead trees. It is a garden *fence* made of dead trees. I will have to do some major repairs to the fence around the main garden that I did last year with poplar branches, but I haven’t gotten to that yet. Today I put in a few stakes below the front window and made a very low fence to contain a raised bed. The stakes provide upright supports for a few smaller branches (and some leftover stems of something that might have been sunflowers, I’m not sure, I found a pile of useful stuff beside the garden but it’s no longer recongizable). The small branches get woven in and out of the upright supports, making a bit of a fence – just enough to hold back the pile of dirt that will go inside.

I got one load of dirt in, but that was enough work for me for one day.

Now it’s time to knit: I’m working on the shawl for the Mary Maxim design competition – I should have something to show you tomorrow.

3 comments:

  1. I have been collecting branches to do something similar around my gardens! :)

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  2. Did you ever see the fence made this way on 104th Ave in the Glenora area? I always thought it was wonderful. And every year they added more dead trees. Gave them a sound break as well as a lovely natural privacy fence.

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  3. I have seen it! Theirs is stunning, unlike mine which look rather ... straggly. However, I'm hopeful that maybe with a bit of practice I can improve. :)

    Jen - the branches are easiest to work with if they are cut green, 'cause then they still bend. Old dead ones are still useful, but you'll probably want at least a few fresh ones for the tricky parts!

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