Saturday, January 19, 2008

Metal Arch Arbor

We do have one metal arch arbor in our garden (this is the last of 'em). It is over the gate to our neighbors house right behind us. We have known these neighbors for years and when we put the fence in their daughter was young enough that she traded rides with the neighbor on the other side of us so the girls passed through here. Their daily treks during the school year are over since they have grown and moved away but we are still neighborly with these people.
This is part of the path from our side to their there side. It isn't much of a view. That shed is temporary (?) storage. I look at it positively in that it hides their deck from our view and vise versa. It affords us some privacy. From their side you can see this metal arch arbor is showing its age. It wasn't an expensive one. I got it at a Big Lots store. They usually have all sorts of cheap garden accessories.

This is the view the neighbors get when they happen to come over for a beverage and some jammin. A good time is had by all. The path the girls took sort of veers to the left onto mulch and to go into the rest of the garden you veer right. It is quite apparent when you are here. To the right, just beyond the stone and the end of what I call the blackberry patch,is where I am making the new flower bed. The blackberry patch has become smaller and smaller over the years. We still have enough blackberries to make too much jelly for us and friends so that is ok. We have tried raspberries here too. They don't seem to grow very well. I wonder why?? I thought that raspberries might need the same requirements as blackberries. They must need something they don't get in this location. Hmmm Does anyone else grow raspberries? Can you give me any hints as to what they might need that they aren't getting here? It may be as simple as not enough sun. I know blackberries don't need as much sun as other fruits. Y'all have a nice weekend. Stay warm while dreamin' of all those juicy fruits.

12 comments:

  1. Your yard looks so inviting and magical Lisa. I am in awe of what you have accomplished! I'll be right over in the spring for a refreshing glass of something. ;c)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hmmm. I would like to grow raspberries, the seedless and thornless kind if there is such a thing. Full sun makes sense. We have so many wild blackberries here in TN, they will grow anywhere and are a thorny weed.But the birds seem to appreciate them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jayne you would be most welcome to pop in for a refreshing glass of your choice to drink.

    Frances, our blackberries are what they call tame. No thorns. However the raspberries have more thorns than berries. My DB likes raspberries. We haven't harvested enough to do anything with yet.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Magical, indeed! Arbors and gates and such bring something special and idyllic to a garden. I wish I had something like this.

    I would llllloooooooove to grow rasberries, and we're supposed to have an optimum climate for them, but my garden is just too small for thorny canes. Sigh. We have blueberries instead.

    Your blackberries have no thorns? I must say I think that subject deserves its own blog post! :) How do you grow them? Is it a thicket, or something well-managed? Where did you acquire these thornless blackberries?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow Lisa what a view into your garden. Thorn less blackberries, my kids would be all over them when ripe.

    I would love to grow blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. I think the growers have made a variety of blueberries to grow in our neck of the woods.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lisa, most of what I have growing are native, including wild raspberries that are spreading into places I don't want them! My dogs don't need thorns... LOL!

    Your gardens made me green with envy.

    ReplyDelete
  7. CHuck b, I guess you could say our blackberries are well managed. They are allowed to wander up and down a certain area. If they start putting canes out into the path they are cut out, moved into the bed, given away or composted.

    Gee, these blackberries were being grown by my DB before I moved here 13 years ago. I am sure you could purchase them from some company that sells berries. Too bad you don't live close to us. We could give you some starts. We have given them to many people. Our friends have a huge stand of them. Their grandchildren love to pick them. They used to bring their grands to our house but then decided they wanted them in their own garden. Good for children, birds and other critters.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Curtis I could probably grow blueberries. There are two blueberry farms not far from us. I usually just go to the closest one to pick what we need. I don't have much sun to work with in my garden.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The view into your yard looks ever so inviting.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a beautiful back yard you have! And guess what? We have that same arbor, also purchased at Big Lots. Mom got it for me for my birthday two years ago. Ours has roses instead of grapes for the decoration, but everything else looks the same.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Marvin, thank you. You and your wife are welcome any time. Bring pottery. ;) A, did I mention I just love pottery?? tee hee..

    Kylee, all I can say is "great minds". :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi again, Lisa :-)

    The view into your back garden really does look inviting. All your vertical planting also helps create a space that you really want to walk through too :-D

    Raspberries I have never grown but I do see them by the field full here in my part of Scotland. They are in open sites that will catch the sun but I doubt we would get the temps here that you will get in your garden :-)

    ReplyDelete

New Blogger, Old Blogger

     All I can say it is difficult to deal with change. This new Blogger format is not as user friendly in my opinion. I guess I will get us...