*_Late Autumn 2012_*

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This pictorial record is for reference next spring with regard to the placement of certain features and plants.
Now that the leaves have fallen the topography is easier to assess. Each winter the ground fills with frost and it moves the ground level up and down. All buildings, fences or bridges must have footings which go down to the max frost level to ensure that they don’t move about! Here, that means 4 ft, and any fence posts must be anchored with concrete in holes of the same depth. Have decided that the foot bridge will be free standing, but will still have to dig and construct concrete footings.
Have removed and re-situated many large rocks this summer and my knees, shoulders and back will attest to the foolishness of attempting to move boulders…except that I’ve found a few methods which are mostly effortless. The inclined plane…and the lever and fulcrum…both been around since before the pyramids and the singular benefit of an expensive round mouth shovel is my addition to make the inertia work for me. (the inertia of the rock…not the human kind of inertia..lol) If I had been less inert this summer I would have much greater progress to report!.

Beds, bridge and watergate.

First snow…

Obelisk, greenhouse and colour
the top of the obelisk is just visible here, still on the deck awaiting my decision as to what and where!…and the rainbow footbridge is placed, but requires footings.

Bridge and Beds

From out the dead…the living came…young golden birch growing from mouldering log

Dill seed

All the plants have gone to seed…the beauty of the plants continue thro winter…some seedheads are beautiful in dried winter arrangements…but for the most part, I find they are most beautiful when dusted with snow. The Sensitive ferns and Osmunda have all died down and exposed the mosses that have enjoyed their shade for the summer. The fallen leaves (mostly oak and maple) cover the hillside in gold, orange and red…which becomes a reddish brown carpet. Morning on the meadow

Earlier today when I was taking my photos the sun broke thro and the mist was lifting…the tree shadows broke the light into shafts and it was magic. Our temps after being very very cold have moderated and overnight and tomorrow are supposed to be our last blessing of summer…then the winter blast will sweep in and hold all in it’s mantle of frost and snow. It is confusing for the small animals and birds…we’ve had winter…then summer …then winter again. Who says there’s no such thing as climate change?
Yarrow

Southern Exposure

Looks Wiggy…Moss on Stump

Stream bed seedheads

Milkweed seed(Asclepias)

Mossy rocks …morning sun

New Beds & Watergate

Asters and Cattails..awaiting the snow

• (soon to be) rockery, stream and the road*
  

Asters gone to seed

evergreen ferns

Tall Spruce, stream and sensitive ferns

Seeds of water sorel

Tall grasses near the stream by the road

New Life…small spruce seedling, barely two inches tall

Have taken pictures of the sun’s angle at this time of the year…and noted where the frost pockets are…that will be important when I plan the plantings. Have put in some bulbs (hope the squirrels don’t find them) of tulips, narcissus, galanthus, and crocus. Planning on starting some foxglove seed next spring for the southern exposure…under the maples. Will be interesting to see if I can use this record.
What a learning experience this relocation has been..before I had a front and a back garden …now I have the equivalent of 10 such spaces! Oh what was I thinking?

• 11 Nov, 2012
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