We made some progress in the garden this year, mostly on the construction of the fence to keep deer out (it’s done!) But we still have lots of things to do, spaces to fill, and junk to clean up and remove. We picked the rest of the tomatoes and tomatillos and removed the plants, so we now have about 4 raised beds to prep for the winter. J wants to grow hops next year, so we picked a place that would get lots of sun and have lots of space for growth. The spot we picked works two-fold; as the hops grow up the supports they will provide shade to the hammock and the balcony above. The hammock was a super exciting purchase for us, but it was soooo hot this summer that any time I sat in it I felt like I was going to burn to a crisp. Using plants to provide shade would be excellent.

J screwed loops into the edge of the roof and the edge of the planter below the balcony, and we strung yellow (because we love yellow accents against the black house) rope through them to provide something for the hops to grow up.

The effect is really great. I love the colour and the pattern, and when the hops are growing up towards the roof it’s going to look even better! So stoked.

Next step is to get a big load of soil to fill our empty planters, and some bark mulch to cover the pathways. We are pretty excited to prep the garden over the winter and then load it up with plants next spring!!