Water Garden Update

The stream at Sweetside is essentially all built but alas, it is loosing water from some nook or cranny -- so it is still shut off while I try to trouble shoot in my "spare" time. I hope to get back to figuring it out this weekend. We inaugurated it and had it flowing fabulously on the evening of July 21, 2007 -- now known as Stream Day at Sweetside. Little George even dipped his toes in and Aaron made martini's to celebrate! Ben put in a new front door for us that day as well.

A visitor... and MORE Progress on the Stream

YIKES!!! Four tons of 3" stone is a LOT of stone!


I have spent another 20+ hours on building the stream since my last post.

Below is what it looks like at the end of today. The bio-filter at the top is set except for the large stones that will surround and envelop it. The rocks all along the stream are pretty much in place with essentially no black liner visible, The pond, at the bottom of the stream, is the last piece to be done. I have the liner now but it needs a final digging and clearing out and then I can line it and set all the rocks in place. When all that is done we can set up the pump and christen it. Then I can plant some of the bog and water garden plants. Maybe it will call for champagne??

Today while I was out there working on it a woman came by and asked to come into the garden and take a look. I gladly welcomed her. Turns out she is the co-chair of the Amherst Garden Tours (which benefit the Amherst History Museum) and she invited me to be on the Tour for 2008. Wow! I am willing to do it... but... oh my... will the entire yard and gardens be ready for that? Maybe it will help spur me on??? I am only one year into this new house and yard, tho. I have so any things started and so many things planned. I'll have to see where things are at by late Fall, when they need an answer for the June 2008 Tour.


Here the stream is from the top....
(you will get a better sense of the progress if you compare this picture to the first one in the previous post)
















... and from the bottom
( compared to last picture in previous post)

















...and the pond at the base, yet to be done.

Progress on the Stream!

I have been making some progress on my 30' stream bed and pond. There are 7 little waterfalls along the stream bed and each one is a work of art .... a rock sculpture of sorts. It is taking me a lot longer than I expected. Hiding the black liner and making it look as natural as possible is taking a lot of trial and error not to mention many TONS of rocks (literally!!). I am building my muscle power.

Innisfree is Wonderfabulucious!!

Jess and I are still adventuring... this weekend we went to Innisfree in Millbrook NY. We were there 10 years ago and have always wanted to go again, so we wound our way there through scenic western, Massachusetts, the southern Berkshires and down the Taconic Parkway. Is was everything we remembered and more. Only pictures can give you the sense of the place and then only in the most limited way.It is a a glacial pond, huge natural rock outcroppings and a landscape magnificently enhanced by the human hand over many years. There are dozens of water features, many trails to journey down, huge expansive lawns to walk around, bridges to cross various wet lands, stone stair cases to climb, and many wonderful contemplative spots to sit and soak in the views.

Sweetside Pump Has Arrived

My water feature for the Sweetside Garden is one step closer to reality. This week the pump I ordered arrived. It is a Tsurumi, which takes half as much power as similar pumps and has a great reputation. Last week I had gone up to Chapley Gardens in Deerfield and brought home the bio-filter. Now to purchase the "rubber" liner and pad and get busy!! WooHoo!

Todd Farm Flea Market

This past Sunday I found myself and daughter Jess out in Topsfield, MA at the Todd Farm Flea Market. Wow! It was great. We had so much fun looking for deals and steals and found quite a few. One such deal was this retrofitted chair.
I know it doesn't look like much in the picture but this is a chair from the 19th century. Walter, the older gentleman who for almost 3 decades kept the Todd Farm Barn open 24/7, got to telling me a story about a barn in Boxford that he cleaned out 37 years ago. He described an old chair that the farmer had retrofitted to be his milking g stool for many years. Walter, who is in a wheel chair these days, had let Jess get out the old wooden ladder and climb into the loft to rescue the base of an old trestle table for a project of hers. That accomplished, she rummaged around the loft and found the milking chair he was describing. If for no other reason than the sentimental story behind it, I wrangled a deal and brought home the milking stool.
I will be cleaning it up and sliding it under my coffee table for a non-milking stool. I also brought home a silver plate ladle and a copper oil can which I will use for one art project or another. We gathered many small finials and other metal pieces for future assemblage projects and a host of other small items too long to list.

Hartford = Elizabeth Park & Mark Twain House

Today we took a trip to Hartford, CT. Now for many people the response to that comment would be -- WHY?? Hartford is not the best known city in New England for it's touristy sites but it has some things well worth visiting. Today we took in 2 of those: Elizabeth Park and the Mark Twain House & Museum. Both were spectacular!!



Elizabeth Park has many beautiful gardens but it's splendid rose garden is at its peak right now and with thousands of plants, some over 100 years old -- and, well -- it is quite a sight to see. And the tour guide was wonderful! This weekend is the Rose Festival there and I highly recommend it, if you live anywhere nearby.








The Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) House in Hartford, pictured below, is also amazing The architecture, interior details, hand painted walls and ceilings by Tiffany's and the amazingly detailed restoration of the property over the past 20 years is absolutely incredible. The museum building, built 3 years ago also has a lot to offer. Harriet Beecher Stowe's house and museum is next door but we had to save that for anther day.



Dinner-time found us in West Hartford at a little spot there called Arugula, that we discovered a few years ago. Tonight we sampled the flatbreads (thin, thin, crispy pizzas) -- Baird trying the duck one and me the scallop one. Fantastic!!!