Garden: I Built a Bench etc.

One of the final, unrealized elements of my three-year-old backyard transformation was the construction of a bench to disguise a crawlspace hatch cover that intrudes into the patio area.  A couple of weeks ago, I tackled and completed this final chore.  In my first set of backyard plans, I'd sketched an outdoor kitchen or rolling bar-be-que trolley to serve this need.  But the hatch cover is located directly beneath the bathroom window and, smokiness issues aside, I decided that it might be distressing to use the bathroom in close proximity to the grill and nearly face-to-face with the cook.  You think?!  Anyway, I pfutzed around with several versions of the plan, most of which included a built-in trellis and stowage for a large pot in which to grow a vine to adorn the trellis, before I finally decided that simplest is best and opted to build a simple, moveable bench supplemented with hanging metal trellis panels to obscure the bathroom window.  Here's the final product:

The finished bench. Kindly ignore the obnoxious cushions--that's what you get when you shop at Target, end of season.

And this is what it was like before--not a very fair comparison as this photo was taken a long time ago--before the big patio remodel.  But, what can I say?  I was pretty good at avoiding documentation of a feature I disliked.

Bathroom window and the offending crawlspace hatch cover.

A similar picture, taken today, for comparison. (Yes, I left my hose out.)

The bench is sized to slip over the hatch cover.  The front of the bench is skirted to hide the hatch while the back is open.  The bench is easily removed for access to the crawlspace.  Dimensions of the bench were largely dependent upon those of the hatch, but I'm glad to report that the bench is both comfortable and functional.  Most of the bench (the understructure and the seating surfaces) is made with 2X6 lumber while the skirting is made of 1X4's.  Using the 2X6's for the back supports consumed a little unwanted depth and allowed me to angle the back of the bench.

To disguise the bathroom window and to provide a layer of privacy between the bathroom and the adjacent patio, I bought a couple of 2 X 5 foot Gridwall panels and hung them over the bathroom window.  In a perfect world, I guess, the left-hand edge of the bench would align with the edge of the panel, but I felt that the bench would be too massive if I made it long enough to achieve that and I value the open space near the faucet.  So I decided to celebrate functionality by choosing the most pared-down design.  

To finish up, I drilled holes in some small terra-cotta pots, planted them with trailing plants, and hung them from the Gridwall with S-hooks.  I hope that as the plants mature they will further obscure the views in and out of the bathroom.  Even now, though, I think they contribute a sense of privacy to the bathroom window.

And that's one more project scratched from the to-do list.  Go me!

In the Kitchen: Cold Soup for a Hot Day

It seems like everyone around the US is suffering in the same sweltering conditions.  Aarrgh--it is just  TOO HOT.  And humid.  And gross.  And that makes it a great time to plan some quick, no-cooking dinners.  I can't believe that I waited so long to dust off this recipe.  It's piquant, savory, delicious, quick to prepare, and above all COLD.

This recipe was "discovered" by my dad in a dated, 1970's, heart-healthy cookbook.  It's a truly great recipe saddled with an unholy name:  "California Sunshine Soup".  Don't let the name dissuade you...or the ingredient list--there's some weird stuff in there--this recipe has made converts of nearly everyone who has grudgingly sampled it.  It is gazpacho-esque with tofu (yes, I said tofu) and veggies floating in a broth that tastes kind of like french dressing.

California Sunshine Soup

1 quart Clamato Juice
1/2 cup Cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/4 pound pre-cooked Cocktail Shrimp (I use about 36 count size)
1/2 cup Tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I use firm tofu)
1 small Avocado, cubed
1/3 cup Onion, diced
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 large clove Garlic, minced fine
1/3 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce

Mix all and let mellow in the refrigerator overnight (or for at LEAST 4-5 hours).

Notes:  I usually double the recipe so I can use a whole cucumber, a whole package of tofu, a whole small onion  etc.  I also add 1 or 2 ribs of celery, sliced crosswise into 1/8 inch slices.

I'd thought that this recipe was totally unique until I attended a pot-luck and another guest brought a bowl of her recipe--"Shrimp Bisque"--which was very similar except that the tofu was replaced by cream cheese.  Although this recipe failed to dethrone California Sunshine Soup for a place in my "Daily Rotation" recipe binder, it's also very tasty.  Try one--try both--see which recipe you prefer.

Shrimp Bisque

2 pints Clamato Juice
8 oz. small fresh Shrimp
1/2 cup Cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup Green Onion, sliced
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 dashes Tabasco Sauce
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Dill
1 Avocado, chopped
3 ounces Cream Cheese

Combine all ingredients except avocado and cream cheese.  Chill to blend flavors.  Chop avocado and cream cheese into small squares and add to the bisque 1-2 hours before serving.  Serves 8.

Garden: Fruit!

Well, some fruit now and the PROMISE of more later.  I am not an edibles gardener. I do not like nurturing plants.  But it is my goal to include in the garden anything and everything that will enrich its sensory appeal.  Our garden is SMALL.  Every part of it needs to work and needs to engage us somehow.  To this end, I've accumulated rather a lot of fruiting plants:

My favorite of all might be the "Issai" hardy kiwi.  This is a smaller vine--smaller than the typical, fuzzy kiwis, anyway.  It is said to grow to about 8-12 feet tall and wide.  It is self-fertile and bears when young.  And it does, too!  I planted this vine less than two years ago (I think), and last year it bore about 8-10 fruits.  This year it bloomed copiously and looks to be loaded with developing fruits.  I am super excited about it!  Last year's fruits were so tasty--really rich and sweet with honeyed, perfume-y taste.  They were, hands down, the best, most flavorful, and tastiest garden fruit I've ever sampled.  

Incipient hardy kiwi fruits.

We also have ripening raspberries.  These are from BrazelBerries "Raspberry Shortcake".   This variety was new in the nurseries last year and quickly came under fire from fellow gardeners for being heavily marketed and rather expensive.  But they really are different from other raspberries, and they are rather special.  Most notably, they are a dwarf variety-- they sucker heavily but do not make canes, making them ideal for pots and for growing in smaller gardens or on patios.   My plant seems to want to be about 2 feet tall and wide.  They are also completely thornless.  The plants are self fertile and the berries have good flavor.  We also have a "Fall Gold" raspberry which is my son's favorite (although I think it does not taste as good as does the BrazelBerry).

BrazelBerries "Raspberry Shortcake".

We have two varieties of grapes:  Himrod and Interlaken.  Their primary use is as screening on the fence between our house and our neighbor's, but fruit is a welcome bonus, right?  Himrod was planted first and, this year, will be allowed to ripen a few bunches of grapes.  Interlaken seems to be a more vigorous vine, but was just planted last year so I have to remove all of the fruit in order to direct the plant's energy into growing a strong framework.  I   just learned from Monty Don (Gardeners' World) that I should remove the fruit for up to six years (!) to strengthen the vine.  That seems excessive, in my opinion.  I want fruit.  Now.  At least a little bit of fruit. My plan has been to shape the plant's trunk during the first year, to select and develop arms during the second year, and then to allow the plant to set a few bunches of fruit the following year.   Every year after that, I'll prune down the previous year's growth to two buds and let the vine produce a bunch of grapes on each new shoot.   That means no fruit for the first two years (and I might be starting with a two-year old plant from the nursery) then very limited fruit set the next year.  So, if I think about it that way, I'd only be allowing moderate fruit set in the fifth year.  Maybe Monty was not so far off the mark after all...

Baby grapes (I hope) on "Himrod".

There's a single, lonely blueberry planted adjacent to the grapes.  I know that berry set would be improved if I had additional bushes, but the other two plants got some sort of blight and I removed them.  I have hesitated to replant in the same area, but may do so next year.  Even with just the one plant, berry-set is abundant.  We only graze on the fruit for the novelty of doing so--generating a big harvest is unnecessary.  The fruit from one bush might be enough for us.

Blueberry--I think it's "Top Hat", a very low, dwarf variety that bears heavily.

Strawberries creep around underneath the shrubs throughout the raised bed.  The berry-set this year has been incredible and I have no idea why.  The berries are a huge favorite with my son and his friends and also with the birds and bugs and whatnot.  We also have the little Fraises des bois (Alpine Strawberries) which are, I think, much tastier.  Those are self seeding rampantly throughout the gravel of the patio area.  Do they come true from seed?  Anyone know?

Too  many berries!

And, last but not least, we have apples on the columnar apple trees--yes, those goofy, over-tall things really do set fruit.  These two (located in the front garden) are "North Pole" variety.  The one in the back garden is "Golden Sentinel".  North Pole has set sparingly during previous years, but is just loaded with fruit this year.  Golden Sentinel fruited abundantly as a new, baby plant last year and has set fruit heavily again this year.  Overall, I get the sense that Golden Sentinel will be a more vigorous grower.  

Apples on the "North Pole" columnar apple.

And that's the wrap on the fruit that's growing in my garden.  Apples, kiwis, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries--not a bad selection for someone who "doesn't grow edibles".  The columnar apples are a show-stopper (not exactly for the right reason) but we enjoy all of the fruiting plants--observing the blooms, watching the activity of the pollinators, anticipating the fruit as it ripens, and, finally, grazing on ripe, sun-warmed fruit picked right from the plant. Yum.

Garden Visit: Head's-Up, Peter!

Today, I stopped by "That Place on 85th" to snap some photos to share with my friend Peter who blogs at The Outlaw Gardener.  For some reason, I think he'd like this shop.

Metal flowers abound!

The real name of the store is Home & Garden Art LLC, but I bet that more people know it as "Hey...yeah, I know that place!"  It's located on NW 85th Street in Seattle--not far from Swanson's Nursery.

Eighty-fifth is a pretty busy street--a major cross-town arterial--but you're not going to bypass this shop without noticing it:  The flock of ten foot tall reclaimed metal chickens will see to that.  And the chicken welcoming committee is just the beginning.  This shop is so crammed full of fun, color, and whimsy that a visit would put a smile on the face of even the grumpiest customer.

Lotsa chickens...

Tell me that you can't find a place in your garden for a metal chicken... 

...or a flying pig...or a dog...or a goat...or a really festive bottle tree...

But I don't want to give the impression that it was all whimsical, animal-themed items.  No--they've got all kinds of stuff.  There was a lot of typography (both decorative, painted metal signs and the three-dimentional letters and phrases that we've all seen somewhere)...and an assortment of furniture...

...and LOTS of gates and arbors and trellises...

Metal trellises representing a variety of more traditional themes. Aren't those bird stakes kind of sweet?

More trellises and gates.  There was a lot to choose from--these two pictures
represent only about half of the available styles.

...rain chains...

...and hardware...

...and concrete statuary...and decorative tiles...and art glass garden stakes...and there were also some clean-lined and modern metal pieces, although those were definitely in the minority.  They buy some items and make others so, if you can't find exactly what you're looking for, you could probably talk them into making or modifying a piece so that it is just right.  

And if you didn't find what you were looking for, maybe you should just buy a mariachi band's worth of metal frogs.  (They are, seriously, better than the real thing.  I mean, have you ever seen those poor taxidermy frog musicians that you can buy in Tijuana?!  Trust me...if your taste runs to mariachi frogs, just get the metal ones.  They've got them here!)  

Frog mariachi band.

My apologies for the cell phone snaps--initially, I'd only planned to take reference photos, but the experience proved to be too much fun to not share!

Garden: Sign of the Times

The shade sail is UP!

Front entry with shade sail and lawn renovation project.

The sail is not super-visible from this angle, as it shades the small patio behind the fence.  (See it in the reflection?)  It helps to keep the house cool by shading our big windows from the morning sun, but it also helps to keep window glare from burning the vine maple.*

Happy sunny day, people!

*That reminds me--I should buy some anti-dessicant for use on the same tree.  Poor thing, it needs all the help it can get.  I'd no idea the sun glare would be so vicious.