| We marked the site with bamboo stakes and
located the edges of the cedar columns before digging. Doorways were always parallel. |
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| We made the holes two feet deep, measuring with
a tape and making sure that the edge of the post fit against the far edge of the hole.
Tamping the posts and filling with small rocks keeps the posts stable. |
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| Cross pieces between the doorways provide a
trellis for each of the Canadice grapes. Holes for the grape vines were filled with peat
and horse manure, watered and mixed with existing soil. |
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| We cut cross pieces for the top of the arbor
from the lengths of cedar posts. We then nailed them to the posts on the sides and
reinforced with another course of cross pieces with a number perpendicular to the original
ones. The vines will cover the top to provide a comfortable shade within a year. |
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| Here, the grape arbor is taking shape. Note the
top cross pieces. |
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| A detail of cedar diagonals which reinforce and
decorate the rough doorways. |
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| Inside of the graper arbor is lined with plastic
and filled with bark. Benches are made from an old tamarack which died from insect damage.
These were cut into six inch slabs with a chainsaw. They are resting on stumps from the
huge tree branches. |
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| Because there is practically no sap left in the
tamarack, the surface isn't sticky. |
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| Gardens are prepared with horse manure, peat,
clay soil and amendments such as lime. Within the first two weeks of planting, from potted
plants, the grape arbor and the gardens already look comfortable in the site. |
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