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SCHOOLHOUSE RENOVATION
Our previous property was hilly and shady with clay soil and an abundance of limestone rock. This new property is considerably different; flat with all-day full sun and slag rock just under the soil. Open level farmland, it had been donated in the 1800's for a community school by the larger farm next door. The slag we encounter every time we turn the soil is a reflection of the iron industry which originally developed this area in the mid-1700's. The gardens and green spaces we've included here are ALL very much works in progress.
KITCHEN GARDEN
The property came with a sweet but run-down chicken coop that Ward rehabbed and covered in board and batten siding with a fresh coat of paint. The picket garden fence was reclaimed from a previous neighbor who was throwing it out. There have been successes and failures but the (organic) kitchen garden has yielded hundreds of pounds of produce and flowers year-round since 2015.
ORCHARD + MEADOW
We started by planting six fruit trees: apples, pears, peaches and cherries (didn't survive). A meadow was eventually added to support local wildlife and insects. Our neighbors across the street were inspired to do the same!
THE BERM GARDEN
We put the berm in to provide privacy and to break up the open layout of the side yard. Height was created with about 3 cubic yards of dirt delivered. We planted a mixture of native evergreens, grasses, bulbs and a Crabapple tree.
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