Ravenscar...that's a name for my oldest readers. My 70'x 30' suburban backyard converted into an oasis, my Fortress of Solitude...when Miniwether and Mambowether aren't running through it like screaming aborigines. It's been a long time since I wrote about it so I thought I'd give you a tour.
Flashback: 1999
I honestly don't remember Ravenscar looking like this. Let's see it now...
West side entrance.
Edibles: canna lilies, dollarweed, spiderwort, and goldenrod.
West side of patio.
Edibles: Ein Shemer apple tree, kumquat tree, elderberries, and a rain barrel.
East side of patio.
Herb spiral currently seeded with assorted winter salad greens.
Southeast side of patio.
Edible: yuca, wood sorrel, lavender, Mexican marigold, oregano, rosemary, sage.
Boxes were made from fence blown down in hurricane Ike.
South side of patio.
Edibles: lemon grass, sage, yuca, assorted mints and onions in grow buckets.
Composters along fence.
West side of yard.
Edibles: fig tree.
Looking southwest.
Edibles: loquat, elaeagnus, wild onions, orange tree.
South.
Mary among wild native peppers and turk's caps, under ligustrums.
To the southeast.
Our firepit. It hasn't been used in a long time due to the drought.
Edibles: yaupon holly (tes), elaeagnus, turk's cap, American beautyberry.
On the east side.
Edibles: apple tree, elaeagnus bushes, assorted beets, carrots, and kohlrabi planted last week. The carrots and beets have just sprouted.
East side looking south.
Another view of my beet patch. The yuca will be moved to the barren hill in the spring.
South side of house.
Edibles: muscadine grapes and black nightshade.
Standing on the east side looking west towards the labyrinth.
Edibles: Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, mandarin orange and Mexican lime trees.
Looking east into the labyrinth.
Edibles: asparagus, horseradish, amaranth, purslane, day lilies, Jerusalem artichokes, salsify, purple cow peas, hot peppers, prickly lettuce, wild violets, clover, pony's foot, heal's all.
East side of patio.
Edibles: lotus tub, prickly pear, birdhouse gourd, apple mint hyacinth bean, lemongrass,
Lotus tub.
I need to replace the Rubbermaid bin with a real pond container.
So that's what my sanctuary looks like. It's a good place to be when I need a break from trying to keep oil and gas flowing out of the ground, teaching wild edibles, developing a IRT hiking adventure game, being the technical expert for an upcoming apocalyptic graphic novel, blogging, working on the new mobile wild edibles website, doing interviews, raising Mini & Mambo, taking care of Misseswether, and all the normal day-to-day stuff of living in America.
Yeah, I still don't sleep much...
Adventure! Excitement! Plants!
MerriTwitter
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Ravenscar Revisited
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6 comments:
Seems like grass is such a waste of space. Your yard looks beautiful, you must be very pleased with it.
I foresee visiting your home and you left wondering "Where'd he go?" and then me emerging in a wild animal pelt saying "HOW LONG WAS I IN THERE?!"
Izzy, considering the number of wild animals that the yard attracts, your vision is quite possible. There's a possum back there that's really getting on my nerves.
"being the technical expert for an upcoming apocalyptic graphic novel"
WHY is this the first time I'm hearing about this?! Who is the writer/illustrator/publisher? You can trust me!
I'm so pleased to have happened upon your blog. I'm getting ready to stock up on peanut butter, thanks to you. And who knew that canna lilies are edible?? (Well, you, of course. But I'm glad to finally be in-the-know.) I'm currently contemplating your edible plants class at the arboretum...
Thanks for offering inspiration to the rest of us in the form of your backyard tour!
Archie would be proud of what you have done in the backyard. I remember it as a barren lawn, and before that a barren lot, sans house. It is truly a beautiful work of art, you should be proud.
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