notes and musings from a perennial gardener
How-to
A single-door gate is fairly straightforward, but with a double-door gate, there is a bit more to it. Installing either style correctly is very doable if you know basic carpentry, have someone willing to lend a hand, and access to the right tools. A few tips help, too. Take the time to do it right the first time. You’ll end up with an attractive, serviceable gate that lasts for years.
Even if you have no interest in this project now, it pays to know how to install a level gate on uneven ground.
Lily-of-the-Nile, African Lily, Agapanthus— it’s a lovely tropical plant whatever you call it. The flowers resemble a cross between an allium and an amaryllis. In fact, it is a member of the Amaryllis genus. Until just recently, no agapanthus cultivar was reliably hardy in the ground below zone 7. This is starting to change, with cultivars bred for colder regions starting to come to market.
Still, if you want to grow this plant reliably in zone 6, a pot or planter is the best way to do it. Luckily agapanthus adapts readily to pots.
Our favorite garden accessory is our hypertufa birdbath. I always wanted a vessel with a wide shallow basin instead of the two-piece pottery ones you see for sale everywhere. Regular birdbaths served us well enough, but after a succession of broken and cracked tops, we wanted a better solution.
My friend showed me her hypertufa birdbath and I was sold. She was even kind enough to lend me her mold, a snow saucer! I’m indebted to her for sharing her creativity with me, and now I’m passing her secret along to you.