accidental feng shui

We finished the trellises just as the last light faded from the clear spring sky. We were inspired to make the slats more architecturally interesting by placing them off-kilter from one another - and the better to go fully half-ass in the measuring department. By the time we hammered in the last crossing slat, we had our system down, but a few proved frustrating as the slats would move off level as soon as we would begin hammering. A few bitchy words were exchanged, but most in jest and with no lasting damage. We got on marvelously and in record time and I sitting back now with a drink in hand, I think the results are amazing. And no one notices when you go whole-hog anyhow.

Our neighbor wandered over as we labored this afternoon, curious as to what all the pounding was about. She expressed her approval enthusiastically and I shrugged it off in typical fashion, stating that our chosen placement of the main front-and-center trellis "is hardly feng shui." She informed me that actually placing something grand and dominant directly in front of one's front door is indeed compatible with the tenets of feng shui: it keeps the chi from escaping and running amok. She added, "the toilet's the same way -you don't want to have your toilet in full view of the living areas of the home -all that good chi just gets flushed down the toilet. I’m thinking of moving my toilet." I was happy to hear that we were accidentally in accord with core principles of the universe with respect to our landscape design, but our toilet is another matter and shall have to wait for another meditation.

With the feng shui trellises now completed, we need only find a tasty table grape cultivar and put it into the ground before the season heads into full swing. We finished off the winding slate path well after nightfall, and now looking around we are already dreaming of other architectural features that will make the garden both more practical and beautiful.

Oh -and as for the drawing I posted this morning? -I have already changed my mind. A new garden plan drawing will follow...along with photos of the new installation….