I hope everyone who celebrates their gratitude for a bountiful harvest had a wonderful Thanksgiving 😉! My head cold took a serious turn into fever town for a few days. Wednesday, cranberry lemon tart with gingersnap crust. I look cheerful in my turkey glasses, but I had to remake the d*!n tart 3 times to get it right. Nonetheless, we pulled together and managed to get a delicious feast on the table.
Thankfully there were 4 other pies that went together smoothly. Sophia was in charge of apple placement, which she did with precision and speed - much to Ivan's dismay.
On to the most important news... the RISE OF THE LATH HOUSE! Ivan, Sophia and I spent a few Black Friday hours at Home Depot gathering supplies. Ivan got right down to business, planning and building the roof structure. His plan turned out fabulously! Much better than anything I could've dreamed up.
I did a quick black spray paint of the hardware prior.
Beams/support.
Double sided braces to hold up the polycarb roofing. These will pitch 1' so the entrance is a bit higher than the back of the house.
It was quite cold, but Ivan worked into the night.
My knit beanie got lost in the shuffle. I got into the family wig bin and made do.
He bolted in the beams, they look so nice. *The cross beams are not attached to the other side yet, so they aren't even - just placed up there for now.
Sunday I began putting up the lath strips, a much easier job than the roof. Also it was nice and warm, so I am definitely on the easier side of this job. The lath slats aren't exactly straight, I used a 1" spacer and just hoped for the best.
I ran out of lath pieces (so close!). I'm off to get a few more as well as some stain/sealant. So far so good, and I'm pretty jazzed about this whole project. Ivan is going to come back in a week or two to finish the roof, add polycarb as well. After the structure is done, we will figure out exactly how to put up polycarb panels on the outside of the lath walls for Dec-Jan-Feb. Also, how to figure out enclosing the front - probably just frost fabric curtain this year. In the spring I will plant the area, which is incredibly exciting. Also seating?!
James begin attaching (under mount) the top panels for plants, or to set a drink.
How are you with your December plans? I am so behind on everything this year. My house needs a good clean and then decorating. And what I really want to do is spend my days outside.
*Forgive my construction terms, if you can call them that - not my forte!
Looks good, but a lath house amuses me because my dad was a grower who pronounced th's as f's. I used to think it was a speech impediment, but now I think it was part of the English dialect that he inherited from his parents even though he was born in Canada.
ReplyDeleteVery good work there--looks great. Will be a fine addition to your beautiful garden.
ReplyDeleteDecember plans? Gardening will continue. Everything else is optional.
OMG, the wig for warmth is priceless! I love what Ivan did with the roof and seeing it all come together is fantastic. What fun!
ReplyDelete