A new grape arbor, and "doing time in wattleworld"!

UPDATE~SUMMER, 2012
~Here I am in 18thc. clothing enjoying our finished period gardens~See more HERE

I confess that I have the blues a little. We worked all weekend on our yard projects, and despite the fact that these were not easy jobs, and that between the 2 fenced gardens now we have hand-cut over 300 saplings and built our fences using no power tools, we had fun together, and the sense of accomplishment is awfully nice. The problem is the weather. I got a bit spoiled with the week of warmth last month, and now it has been chill, grey, and windy.
When spring comes to New Hampshire, things can green up and pop seemingly overnight, but right now the grass is patchy and brown and completely cheerless looking. Ugh. Everyone's property looks, well, nasty---just grim, and on a cloudy day it looks worse. Every bald spot in the yard and winter-damaged, peeled-paint spot on the house stands out, and you feel like you live in Dogpatch, USA.
All weekend we worked outside in the raw cold light, bundled up in heavy sweats and hats and fingerless gloves. I don't mind hard work as much on a sunny day...
On a happier note, I simply am busting-my-buttons-proud over the job we did on both of our wattle fences, and the new concord grape arbor. Over Easter weekend, we built a wonderfully rustic grape arbor of our own design, and the serendipitous fortunes of natural materials up in our woods. We also enclosed the small grape/strawberry patch garden in a wattle fence as well. For never having really done one like these before we are pleased and amazed.  We also got a little more of the rock wall built out in front, but I'll save those photos until we are finished.
Late Easter afternoon we came in filthy, exhausted, and chilled but happy. We cleaned up, built a fire in the bedroom fireplace, and toasted our job well done with some homemade rum shrub. We then ate our fantastic and welcome dinner by the fire while watching 'Babe'~

Building the fence around the strawberry garden~

This is the charming 'latch' that Adam made for the wattle gate at the herb garden~

I am really looking forward to sharing pictures of both of our gardens with the new fences after things green up a bit---Here is sneak peek at a few later photos below. Everyone where Adam works asked what they all did over the weekend; Adam jokingly said he was "doing time in wattleworld"!

Spring~

UPDATE, SUMMER 2012~
You can see all the photos of the finished wattle fences and other yard projects HERE
...and HERE~