The Garden Arch

The Garden Arch

Since this is our first post, you all are unfortunately starting in the middle of our most recent project (sorry). Allow me to bring you up to speed. Sam and I decided that we wanted to build a raised bed garden in out back yard (well, side yard really). December and January, when we weren’t making Christmas presents for our family, we built eight cedar raised garden beds. I will one day have another post about that project, but for now it will suffice for me to tell you that we needed to build a garden fence. Our property is visited by deer almost daily, and we found a den of rabbits (we think…if not, I wonder what’s living in the recently dug animal den in the ground) just a hundred feet or so from the garden edge.  We dream big, Sam and I, and so after finally eliminating a bunch of fence designs because of the price, we decided to settle on a cedar picket fence. Only, we didn’t like the cedar pickets available at Lowes (and/or Home Depot), so we decided that we would hand make a picket fence. Lofty goal? Well, let’s just say that happens a lot for us.

Fast forward to this past weekend, and we have most of the garden fence finished! We just have the back section to make and install, as well as a side gate and the main entrance. We decided to tackle the main entrance.

I reeaallly wanted an arched top, but I was willing to settle for a different design because I didn’t think Sam could make it. Little did I know...

Here he is cutting out the stencil. Once finished, he was able to use it to cut four attached pieces into an arch!

Then, while I took a break to do some school work, he made one of the sides.

We didn’t get it all attached until Sunday, but I think it turned out really well! I can't wait to get the garden gate in. It is going to look AMAZING! Oh! And if you're wondering how we are going to effectively keep the deer out (the pickets are a bit short...), we plan on putting a few tall posts up with an electric fence. 

It was cold and dreary today in Georgia, so while Sam finished installing the main entrance, I stayed indoors cooking and cleaning up a bit. I made a breakfast casserole for us to eat for breakfast this week, bread, apple sauce, and dinner. (Bread, applesauce and ketchup pictured below). 

  

Well, I was trying to make meatloaf when I discovered that I was out of ketchup (gasp!! Meatloaf without ketchup? Blasphemy, I know). I turned to google and was able to find a recipe for ketchup that only took me five minutes to put together. It turned out a little too sweet for me, but the recipe did say for it to sit overnight. Maybe it’ll be better tomorrow. Either way, the meatloaf was delicious!!