You’d think from reading this blog I enjoy destroying things! OK – well – maybe I do. But it’s for a good cause. And it’s so we can create something new.
This instalment of ‘destroying part of the house to create something new’ focuses on the archway over the front path. Since before I moved into this house it has had some not-very-productive jasmine growing up one side (how is it we can possibly have jasmine that’s not insanely aggressive?) and once had a disease-ridden unattractive rose growing up the other side. A year or two ago we replaced the icky rose for a great smelling red rose, but we’ve decided to replace the pathetic jasmine with white and scarlet runner beans! Pretty AND edible.
The problem is this arch isn’t in a good way. It’s looked a bit drunk for years:
26 September 2008
Its lean now looks like alcoholism has progressed enough that it has some serious psoriasis of the liver. We’ve asked that when the FiMBarista extraordinaire comes to build the pergola for the chinese gooseberries he also whack the arch into shape. Or upright at least. But I thought it would be a good idea to get most of the dead vegetation that had grown around and through the arch off. The rose was quite old. Because birds were nesting, when we got rid of the rose we didn’t get rid of the thick, ropey branches that had grown around the arch’s wires. But the birds don’t use that nest any more, and it was time to get rid of it all.
So here it is in all its naked glory; before and after photos both side on and from the front steps:
It looked really strange to see the arch naked when we left this morning for work. But I’m sure we’ll love seeing it with beans growing over it!