SC - winter thoughts

[Richard Kappler II]

So, here I sits, Yaller Dawg by my side, bourbon within reach, just a
thinkin'.  Turkey day is past, the Happy Wanderer is well and fully beached
for the winter <sigh> and, though I dearly love winter, my thoughts are
already turning to spring.  The Wonderdawg and I have decided (with Stoopid
Cat's tentative concurrence) that there is just too much grass at Puck's
Glen.  I mean lawn grass, before all you left coasters get too excited.
It's ecologically unsound, a pain in the butt to mow and just plain ugly.
So the Yaller Dawg and I are beginning to plan our garden.  I'm trying to
find a reasonably priced copy of _The Medieval Garden_ or a similarly titled
book that I've seen before, but in the interim, what do the lists suggest?

I have a few definite requirements already:
Wine grapes in the front yard, as well as an herbal Celtic knot.  Still
leaves a butt-ton of room in the front yahd.
There is an area running through the back yahd which becomes a minor stream
when it rains.  I'm figuring some fruit trees through there.
I'd like to do hops on the back fence, but it is under shade.  Does anyone
know if hops will do well in the shade?  If not, what other recommendations
for fence loving/covering plants, preferably either food producers for my
larder or flower producers for my lady.
Yes, I know they're not period, but there will be tomatoes, potatoes and
peppers, get over it.
Plenty of herbs.
Do olive trees do well in the north (I think not, but anybody know for
sure?)?
Must leave a little room for the beehives.
I hafta put a pond in so I can be absofriggenlutley sure Ras catches a fish
next time he visits ;-).

Additional winter thoughts - 'tis the time of year, what does everybody have
brewing?  I currently have a Markham strong ale, sweet cider, sweet mead in
the carboys.  I'm getting ready to do a Stout and some wine, then I think
its back to my pursuit of the perfect Scottish Heavy.

regards, Puck

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