Issac Ludwig Mill

We took a drive this week to view the Isaac Ludwig Mill. It is a working water-powered saw and gristmill. While there you might want to take a mule-drawn canal boat ride,  spend time at the Providence Dam, or shop in Grand Rapids, OH.

Lori at Providence Dam

The Miami and Erie Canal can be seen in this photo we took at Providence Park. This beautiful area is known as the  Towpath Trail and is part of the Buckeye Trail. The trail follows the Miami and Erie Canal along the old towpath where mules at one time towed flat-bottom boats on the canal. 

The trail connects Providence, Bend View, and Farnsworth Metroparks and is filled with basswood, buckeye, cottonwood, sycamore, and walnut trees. The canal features canal lock 44, the only original functioning lock in the state of Ohio. 

My husband is standing in the partially enclosed 2 story stone Providence Dam Shelterhouse ( WPA shelter house constructed in 1941). This picnic shelter overlooks the historic Providence Dam.

If you are in the area, you will want to stop in the village of Grand Rapids, OH, and check out some of their shops. 

We enjoy antiquing here and they have beautiful art shops and bookstores too. They also have some excellent places to dine. Here I stopped at 

Library House Books and Art.

I wanted to post an update to tell you that one shop we have been frequenting is A Drop Of Honey and we've switched from Blueberry Honey to Blackberry Honey. In addition to honey, they offer beeswax, candles, handmade clothing, housewares, jewelry, and more.

Exiting the bookstore, I spotted this striking floral arrangement of black petunias and pink geraniums. It rests on this brick pathway/ The path is a favorite of ours as it leads back to the stone path along the canal.

If you follow the stone path to the end it stops at the Providence Dam. The dam was built in 1838, rebuilt in 1908, and renovated in 1996. It is a great spot to watch the American Bald Eagle soar.

Grand Rapids, Ohio Town Hall

The Complete Kitchen Garden: The Art of Designing and Planting an Edible Garden Hardcover – October 1, 1996

Patrick Bowe (Author)

Cynthia Woodyard (Photographer)

Hardcover: 208 pages

Publisher: Macmillan General Reference; First Edition edition (October 1, 1996)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0028613090

ISBN-13: 978-0028613093

Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 0.8 x 11.2 inches

Focusing primarily on the aesthetics of this new garden form, The Complete Kitchen Garden is a study in design for the home gardener. Garden site and size considerations are followed by recommendations for constructing paths, edges, beds, walls, fences, and other architectural elements. Lists of appropriate plants provide a melange of color, form, and texture choices to help ensure a successful kitchen garden. There are even resources for seed suppliers and public kitchen gardens around the world.

Throughout the book are examples of noteworthy kitchen gardens in the U.S., Europe, and Canada, both modest and grand, for inspiration. A wealth of beautiful photography by Cynthia Woodyard helps make The Complete Kitchen Garden a comprehensive tool for beginning kitchen gardeners everywhere.

My Review

I stopped in at one of my favorite used book stores and while browsing the shelves found a hardbound copy of the book The Complete Kitchen Garden: The Art of Designing and Planting an Edible Garden.

Out of many thousands of books, at a glance, I chose to purchase it. 

First off, I do appreciate the cover image. It is fun to watch cabbage develop and I've always grown cabbage in my kitchen garden. 

The forward by Rosemary Verey points out how this book is different from many.

The book provides interesting information on things that interest me such as bed orientation, Intercropping, and Close-Planting. I liked the fact that the book references practical elements such as the bean tunnels of the famous picture book illustrator and author Tasha Tudor. I also enjoyed learning more about the history of forcing jars as well as Antique Gardening Tools and Equipment.