Outside

These are probably the white trees mentioned in the Music Sheets.

What are these smoke machines?
- Answer: Ah ok, they’re to keep the apples warm. What else, though?

The Gardener’s Logbook

1
When I first came on the estate in the capacity
of the new groundskeeper, I was a little dismayed to
find that my predecessor had kept no notes, no logbook,
and no record of any kind regarding the various gardens
and green rooms of the house under his care.

As a result of this improvidence, in the first few months
of my post I suffered a number of embarrassing
professional blunders that I believe could have been
avoided with even a few scraps of imparting wisdom
from the previous groundsman.

To that end, I will make an effort to make some
record of my dealings on the estate, in as much as it
pertains to horticulture and general tomfoolery.

- Robert Nogula, Groundskeeper
  
2
Among my many commissioned duties, I have been
tasked with the conservation and oversight of Mount
Holly's alluring grounds. My domain stretches from
gate to gate and encompasses the apple orchard,
entrance drive and east yard. Fortunately for my
workload the maintenance of the west grounds has
not been a priority since Lady Epsen's death and
the ensuing closure of the West Wing.

Nevertheless, I take some pride in my work, so I
still endeavor to brush the west path weekly even if
none but myself take notice.

3
In addition to maintaining the grounds, there are
eight green rooms within the house that require
some level of upkeep and light groundskeeping. The
majority of these I discovered are only draftable on
the perimeter of the house along the East and West
Wings. The Terrace, Patio, Veranda, Morning
Room, Greenhouse, and Secret Garden all fall
within this category.

4
THE SOIL SURVEY

One of the first tasks I undertook as groundskeeper was
to conduct a survey of the various plots of soil underneath
each slot on both the East and West Wings of the house.
And while I would have preferred a full survey of all forty-
five plots of the house, it was clear that the inconvenience
such an undertaking would produce was in no way worth
the extra data, especially considering the rooms that would
benefit from this survey only ever appear in the wings.

To quantify soil quality, I measured the soil's capacity to
support crop growth and maximize the promise of high
yields. The survey ended up taking two weeks due to some
difficulty reaching the higher ranks but the project was well
worth the effort. As suspected, the room position has a
direct relationship to the amount of fruit spread from
gardens and the amount of flowers that can bloom in a
Greenhouse.

6
(below)

7
SMUDGE POTS

A few years ago, the Baron made the long
overdue decision to switch from gas lighting
to electrical power. The installation of the
new system was a substantial undertaking
as almost every room in the house had to
be equipped with new fixtures and wiring.

Thankfully, these renovations did not
extend beyond the mansion's interior and
all the lamps and equipment used outside
of the house are still connected and
powered by gasline, including but not
limited to the orchard's smudge pots.

8
The smudge pots found among the apple trees here in the
orchard are a critical necessity thanks to the cold
temperatures and high altitude of the estate. These gas
burning stack heaters prevent frost and should be kept on
during the winter months to ensure a daily yield of apples.

When the smudge pots are not in use, the orchard's gasline
should be turned off to conserve resources for the estate's
other gas powered machinery and appliances.

9
After a few months of idleness I finally have a
new cause to champion and I have submitted a
request for a change of scenery. Specifically, I
would like to replace the statue of Orinda
currently in the Cloister with the much more
appropriate angel, Rynna. After all, as beautiful
as the statue is, shouldn't the greenery of Mt.
Holly be governed by the paragon of Gardening?

Though amused, I do not think Anne took the
request too seriously, though she did humor me
and listened to me rave and pontificate on the
subject for the better part of our lunch yesterday.

9
And she wonders why I avoid tending the Cloister?
(Truth be told, I have forgotten how to access the inner garth and am
too scared of chastisement to probe for the particulars for a third time!)

Oh, so a green-room is typically only drafted alongside the perimeter of the house?
- Courtyard and Cloister seem to be exceptions to this rule.
Does rich soil refer to the dirt mounds? Or actual fruit?
The gasline probably refers to the Boiler Room. Could this relate to the Flames?
Somethings interesting about the Cloister.