On the other end of the loft we have a small fruit orchard. We planted dwarf and semi-dwarf trees and have one or two of each species. We get a few apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries and plums each year. Most of it we just eat fresh or share with neighbors and family. Sometimes we bottle the extra fruit. The wild birds also love the fruit, especially the cherries. We have to cover those with a net or the birds would eat them all.

In this photo you can also see the steps that Craig built to go with each landing platform. He used to use old sawhorses to climb up on, but these are so much nicer and more sturdy. They look nice and they are very functional. We sit on them to watch the pigeons and we stand on them to open and close the fronts on the landing platforms. With the kids helping all the time, this is a much safer option than the old sawhorses were.