Pretty Pink Lupins!  I’ve kept these in a pot but just might plant them somewhere in a sunny spot so they can grow and prosper.  I’ll do that once they set seed and I will save some for the future!  Not far away is this lovely old rose bush .. the roots are deep so it doesn’t need much water at all .. my favourite kind of plant.  Once in awhile I’ll add some EM or some other nutrient .. liquid seaweed.  It’s a tough old plant and adds beauty and nectar for the bees and I’ve seen the Anna’s there also.I planted some blue Columbines and now I see that there are pink ones also.  Love garden surprises.The blue Columbines that I planted …years ago ..now flowering away like mad  .. a neighbour to the pinks!So here I’m being “artsy” and applied a Slate shade to the blue Columbine.. glad that the flowers aren’t really this colour, but I do like the dreamy effect.Some thornless blackberry flowers .. huge berries!!  I wonder if the Leafcutter bees have been active .. as I’ve noticed some circular indentations on a variety of leaves.  Busy Bees.Sweet little Lady Jane .. this is one of her favourite places to have her treats.  She keeps running towards this little bench, sits and stares expectantly upwards .. “where is my picnic?Where are the rest of my treats?????I finally decided to try growing potatoes in straw, having read many online accounts of success.   I carefully unrolled some chicken wire, folded in half, lengthwise, inserted bamboo sections for the frame.   Added some organic seed potatoes and covered with the straw.   The potatoes had already started rooting when I planted them.  Added some water and now I’ll just wait to see how they grow and will keep adding straw as the plants grow.   I shovelled some soil on top, just a little bit.These are the little potato sections that I had cut up, a few weeks ago, and planted them in little pots.  99% of them rooted and sprouted leaves .. see how strong the root section is!!  And also, I see a couple of bean plants in the cells  .. no idea where they came from as I had not planted them.  happy to see them, though.  Time will tell what kind of beans they are.   One of the joys of using homemade compost, I think!  the magic continues.

I was out for a walk a few days ago, just had to stop and take a photo of one of the neighbourhood eagles.  I’ve seen them for quite a few years, watched them grow from the juvenile stage to adulthood.   Very convenient location, close to Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary.Every year I shape-shift my veggie garden.  Every year I just cannot fathom how to come up with a new design .. and .. every year I do!  This year is the same.  We have had steady rains up until last week, so I haven’t gone outside to play.  Now the sun is here and I’m all excited about work in the garden.  It takes a few sessions outside before I’m really energized so patience is a virtue there.

If you’ve seen the photos of my previous years .. you’ll see a marked change.  I’ve removed most of the raised beds and planted my garlic in large pots.  To the left is the chicken wire potato circle.  At the front is another Lee Valley arbour and peas are growing up the sides.  I’ve planted some low growing berries in the little bricked areas (temporary brick formations).  And way behind is a frameworks for my beans to grow.  Then I’m removing the final raised bed.

Am in the midst of forming a bamboo teepee frame to create a little private space in the middle.  Where I can look out and only see green .. no houses at all!  and inside will be a little secret garden of sorts.   I’ll post more photos of my progress.  This is a real garden in the works, folks!

Well .. time is running .. off to recycle, work in the garden and then my fiddle lesson!  The fiddle is lots of work but really gives me such joy.   I’m going through a little slump in energizing my discipline for practise but I know that this will pass.

🙂