My Lovely Garden … Mon Joli Jardin

No matter the language, my garden is my paradise. To watch the lovely birds that nest in the trees and bushes. The bees, butterflies are such a joy to see.

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I finally visited Richters Herbs .. it was all like a dream ..

DH & I were back in Ontario a few months ago .. and at that time I was able to visit a place that I never thought I would be lucky enough to visit!  Richters Herbs!!  I’d ordered seeds from them for many years and so I was very happy to be there.  About 30 years or so ago, I’d written them, asking some kind of question and I received a hand-written letter in response.   I wish I’d kept the letter but over the years … things have a way of disappearing.

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This is a series of raised beds, located along the highway, in front of the shop.  There were many, many more .. but I just took one photo, I was so excited to be inside the shop!
601DH was visiting another place so he left me here for a blissful 2 hours!!   I started off to the right of the shop … marvelling at all the items that are available there.

604And there were hundreds of types of seeds, all arranged according to type.

605There was still another wall of seeds .. but, you get the picture.  I took my time here .. selecting seeds that I wanted.  Several types of lavender, white sage, etc.  These seeds have been already planted in my containers for “winter sowing of summer seeds”

606 Lovely … and inviting.

607Colours, essential oils .. the works!

608Tara, the Cat!  All cuddled up in her little bed by the front counter .. a sweet little tabby!

609I wandered everywhere … loving just being there.

610The heart of Richters, the greenhouse.

611Heaven .. I’m in Heaven .. looking at these herbs.  Lots of work to get them growing, potted, labelled and placed out for display.

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This is my Dream Home!

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I love mint and here were hundreds of plants, so many types .. very energizing.

614Loving the colourful flags …

615Healthy Rosemary plants … perfuming the air.

616Argh .. I think I had purchased one of these plants from a local grocer a few years ago.  It self-seeded itself hundreds of times and I just keep ripping them out of the ground.  Didn’t know it was edible though.

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I would have loved to bring a Patchouli home .. however, travelling light by plane doesn’t leave much room for plants, no matter how much I love them!

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Then I noticed this .. Tara is loved!  Crazy artistic rendering, eh?

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I felt right at home here .. such a welcoming sight.

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This was so nice to see …

621By the front counter .. I don’t know what this wooden artifact is but it certainly has character and adds to the ambience of this lovely place.

622After 2 hours of wandering around the greenhouse, perusing the many gardening books, loving every second of being there .. my 2 hours were up and DH was there to collect me and we continued our journey.  Bye Bye Richters .. it’s been so lovely.

603Beautiful 2-story brick house nearby .. lots of brick homes in Ontario .. loving them also.

602Sigh .. what a wonderful time.

Another dream come through.  After looking through their catalogues, over the years, painstakingly choosing which seed packet or live plant I wanted to purchase . .. it was just so wonderful to actually be there.

🙂


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Sunny .. sort of .. Sunday .. my “winter sowing of summer seeds” is progressing very well.

I started my “winter sowing summer seeds” at the end of January.    Guidelines thanks to Kevin:  http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/11/winter-sowing-101-6/

This year I carefully labelled everything, writing the type of seed neatly, with permanent ink, on garden markers.  And I wrote the dates and details of each seed that I sowed into a hard covered notebook.  How veddy veddy mature, wouldn’t you say!   Last year I emptied the full packets of seeds into the containers.  And the seeds grew so well that I had way too many seedlings. So this year, I only sowed partial envelopes.  Except for some wild flower seeds and nodding onions (which my pal D, gave to me).   I can be constrained for so long and then just throw caution to the wind, as it were.  Here are some of my containers.  I ran out of milk jugs and decided to use the clear containers from lettuce and berries .. they worked out just as well.  Many of the seeds that I started at the end of January have sprouted already!!

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Here is a container of glass chunks that I uncovered when I was digging and sifting the ground, a few years ago.  There used to be a glass factory in the neighbourhood and our property sits on a portion of it.  I’ve uncovered a few cement foundations that I was going to use for a garden feature, but decided that it wouldn’t work out well so I covered them up.  The greenish glass is rather pretty and I’ve been thinking how best to show them off to their best advantage.  Still working on that.

301I use a fair bit of coconut coir in the garden, buying blocks of the compressed material and I leave them outside to crumble in the rain.  Far better than using peat moss, which is a non-renewable product, compared to the readiness of coir.  The plant cell flat is just waiting for the seedlings to grow a bit bigger so I can prick them out of the milk jugs and plant them in these cells.

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Ah .. garlic.  This was the year when I was only going to grow garlic in just 2 areas of the yard.  I’d created 2 temporary garlic beds, creating circles with 2 levels of brick.  Wonderful new soil, mixed with glacial rock powder, coir, compost.   I’d placed way too much organic straw on the bulbs and had to remove most of it to allow the greens to welcome the rays of the sun.  So, here are my two garlic beds.

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However, as I still had lots of garlic left, I thought, why not plant a few more cloves?  So I did just that.  I created forms with bits of wood that my DH had in his workshop.  Fastened them together with screws, filled with the above mentioned soil and planted the garlic.  Ok, thus far.

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But, wait, I had a few more garlic cloves, sprouting greens, and I thought, what’s the harm in planting these.  So, this is part of the side of the yard.  Garlic happily growing there.  Lots of seaweed tucked around them.

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Then I noticed more cloves sprouting, so I planted a few more on the other side of the yard.  After this, I planted some more by the garden gate, but haven’t yet taken a photo.  I’m hopelessly in love with garlic.  And dream of growing much more than this.

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Last fall I wasn’t able to “tidy up” the yard and thus there is still lots of things to do.  I found a container into which I had tossed a pile of bulbs and had forgotten about them.  I discovered some interesting things.  One was that this tulip bulb, thrown upside down in the pot, was still determined to grow roots and see how they have grown!

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Another thing I discovered was the magic of bulbs.  Determinedly flowering away despite the lack of soil.  No care whatsoever.  So what’s a gardener to do?

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Well, I potted them up, that is what!  I think these are Muscari bulbs, quite pretty. Grow on, bulbs!

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I took time to walk around the yard.  And I stopped by one of my two dwarf weeping willows.  One is quite strong (this one) and the second is needing a bit more love and care, which I happily supply.

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How sweet are these diminutive little willow buds.

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There are a couple of Flickers who visit the yard.  They really seem to prefer one of the plum trees for some reason.  And at this time, one was hunkered down by a suet block.  He did spend some time wrapped around the suet container, plucking out lots of the suet and now he was taking a break.

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Later on, he perched onto the trunk of the wild and crazy tree.  He stayed there for quite a long time.  Whether resting, or hiding from a raptor .. I didn’t know … I just was happy that he had a place to rest.

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A short time later, I was unloading things from my car when I noticed this eagle flying overhead, so I quickly got out my camera and clicked away.

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And he landed atop a tree way down the road.

317I just stood there for awhile, leaning against my car, clicking away, while this majestic raptor looked around, patiently, for the next meal.

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When the eagle left .. the Coopers Hawk took up residence.

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It’s been an interesting time in the garden again …


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A Bean Worth Drying: The Scarlet Runner

I’ve been harvesting my Scarlet Runner beans .. quite loving how they grow!  How they attract butterflies, bees and the hummingbirds.  Enjoying the harvest of young beans and the giant seeds for drying (for next year’s crop and for cooking!)

I came across this most well written blog and wanted to share ….


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Grubby Thoughts: Be a Good Egg…

Good post. I spoke with someone who works at a local health food store. She commented that when she went to a local farm, to purchase “free range” eggs .. she was told that the eggs were sold out and so the worker went to the area where the hens were kept. Dirty area with the hens in a small enclosure, crowded. Terrible. I want to search local egg sources to see what the conditions are like. Thus far, I know that Rabbit River eggs are good (expensive) but they treat their hens respectfully.


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so much for avoiding procrastination … ha ha ha

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Well .. so much for procrastination .. I was going to blog every day!

Instead I found myself either outside, gardening or exercising with a great group of gals!  Or out flying with my sweetie .. he is the best.

Blogging is always on the top list of things to do .. somehow I want to but put it off.

And why .. cause it is so much fun.

I will get back to it ..but in the meantime .. here are some lovely cloud pictures taken recently .. I do spend a fair bit of my time looking skyward … such beauty there ..ImageImage


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The beauty of a sunflower … on a sunny day

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Yesterday I sat outside for a few minutes, an opportunity to enjoy a tiny bit of silence from the noise of neighbourhood construction.

And my eyes fell on the back of this sunflower, growing away in a container of beans.

I was struck by the immense beauty of each detail of this sunflower grown from a humble seed .. planted by the birds.

Such amazing gracefulness in every particle of this amazing plant.

From the perfection of the cheerful yellow yellow petals to the fine lines of the leaf bracts to the strength of the sturdy stem.

Another example of the magic of nature.

     Image

🙂


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Back to the garden .. and wow … look at this video, about a group helping an orphanage in extreme Eastern India to grow their own food

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Well … back from being away .. spending lots of time in the garden, some time at the computer!

Just found this fabulous site “Urban Farming Guys” (gals are also included!)

This amazing group of people are truly inspirational.   The attached video is number 1 of 3.  They go to an extreme eastern area of India to a very poor, dirty, overcrowded town … and set about installing a self-sustaining garden for an orphanage.  Oh, the sights you will see.  and the positivity that results.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_37238&feature=iv&list=PLDE6DD729B871784B&src_vid=9A24Bbtjsdg&v=xSTh-UnuqgQ

Out of this world.

Just incredible .. you will see.

I’m looking forward to writing about my own little garden and will do so later.

For now .. I just had to share this.


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No computer for two weeks .. what will I do?

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Well .. I grew up in the era when computers didn’t exist.

There were typewriters, manual types.   Not the electric machines.  It was exciting enough when these came along.  Life really was simpler “back then” .

I clearly remember a friend of mine telling me that she had used an electric typewriter.  I was so impressed.  She came over to visit while I was polishing our (family) wooden table and sideboard with lemon oil, as I usually did on a Sunday.  At this time I was a teenager and there wasn’t much to do.  So I was relegated to some kind of housework.

She was working at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto and had met the great comedian, Bob Hope.   So that stayed in my memory banks.  I also remember that she told me that he was not a tall man.  So much for the magic of tv, that made everyone into something bigger than life.  Hmmm .. I believe that this still happens, n’est-ce pas?  Instant fame and all that, just for being on a screen.

humph.  Interesting.

Anyway, my  nearly new (since last november)  laptop, Asus, had been experiencing problems since I first purchased it .. so I took it to the shop, again,  where I’d excitedly purchased it.   Turns out all the little problems that I’d been experiencing with it equalled a faulty hard drive.

So it has now been sent off to a shop somewhere in Ontario for fixing.

And I am without a computer for 2 weeks.

In a way, this is freeing.

I do not have an i-phone or blackberry or blueberry or anything like that.

I do have, however, my trusty old $85 Toshiba .. this trusty little laptop doesn’t even have a dvd player and takes forever to connect to any kind of wireless so won’t be using that.

This will be a 2 week test of living without a computer.

At first I was going through a type of withdrawal, what will I do without a computer?  How will l connect with my e-mail?  How will  I find out the news?

Well .. finally .. I decided that this will be a good break for me.

Time to unwind, focus on nature, plants, birds, insects, read, enjoy, relax.

So that is what I’m planning to do for the next few weeks.

Will I try to maintain some type of daily diary .. yes, I think I will do that.

Interesting challenge ahead for me … one that I think I will enjoy for the changes.

J

Oh,   and about dogs..  Yesterday I saw a variety of dogs.   From a tiny Chihuahua to a stately Standard Poodle.  Of all the dogs that I saw, however, one type stands out in my mind.

It was the very noble black Lab that was assisting a lady in a wheelchair while she was shopping at the local Tillicum branch of London Drugs.    She was not able to walk, and as she saw me gaze lovingly at her dog, she gave me a smile that bespoke pride, love and happiness.in this fine fellow. 

Such dignity and such love surrounded her.  And her dog ..well, he looked to be a fine fellow, well groomed, very patient and he had an air of profound stateliness about him. 

Anyway .. I’ll be without my electronic lifeline for several weeks .. looking forward to the solitude and feel  again what it is like to be without a computer in my life.  Just like the “old days” .. kind of an adventure, I think.

🙂


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Oh My .. .. Two Weeks WIthout A Computer!!

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Well .. I grew up in the era when computers didn’t exist.

There were typewriters, manual types.   Not the electric machines.  It was exciting enough when these came along.  Life really was simpler “back then” .

I clearly remember a friend of mine telling me that she had used an electric typewriter.  I was so impressed.  She came over to visit while I was polishing our (family) wooden table and sideboard with lemon oil, as I usually did on a Sunday.  At this time I was a teenager and there wasn’t much to do.  So I was relegated to some kind of housework.

She was working at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto and had met the great comedian, Bob Hope.   So that stayed in my memory banks.  I also remember that she told me that he was not a tall man.  So much for the magic of tv, that made everyone into something bigger than life.  Hmmm .. I believe that this still happens, n’est-ce pas?  Instant fame and all that, just for being on a screen.

humph.  Interesting.

Anyway, my  nearly new (since last november)  laptop, Asus, had been experiencing problems since I first purchased it .. so I took it to the shop, again,  where I’d excitedly purchased it.   Turns out all the little problems that I’d been experiencing with it equalled a faulty hard drive.

So it has now been sent off to a shop somewhere in Ontario for fixing.

And I am without a computer for 2 weeks.

In a way, this is freeing.

I do not have an i-phone or blackberry or blueberry or anything like that.

I do have, however, my trusty old $85 Toshiba .. this trusty little laptop doesn’t even have a dvd player and takes forever to connect to any kind of wireless so won’t be using that.

This will be a 2 week test of living without a computer.

At first I was going through a type of withdrawal, what will I do without a computer?  How will l connect with my e-mail?  How will  I find out the news?

Well .. finally .. I decided that this will be a good break for me.

Time to unwind, focus on nature, plants, birds, insects, read, enjoy, relax.

So that is what I’m planning to do for the next few weeks.

Will I try to maintain some type of daily diary .. yes, I think I will do that.

Interesting challenge ahead for me … one that I think I will enjoy for the changes.

J

Oh,   and about dogs..  Yesterday I saw a variety of dogs.   From a tiny Chihuahua to a stately Standard Poodle.  Of all the dogs that I saw, however, one type stands out in my mind.

It was the very noble black Lab that was assisting a lady in a wheelchair while she was shopping at the local Tillicum branch of London Drugs.    She was not able to walk, and as she saw me gaze lovingly at her dog, she gave me a smile that bespoke pride, love and happiness.in this fine fellow. 

Such dignity and such love surrounded her.  And her dog ..well, he looked to be a fine fellow, well groomed, very patient and he had an air of profound stateliness about him. 

Anyway .. I’ll be without my electronic lifeline for several weeks .. looking forward to the solitude and feel  again what it is like to be without a computer in my life.  Just like the “old days” .. kind of an adventure, I think.

🙂

 

 


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Mason bees, sunny skies and I have Garry Oaks growing in the garlic forest!

Monday, June 3, 2013

A brilliantly beautiful sunshiny day!  Birds are chirping away (I replenished the feeders yesterday!)  And I am facing a full day of playing away in the garden.  Massive amounts of potting up with my many seedlings!  This year I’ve putsquash plants in containers .. as I’ve used most of my veggie garden for garlic!!

And there is one section left in the sunny area for veggies.  There I’ve planted some squash, shallots and there is still room for squash there.

This year I’d purchased Mason Bees with nesting trays … and I’d placed their little home on the trunk of an old apple tree.  How exciting it has been to check throughout the spring to see the cocoons open up and know that nature is taking its course and the bees are out in the world.   Although I wondered where they were .. I’d seen a variety of bees buzzing away in the yard but hadn’t noticed any of the little black bees.  So yesterday I ventured to their home and saw that the two lower sections were sealed shut!

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This led me to search for more information on these industrious creatures and I found this very informative site:  http://www.crownbees.com/life-cycle-of-the-mason-bee/   and sure enough, as the site notes, the bottom 2 left openings are filled in.   This site lists absolutely everything I need to know about raising my little winged family .. how exciting!

Lovely blue skies again … how cheerful and uplifting to have this overhead!   My umbrella has the same scenery on the inside .. more incentive to go for long walks in the rain with a view like this!

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One of the many other busy bees in the yard …. lots of pollinators for all growing plants and trees throughout the yard.20

 Found this broken egg shell when D and I were out walking at Sooke last week.  We were in an area that normally was inaccessible unless we were ducks, however, the tides were way out.   She has a good knack for finding things that are  just not really evident .. perhaps this is a Heron’s egg?  It is very large, bigger than any I’ve ever seen … so I took it home for a souvenir.  I’ve placed it beside some squash shoots for a comparison.

03

Look .. I have Garry Oak growing in my garlic forest! Actually there are a number of them and I’ve potted up quite a few.  When I harvest the garlic, I’ll pot up the oaks growing in the garlic .. don’t want to disturb them unnecessarily.

02

Well .. time to go for a walk in the sun and then, oh joy, to work in my garden!

:)