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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Thankful for the help on the WordPress Forum! They are wonderful! And also, more about my gardening life

Thursday, August 9, 2012

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Thank goodness for the so very helpful contributors to WordPress.  I’d been plagued with rather distasteful ads on my working pages of my blog .. they had all of a sudden appeared and I had no idea how to get rid of them.

So I posted on the WordPress Forum: “ Offensive ads showing on my blog ..how to stop them from appearing?” and received the most amazing help – easy to follow steps to get rid of these types of ads, which are add-ons and they are disgusting and sneaky.

If you have experienced these, then by all means, please visit the forum and you’ll find these most helpful links to get rid of them.

Now I am much happier.

So, back to gardening!

Yesterday I toiled away at the front yard  ..  completing the removal of invasive perennials that I’d let grow just to keep the area green in an easy manner.  Time to make changes and remove them.  Make room for more natural and still drought resistant type plantings.

All pulled, dug, cleared & clipped and then  top dressed with tree chippings to keep down the weeds and keep moisture in.  I didn’t take a before picture, thought of it too late.  But I will take an after picture.  This area will look a little bare  ..  I intend to pick up some woodland type plants, ferns, etc. and plant them there.

Then I began the task of pruning one of the two lilac trees that are on either side of our driveway.  For hours I clipped away at dry branches and overgrown trunks.  Some branches had grown about 4 feet over the tops of nearby cedar & bamboo plants.

At the end, I was much happier.  Noticed the chickadees flying through … and thought, oh no, they’ve lost some perching branches.   But  ..  looking around, I see thousands more of branches in our yard for them to perch in.  You see, I love the wild and natural look and am happy that there are zillions of hiding places for my winged friends.

Now the light comes through for the plants and they will grow even more!

Spent a few hours clipping away at the branches,  so that they would fit in my Rubbermaid containers, nice and tidy, so I can take them to the local municipal yard for them to compost.

And so I arranged the 3 large yard bags and 5 Rubbermaid containers into my little Echo.  How did I do this, you may ask?  Well, I pushed, shoved, squeezed and forced them all to stay in the car.  Even had one of the yard bags on the front passenger seat.  Ha ha ha …. It did look a little funny, but I was able to load the car up.

And this morning, first thing, I drove to the yard and offloaded them.   Now they will be chipped and mulched and be part of the garden dressing in the municipality.  No waste.

So now .. for the rest of the day, I can play in the back yard and be creative.   I’ll share that tomorrow!

And also for now I can enjoy a lovely mug of Yorkshire tea .. made with the loose leaves … such a very delicious treat.

🙂


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A variety of things, including flying, gardening, mulch .. etc.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

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So, August is zipping along.  Lots of gardening.  Lots of flying.  Now that summer is here in full force, it’s so easy to forget those cold rainy days.

Veggies are growing well.  I finally shovelled the last of the 5 yards of the miracle mulch and so the perennials have a nice soft blanket to retain moisture and keep the soil cool.

And yesterday, so lucky .. woke up to the sound of branches being buzzed and then ground up as a few neighbourhood trees were being trimmed.  These included an oak tree.

Quickly grabbed my mug of Yorkshire Tea and dashed out the door … and politely asked the working crew if I may have the chips!  Well, lucky me .. they said yes and I was ecstatic.  These are things that only a fellow gardener can understand!

So at least 1 ½ yards were gently deposited on a tarp in the driveway and I spent a few happy hours shovelling up this lovely mulching material and spreading under our first Christmas tree … the 2 yards that I placed there yesterday has nearly disappeared.

And I noticed that this tree only has a very few cones on it this year .. this means that the tree is not under stress.  Finally, I’m giving it the love and attention that it needs.

Once all this shovelling was done, I decided to clip some roses for drying.  But first, I:

–          Discovered that the branches of an old apple tree in the back were in my way, so went to find the clippers to trim away some of the ones that were at eye-height

–          Then I thought it would be a good time to drag out the soaker hoses for the recently updated side yard .. this took a good chunk of time as I sorted through the two sizes of hoses and too late remembered that I couldn’t attach the 3/8 to the 5/8 .. so undid my work and started again

–          Put aside a tarp to take to the front yard, to help when I weed that area

–          Became enthralled with the sight of the bees buzzing around flowers, so took pictures

–          Again, became enthralled with the skies up above and more time spent there

–          Took a few minutes to search for berries

–          Had a look at the various squash, basil and pea pods growing

–          Then finally I walked to the rose-bush, clippers in hand (after searching for a basket to hold the flowers) and finished what I’d wanted to start over an hour ago, that is, clipping roses

Then, time to go to the front yard and begin pulling out some invasive perennials .. they’ve served the purpose of greening up the yard, but time to remove these, fluff up the soil and then go shopping for some ferns and things to complete the woodland look along the front of our first Christmas tree.

And now I must go outside and continue what I started yesterday.

I forgot to mention that my work was stopped by a thunder & lightning storm …  heavy raindrops, thank you for watering my garden!

🙂


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Watching the birds .. spreading the Miracle Mulch .. enjoying the hot summer sun

Friday, August 3, 2012

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I almost did some time travelling into the year 3012 .. good thing that I check my typing as I go!

Anyway, continuing to enjoy these most lovely of sunny days.

Standing outside yesterday, I was thinking back to the cold snow months of January and onwards.  Snow tumbling down.  Me, outside with birdseed and suet blocks, furiously filling out the bird feeders so that the birds would have lots of food.  Tromping through the snow.

Not caring if I had warm clothes on or not, the most important objective for me was to ensure that all the birds who visited our yard had enough to eat.

Remember looking outside the basement window, marvelling at the sight of a Flicker, crouched down on the gravel by the sundeck, pecking away at some insects.   That was lovely.

But .. back to the present.  And enjoying the warmth of the sun as I took a break and revelled in the antics of the Redbreasted Nuthatches, the Chestnut-backed Chickadees .. taking turns at the bird feeders.

I was all set to write about the various shapes of leaves ..but . that will be something that I can attack at a later date.

For now .. I just want to look at the antics of the birds.  Used the motor drive of the camera to capture all kinds of flying movements of our little visitors!

Then … it was back to work.

I’d ordered 5 yards of Miracle Mulch (leaves, tiny branches, no bark, etc.) and it was sitting on a tarp in the driveway.  I’d promised DH that I’d clear this away in 2 days.  Oh, wow, that was a promise that I just had to keep.   That is, if I wanted to keep on ordering this lovely material for the yard.

So yesterday I shovelled for hours, slowly moving the mulch to  ….the front side yards, the back side yards .. and on and on.

And today, I finally finished!

This material is so lovely for the ground .. it protects the soil, and retains moisture, thus less watering needed.

I want to order 5 more yards in a few months so that I can top up everything again.  I was told of someone who ordered over 240 yards of this material .. oh, I would just be in mulch heaven if we had enough property so that I could order that much.

Today, I planted more Mondo grass, some other perennials and topped up the surface with the mulch and the one side garden looks lovely.  Pictures to follow.  Including photos of a few years ago .. when this was just a blackberry patch.  That was a story.  I so love transforming little areas of yards …

So tonight I will EM everything in the yard . .that should take a few hours.   I love this part.  A few days after treatment .. such an amazing increase in leaf colour, fruits, flowers .. just magic, I tell you!

🙂


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Hmmm… food for thought, eh?

Geek Goddess's avatarTwo Different Girls

Recently, I interviewed a man who flies as a corporate pilot. Several years ago, he worked as a contract pilot for Paul and Jan Crouch,

who are the founders of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, a 24-hour Christian religious television network. It is the most watched ‘faith-based’ channel in the U.S. and is the sixth largest over-the-air broadcaster, according to Broadcast & Cable’s 2010 report, with an estimated world-wide viewing audience of 100 million households. According to Wikipedia’s sources, with their associated satellite and internet programs, they reach over a billion viewers.

The pilot, who I’ll refer to as Tim, flew for them about eight months, in a Bombardier Challenger plane, which costs between $25 and $30 million new. Their primary base was in Orange County, CA but they had several other homes: a ranch near Sugarland, Texas; Fort Lauderdale; and Conway Twitty’s former compound in Nashville.

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Enjoying the wonders of the skies as I toil in the garden .. eye candy for the gardener!

Thursday, August 2, 2012

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Basking in the warmth of the sun, I find myself out in the garden again.  Only this time, for the past few days, I’ve been busy, busy, busy.

Pruning the buddleia’s that have been taking over the sidegarden.

Pulling out the annuals that reseed themselves year after year, claiming nearly every inch of the garden beds.

Clipping, bagging and transporting the superfluous garden branches etc.

Joy at finding garlic bulbs that were growing, hidden away among the plants.  These I will dry and replant in the fall.

Taking lots of time to just look up at the sky.   Feeling much happiness at the ever-changing vistas .. cheering me up constantly.

Listening to the tiny chirps of the chickadees, nuthatches and bushtits as they cavort around the yard.

Cavort .. not a word I would usually associate with these tiny birds, but they do seem to be to be such little sprites of cheerfulness.  They really brighten up my world and I am so glad they visit.

The bushtits seem like little whorls of energy, filling the trees with their twittering sounds as they gather together on the branches before flitting away to visit another yard.

And the chickadees .. the yard will be quiet, until, suddenly, I hear the little nasal chirps .. seeming to say “I’m here .. I’m here”.  They are so sweet.  And smart.  When the bird feeder is empty, they will tap their tiny beaks against the sides of the feeder as if to say .. “hey up .. this needs refilling”!

I’ve been noticing the variety of leaf shapes in the garden also.  Tomorrow I’ll post the pics I took yesterday.  There are reasons why nature has chosen the shapes she has for the many food plants.  I don’t know the why’s and wherefores, but, perhaps, something else to study up on.

Yesterday, being so hot .. I spread out some containers of dried seaweed … to dry them out further so I could crumble them up and thus take up less space in the downstairs area.

Then, finally, time for the 5 yards of Miracle Mulch to arrive … and so for a few hours last night, I spent the time filling up wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow .. taking each load to the side yard, to topdress the bare garden soil.   This lovely mixture can also be used in the veggie garden .. which is lovely.  I know that the 5 years will quickly disappear ….as I carefully spread it around on all of the sidegardens.   Lovely to look at and perfect for retaining the moisture in the soil.  And .. no tree bark .. just fine branches, leaves and twigs.

So .. that will be my day today .. all day . .shovelling and moving the mulch.

Time to get started, methinks!


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Working in the sun, planting, digging, sorting .. having fun outside.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

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Oh, so sadly I learned of the passing of the wonderful Maeve Binchy .. from Bridget’s blog:  http://arignagardener.wordpress.com/author/arignagardener/

Maeve Binchy, is, bar none .. the most gifted writer there has ever been .. she captures the heart and soul of everyday people in everyday situations.

I have all of her books and re-read them from time to time, noticing more nuances with each reading.

Oh, how very lucky we are to have had her in our world.  Bless you Maeve.

Flying has been very much in my world I am very happy to say!   Loving the skies, clouds and birds up above .. my joy is increased when we are up in the air flying from here to there.

The skies have been sporting such beautiful cloud formations lately .. and my little camera has been clicking away at every opportunity.  Some of the clouds are stupendous in their beauty and gracefulness .. shifting and changing as we pass by ..and I cannot pass up the chance to take lots of photos as we do.

I see animals, boomerangs, people in the puffy cloud formations … scenery .. all sorts of things.  Quite beautiful.

Working hard in the garden during the week so that I can relax and just absorb the peaceful beauty of the lovely skies and scenery on the ground.

I’ve been mixing large quantities of EM during the past few weeks, and last night I applied quite a bit on some newly transplanted cedars and bay trees.   I know that you are not “supposed” to transplant perennials in the hot sun .. but I took a chance and started digging in late afternoon .. followed by a very liberal dousing of EM. And today I noticed the plants are looking just fine!

I’ve come to depend quite heavily on the EM (effective microorganism) mixture.  It gives the same results, pretty well, as brewed compost tea .. however, I haven’t put together a tea composter (with aquarium tubing and motors) this year.  Perhaps next year.  For now, though, my EM is the magical elixir for all things growing in the garden.

The strawberry plants have started to flower again.  Same for the tomatoes.  The snapeas and the sweet peas .. same story.   And the growth of the bay tree in the back, along with the bay laurels and the willow .. well, these are growing into lovely giant plants.

Yesterday I was busy reshaping one side of the yard.  Down on my hands and knees, with only a few garden tools, I busily dug out weeds, created a shallow edging at the forefront of this garden bed and found yet more garlic from a few years ago.  I’m drying these and will plant them in the main garlic bed in September.

I also pulled out invasive plants, too many crocosomia, Euphorbia and a few others.   Now I want space for the cedars to grow out and up.   And more space for the lavender and rosemary plants.  Plus, I’d like to grow a variety of lavender plants, to make a lovely lower border at the front of this garden area.

Working in the blazing sun, getting dusty and dirty, wearing my sturdy garden outfit, I feel quite happy in my world.  Getting lots done sometimes and not so much in others.

Spent some time today in clearing away fence boards and the mess that accompanies new fencing in the yard.   A few hours into the lifting, carrying, sorting and tidying and I was quite ready for a tea break.

Now .. time to go back outside .. to enjoy the sun and to plant some more perennials. Does it ever end!

Tomorrow I’ll be getting 5 yards of that lovely Miracle Mulch for the perennials beds:  http://www.miraclemulch.com/

Lovely.

Now .. time to get ready to go back outside.


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Happy in the sky, flying amongst the clouds

Saturday, July 29, 2012

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My life on Saturday was mostly spent in the air .. and only a little bit of time in my garden.  Lots of time for that in a few days.

For now .. up up and away ..to enjoy the clouds … be at cloud base .. enjoy the shifting shapes.

Flying through the air .. first in the airplane and later in the sailplane.

How lucky am I .. .  I know I am ..

Soaring above the earth ..  flitting among the clouds.

Feeling the energy of the natural forces of the earth and sky combined.

Feeling the freedom of being up in the sky …

I sink back into my passenger seat and just soak in the rays of the sun.  Feeling the joy of being in the air.  The silence …. The swoosh of the wings as the sailplane effortlessly swirls and soars.

Oh, I am so very  lucky.

Saturday was a day of heights .. of things high in the sky.

Happy Birthday MJ!!

Onwards and upwards .. more flying to be done.

More clouds to be enjoyed.

More flowers to be seen.

More birds to watch.

On this very lovely and sunny day ….

🙂


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Interesting activities to be seen in the yard … that I otherwise might have missed

Saturday, July 28, 2012

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This past week .. now that we have had more than 5 consecutive days of warm sunny weather, I found myself just watching what’s happening in the yard.  So nice to have the time to do that, finally, after years of being on the treadmill.

And I find the most loveliest little signs of activity that I would have otherwise missed!

Saw a chubby little honeybee .. taking a few minutes out of his busy day, collecting nectar .. to just chill out on a plant leaf.

There are a number of butterflies in the yard and I was able to take some pics of the brownish/black type when they rested.

So busy looking at a busy bee in a sunflower that I almost missed the little ladybug that was tucked away in the yellow petals!

Again, so lost in admiring the texture and flippant designs of the daisy petals, that I almost missed the little spider who was making its home in the flower!

And there was the very yellow, cheerful .. snapdragon .. blooming away, as it grew beside a patio door .. that is slated for installation but for now is just resting against the house.  A surprise bit of colour.

I’d scrubbed out the hummingbird feeders .. and enjoy the little show.  4 of them were flitting about the feeder .. taking turns resting atop bamboo stakes ..  and then two of them sat quietly af the feeder,  sipping on the nectar.

Heard the most cheerful chirps of a group of Bushtits .. who came visiting, flitting from one tree to another.  I think they were disappointed in the lack of suet block .. every time I put one out, the darned sparrows attack it .. so I’ve just left up some fat in the feeders.  They like that.  So uplifting, the way that they just swarmed into the yard .. as if to say .. ta da .. we’re here!   And the babies must be in that group!

The cilantro that I planted yesterday is growing well.  Looking forward to harvesting some.

Clipped some green chives, chopped them up and dried them in the oven .. disappointing, the bright green colour faded and the chives were tough.  Methinks these are best fresh.

Haven’t seen the eagles for a while .. they usually fly around 11:30 am .. looking for their lunch.   And I’ve been elsewhere at that time … must try to have a look next week.

There are only a few cherries left on the tree .. I’ll leave them for the birds.  I can only imagine the feasting that has been going on, in the wee small hours, over the past few weeks.  I’ve picked enough for us and am glad that the birds were able to enjoy them also.

Transplanted some raspberry canes around the back and sides .. they fill in some empty spaces.

Nearly done planting most of the potted perennials … sure takes a bit of time to decide the best places for them.  And …. I can always move them later.

Feel quite satisfied with my week’s worth of work.  Next, I plan to seed more lettuce, spinach and edible pea pods .. in a few days.

🙂


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Why do potato plants have square stems? And other things.

Friday, July 27, 2012

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We are so lucky with the hot sunny weather!

Spent some time bringing a few containers of dried seaweed  outside.. to sit in the sun for a while .. to make sure they are really, really dry!  Otherwise, there could be quite a stench in the house.

Mixed up some EM … watered a few tomato and squash plants.  All are growing nicely.

I have a few little casual sitting in my garden.  Mostly, they are just oversized boulders that I’ve moved from one area of the yard to another.  Perfect for placing in a few little spaces and just relaxing there for a while .. to study the birds and the bees and butterflies playing around the yard.

Sometimes I feel as if I’m not making any progress in the yard .. yet, when I look around me .. I really am amazed at all that I’ve done.  I seem to work best in little blocks of time.  Overwhelming though the work seems to be .. once I get started in a little corner, then I just seem to zone into that special  world of plants and creativity.

So maybe that is where I’m losing the sense of “conscious” time… the place where I make lists and plan and that sort of thing.  I’ve entered that amazing, creative, energizing place where nothing exists except that very positive flow with the magic of the living earth and plants.

I’m easily distracted by the flight of butterflies in my path, hummingbirds zooming overhead.  Chickadees and other birds visiting the trees and chirping their hello’s!

And I am so very glad that we planted those many trees years ago, they are overgrown, but that is the way we like them.   They provide us with shade and lots of oxygen.   Not the least is their gift of fruit, plums, apples and cherries.

But, most of all .. I’m glad they are there .. because they provide shelter for the variety of winged friends who visit.   Lots of safe places for them to hide and build their nests.

There are so many places, properties, where all the old trees and bushes have been removed, to “tidy” up the landscaping.   How barren and how empty.

Spent some lovely time just listening to some relaxing music, quiet time .. chilling out .. watching the every changing skies above.

Relaxing in the sun.

Watching the birds.

Getting some things done.

Yes, I finally planted quite a few perennials that had patiently sat in their pots for many months.

Established some raspberry plants among the perennials.  It’s always nice to munch on a fresh sun warmed berries .. .these will be fruiting next summer.

Spent some time watering some parched plants.

Walked through the berry section .. studied the potato plants .. noticed that their stems are square .. now, why is that?  There must be a specific reason for this .. but I just don’t know what that reason would be .. something else to research, I guess.

Where the potatoes are now flourishing .. well, next year I’ll have a few more rows of raspberries.   And should any potatoes show up … they will be quickly potted up in a big container.  I love potatoes, but they really take up space!

Watching the sweet peas growing .. .waiting for them to flower.

Some tomatoes are increasing in size .. still green though.

A very wonderful day in my garden.

🙂


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Another day in the garden, moving plants, creating space, watching plants grow

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

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So yesterday, Tuesday, was quite a hot and sunny day!   I really made a lot of progress in the yard.  And later, stuffed my little Echo car to the maximum with 3 large garden bags, the paper kind .. stuffed to the gills with cuttings.

I even had two of them in the passenger seat, I love to use every bit of space in my car.  Then, in the back (I have the hatchback version) I stowed one more garden bag, full to the brim, plus 4 large Rubbermaid totes and 4 smaller ones.    I can really pack things into my little car … it is a wonderful vehicle.   Holds almost as much as a small truck.

I love using the car for a garden vehicle, tarps lining the interior, then when all the garden waste is taken to the Saanich yard for composting, I neatly pack everything away and all is back to normal, kind of nice and tidy.

Oh, how I love the spaciousness of the side yard now … and so will work on adding some hardy perennials in the foreground .. and leave lots of space for the cedars to fill out and grow tall.  they are nearly to the top of the fence and with the magical EM mixture, it won’t take them long to grow even higher.

I see that there are a few cedars that will need to be dug up and moved over a little bit.  Plus one Bay tree that will have to be moved, so that it will have lots of space to grow and fill out.

Oh, gardening is so much fun.  Always changes to be done.  Plants to move around.  Trimming to be done.

I find that sometimes I work hard for hours, without stopping and other times are just perfect for dreaming away, planning changes.   A balance it seems.

So yesterday I found myself being swept away in tidying up .. we’ve recently (I use the Royal “we” .. when really I mean DH, ha ha ha) installed new fence panels at one side of the yard .. and so there are lots of old fence boards that need to be sorted and piled up, ready to be reinstalled around the panels of the 3 remaining sides of the fence.

I have no idea how I started that chore, but start I did and spent a few hours sorting, piling, tidying, sweeping .. quite impressive, really.  I am so full of surprises.

Yesterday was a lovely day .. so I’ve posted some pictures taken on Monday.  Showing the “gently shoved aside by the giant Buddleia” cedars.  And the open spaces behind and in front of the cedars.  I’ll post pics in a month and I can only wonder at the growth that will take place as a result of the EM  .. which I definitely will apply tomorrow.

The plentiful raspberry plants are now resting quietly in a large garden pot … I’ve decided to keep them and to establish a few more garden beds.  Fresh raspberries are just plain fun to have in the yard.  Plus, they add lots of greenery.

Oh, it’s been a fun few days in the garden and tomorrow I  plan to start the day in the garden very early and to finish planting the potted plants.  Including Rosemary and Lavender.

Plus, you know, time to relax and study the lay of the land. Dream. Watch the birds.

🙂