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.


by Leave a comment

The tenacity of life … the power of the Chinook, very empowering

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

One of the things that we did on the weekend was to make a trip to Stamp River.  We’ve flown over this “little patch” of river many times .. but it was only when we drove to this BC Park & Campground and wandered along the pathway of this turbulent bit of water ..that we could really appreciate the magnificence of the raw power of the rushing waters and the salmon run.

This year was a record for the Chinook .. they were so thick in numbers, you could almost walk along the surface of them. Of course, I’m kidding .. .but there were millions of them.

Nothing equals the raw power of the sounds of the thundering movement of the river as it wends it’s way along.  And really, really .. the spectacular sight of the salmon intent on getting back to their spawning grounds.  Being true to their being.  Awesome.

The sheer numbers and their sole focus was absolutely humbling in every way.   Who are we mere mortals, struggling along in our daily lives, filled with all sorts of meaningless activities … besides the basic instincts of wild animals simply living their live as nature intended.

We spent some time along the river.  Speechless with the view of such power .. words weren’t necessary ..   .

If you’ve ever spent time at such a place, then you will know the atmosphere of which I speak.  The raw power and absolute majesty of the nature fully alive was very powerful and fully inspirational.

What things can I not do, with the energy of this sight embedded in my heart?

So .. I took away with me a fully recharged energizing enthusiasm … it felt good to be thus renergized.   From nature.

Twas a great day.

And now .. out to the garden.

I’ve been going through my seed packet supply .. it’s quite sizeable.  Seeds going back to 1990.

So I did a little experiment.  I soaked 3 packages of tomato varieties .. in EM  . .. then placed them in seeding cells.  I know that it is July and some of the seeds, if they do germinate, might not attain a ripe red stage. But .. I just had to try!.

The I found some Calendula and poppy seeds .. so I just scattered handfuls around the back yard.   These I know will soon germinate and blossom .. adding more colour to the yard.

My lovely garlic is nearing the harvesting stage.  Seems only a few months ago I was carefully reshaping a patch of the garden, lovingly placing the cloves in little rows.  Feeding them EM and seaweed.  Soon, gulp, I will discover if the bulbs will be large or if all the goodness has gone to the stalks.  Well .. there is always next year.

And if I keep the sight of the salmon in my mind’s eye .. well then .. I’ll just keep on trying and trying till I attain a giant crop of garlic.

I’m already planning a shift change for next years garden .. but for now … I’ll just enjoy this one.

Happy Gardening.


by Leave a comment

This is so inspirational .. especially since I’m a professional procrastinator!! 🙂

smallestforest's avatar

If not Now, Zen when?

The sun is setting on the last day of my weekend (I work three days a week, take four days off…Lucky me? Darlink, luck has nothing to do with it!) and it was a great four days of painting, doodling. meditating, listening to music and audio books, and just sitting around enjoying the sun-drenched weather. Most of the little canvases in the photograph are in early stages; I only tiled them because they look nice together. they may look completley different when they’re done.

I’m so grateful for this lazy, creative break…and find that I am also looking forward to going in to work, tomorrow, because everything has its beautiful moments and reasons for being, and I am eager…almost hungry, now, for the outside world and its energies and people.

For three days I’ve seen and spoken only to my two favorite cats…snapped together here, in an unguarded moment (because…

View original post 140 more words


by Leave a comment

Happy Canada Day!!

On this most wonderful day, a Sunday …we are all celebrating Canada Day.

Weather here has been a mixed bag .. at times overcast and then the sun will break out.

Lots of activities going on .. something for everyone .. from parades to car shows .. fireworks .. you name it.

Many people are wearing Maple Leaf designs on flags, hats, clothing … nice to see the colourful red and white everywhere.

And two days without gardening for me … I feel the pain.   On Friday I spent most of the day outside .. finally planted some sweet peas … dug up two garlic plants … sadly, the bulbs weren’t very big .. so am hoping that the rest of them are larger.  Fingers crossed.

I spread the remaining seaweed mixture around the  yard.

Already, I am planning the shape changes for the garden for next year.  So much fun to play around with that. 

There are still a number of perennials to be planted … these will get planted next week, for sure.  I’ve been looking through some gardening books .. more ideas!

I’ve used pvc hoops (pvc lengths joined together, painted green) … shaped into aerial arches .. by sinking in lengths of rebar, then positioning one pvc end onto one and then placing the other pvc end on a 2nd rebar.  Makes a great inexpensive hoop.  Then I’ve placed screw along the sides .. and then strung up a plastic netting between the 2 sides of the pvc, wrapping the netting ends firmly onto the screws.  Works great .. peas, sweet peas and other climbing plants grow straight up.

So I have snap peas growing on the back arch and on Friday, I planted sweet peas on another.  Should be quite pretty in another month.

Started more seeds, orach, luffa (what the heck, the hot season is late) and a few other types.  Watered with EM .  Hope to plant them soon, when they sprout.

Yesterday we visited Stamp River  Falls.  We’ve flown over this area many times, but never .. until yesterday .. did we realize the mighty power of the falls.  Turns out that this year is phenomenal for sockeye Salmon!  They are so thick in the water that you could literally walk across the water on them!

Looking at the information on the fish ladder I am so humbled by the drive that takes these fish on the journey upriver to their spawning location.

These waters are white water rapids … the noise of the billowing rushing body of water thunders into the air.  The massive energy and power of this force of nature is simply overwhelming.  How puny are the acts of humans .. when compared to the power of the earth.

We knelt down on the cement, to watch through the metal guards of the fish ladder … saw the salmon fly into the air, against the powerful forces of the water.

Walked along to a lookout, saw the crowds of salmon milling about .. waiting their turn to enter the fish ladder.  Again saw the powerful leaps of the salmon fighting against the strong current of the river, to proceed, bit by bit up the river.  

Felt the strong pull of nature, ever powerful .. effortlessly regal and pure …. beautiful to see such true honest energy. 

Photos to follow!

Enjoy Canada Day .. cause I am!


by Leave a comment

Thursday, a day of cloud and rain and playing in the garden .. oh joy!

Friday, June 29, 2012

This slideshow requires JavaScript.


So Thursday was a mixed bag of weather, I seem to remember sunshine in the morning and later this morphed into an overcast type of day.

Perfect for puttering in the yard.

I continued to pursue the digging around the cherry tree. Poor ole ground has been neglected for a while, it’s mostly tough and unyielding. Time for a change.

Using a lot of the composted material from an area that has served as the latest composting area, the one with the spoiled hay and all the other goodies, I began to pile on the lovely decomposing material. Lovely earthy scent. Lots of big fat earthworms.

Using my lovely Lee Valley angled hand digger, I soon have the outline perfect. And then I used the edger to score neater edges, but the soil is that hard that the hand digging works better.

Soon I’ve added in the balance of all the mosses .. some of the potted Scotch mosses have grown so well since last year that they are nearly triple in size. Then I place some geraniums around .. they always add a spot of cheer. I’m not a big fan of annuals, but they do work to add that instant colour.

Looking at my finished work (but, you know, it’s not really finished, I’ll be adding some Sweet Woodruff and a few other low growing perennials) .. I can see that in just a month’s time, this area will be just be growing so well! And of course I added a generous amount of EM .. so should be seeing some differences of new growth in a few weeks. Pics to follow!

Mixed up a few more watering cans of diluted EM and generous applications made to perennials around the yard. Noticed that some of the plastic seams are coming apart one of the containers .. uh, oh, must remember to rinse them out with water .. the busy little critters are eating away the plastic!

Checking on my garlic .. starting to wonder if these vigorous stems and leaves will also lea to gigantic bulbs, or is all the growth going to them and not the bulb? gulp … only another week or so to find out. Although, my pal D says it’s ok to pick them anytime, so I might be tempted to try one today.

I keep finding little garlic scapes! Honestly, I swear that they hide beneath the leaves! Just when I think that I’ve gathered all of them, then I find a few more! In the fridge, I have a Ziploc bag of garlic scapes, they must weigh at least a pound or so, quite heavy. Today I’ll pick up some almond chips and whir up another batch tonight .. and will store them in the freezer, in round, patty shapes, easy to lift out one and add to quinoa or whatever.

Still picking up cherries dropped by the wind/birds. See the robins vying for the best ones at the top .. too high for us to climb with the ladder .. glad to see them enjoying the fruits.

The apples are getting larger and the berries are getting closer to that ripe stage.

Loving the peace and tranquility in the yard. Listening to beautiful music on the iPod, sipping a mug of Yorkshire Tea. Watching the birds zip around the yard. A bright yellow butterfly flits by.

Entering that place where creativity resides .. leaving only space for beauty, peace and joy. The magic of the garden .. that’s empowering.

Today, after a few necessary outside duties .. it’s back to the garden.

Lovely .. lovely .. lovely


by Leave a comment

A beautiful rainbow! Lots o healthy veggies . .What a lovely farm this is! and a vineyard, sigh.

Soulsby Farm - A Very Small Farm's avatarTwo Barn Farm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A double rainbow from yesterday. I think that’s a sign of a plentiful garden this year. Sounds good right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have been planting. Thanks to my brother Dave who enjoys waking me up before sunrise to get some seeds in before work. We’ve got corn, peas, bush beans, beets, radishes, carrots, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, basil, dill, parsley, and lots of flowers to attract pollinators.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zucchini is blowing up and my tomatoes are already flowering. Shouldn’t be long now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peas popping up and the peppers are doing great. They are already flowering! The rabbits are eating my beans so I have to take steps to deter them today. Maybe some Cayenne pepper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View original post 162 more words


by Leave a comment

Playing in the garden, making headway in decluttering. Continuing to watch the aerial art of clouds.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Wednesday was a treat, sunny from the start .. beautiful skies .. more interesting cloud formations.

Really made headway with sorting out my plant pots and have filled 5 large plastic bags with them, ready to give away.  More space for creative things.  I’ve decided that I don’t need to store hundreds of small, medium and large pots for future plantings.   The pots always seem to come into the yard, so no worries there.

Spent some time just moving things around the yard .. closer to the gate for recycling, composting, etc.

Observed Duncan cat sitting motionless at the edge of the side garden .. watching for some rodent or other to appear.  He glances over to me and then back to focusing on his target.  Seems I’m accepted now in his daily world .. he no longer runs away.   The trust is happening and that feels good.

I can hear the tiny chirps of the Bushtits, but they are so tiny that I don’t easily see them among the branches.

My little scotch moss plants have not thrived well .. that is, some of them have and some of them havent.  I’ve watered them, given them EM, but only a few tiny touches of the bright green foliage is seen.  So I decide to plant them, maybe the earth around their roots will entice them to grow.

I’ve been digging a circular area around the cherry tree … over the years the roots have grown up to the soil  in two places and I’m tired of tripping on them .. so I’ve decided to make a little area of plantings, a sort of canopied situation, if you will.

Yesterday, on my hands and knees, digging away with hand tools, forming a circular area, narrow trench, placed the Scottish (and one Irish!) mosses around the circle.  Feeling sad that I’ve let these plants down by not planting them right away.  Then . .my gaze moves to the lovely long tin planters that I’ve recently received from friends.   There are some very healthy Scottish mosses growing abundantly in them, I’d planted them about a month ago.

Ding!  Idea!  I’ll transplant these mosses into the circle edge and then .. ta da .. I’ll put some strawberry plants into the planters.  I love it when ideas click!  So that’s my first chore outside today.

then, some sweet woodruff .. this low-growing ground cover is a lovely plant and the whorled leaves, dried, have a vanilla scent that is reputed to repel moths.  If I were a moth would I like the scent?

The Kentucky Wonder Beans are living up to their name.  Recently planted from sprouted seeds, they seem to grow quite rapidly.  I’ve been taking pictures of their progress.  Ok, I wouldn’t make a very business like farmer . .I spend way too much time taking photos of plants in the yard.  Well . .I do have fun, though.

The skies continue to offer the most interesting cloud formations .. quite beautiful and relaxing to look at this aerial art.

Also spent some time digging a pathway in the newly created garden (spoiled hay, alpaca &  goat manure,  leaf mulch, compost).  Decided to a) remove a narrow pathway amidst this growing area so that b) I could toss some of the soil beneath the cherry tree!  This involved moving some of the kale plants .. and I discover that this large leafy plants thrive on a very small rootstock!

I’ve recently planted some squash and zucchini plants here and look forward to the long lazy growth of the plants.

This area gets the full morning and late afternoon soon .. I’ve been watching this place for days.  Good area to grow.

The raspberries are becoming pink, the blueberries are staying green ..but we were able to harvest a few strawberries.  The cherries are ripest at the top, of course, where the sun hits them.  The birds feast on these as we don’t have a ladder long enough.  We’ll enjoy the cherries on the lower branches.  As I was raking up the ground around the cherry tree .. I was picking up the fallen fruit .. enough to fill a large plant pot .. wah!!

Onwards with this day .. moss to transplant, strawberries too!  More digging, more plantings, skies to watch, birds to see.

🙂


by Leave a comment

Oh wow …. I’m just speechless .. this looks too delicioue .. and so simple!!!

Emily's avatarVoila!

Even though pizza on the grill may be pretty much the best way to cook pizza at home, this is a close second with no grill necessary. And a grill can’t be necessary for recipes in our house because we don’t have one. So, here’s the deal: make some dough from your favorite recipe (and if you have a favorite, can you pass it on to me?) or get the store bought kind (Harris Teeter sells the dough they use for their pizza’s), then layer up the sauce and toppings of your choice. We had fresh onions and leeks from our excursion out to a local farm so that’s what I added on this one. Pizza is a blank slate just waiting to be experimented with.

Ingredients
3 leeks, sliced thin
1 1/2 onion, cut in half the sliced thin
2 1/2 T. butter
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
salt…

View original post 162 more words


by 1 Comment

Yum .. Leek Pesto recipes!!!! (and other good foods also, looks very interesting, especially the veggie pancakes!