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 love my little garden .. it’s my favourite place to be.

Friday, June 22, 2012

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Thursday was a warm, muggy day .. rain is going to be happening in a day or so.   Spent hours and hours spreading the iridea out on the framed trellis sections.  My makeshift outdoor gardening play area, comprised of two fold-out tables.  Used those handy Rubbermaid containers, styrofoam rooting flats and empty blue garbage cans (these are only ever used for gardening).  And thanks to my pal J B for these lovely blue containers.  They are so handy for storing plant items outside, protecting contents from the rain.  And .. they look pretty!

All the plants are looking a bit parched so I watered as much as I could.  The days are longer and so I was working (playing) till after 8 pm.  Wow.

Looked at the containers of seaweed that I really meant to spread on the garden yesterday, but didn’t .. so that’s one chore today.

Tell me .. is this the sign of: a) an avid gardener; b) an obsessed gardener; or c) a very bored person .. when I dream of the vegetables I’ll be planting, where I’ll be planting them, how I will augment the soil and where to place any trellised thingies for the plants to grow up on?

I mean, I woke up this morning, from a dream where I was working away like crazy in the garden.

Some people dream of great inventions and bring them to life .. me .. I just seem to dream a lot about gardening .. maybe it’s just the summer.

Well, a harmless addiction, I must say.

So ..I’m very happy with the progress of the garden.   Especially the new-ish plantings at the side of the yard, along the fenceline.  Tiny plants right now and I can visualize them in a few months time.  Thanks to the waterings of EM, the good soil.  And next week I’ll be ordering yards of that lovely Miracle Mulch.   Comprised of shredded branches, leaves which I will mulch along the sides of the gardens along the fencelines.   Just for the perennials, not the edibles.

Which reminds me, the raspberry canes are just going crazy, along one side of the yard.  I thought I had removed every darn one and transplanted them.  But no … up they sprout.

Well, we will have lots of raspberries, that’s for sure.

Not so sure about the cherries .. the strong winds of the past few weeks have knocked a lot of them down.  And, since the birds are welcome to the cherries at the top of the tree .. I would like to make a pie or two from those that remain on the lower branches.

There will be lots of plums this year!  And apples .. and blueberries (my DH loves these!)  Lots of squash, pumpkins, peas, beans.

I love my little garden …. it’s my little Paradise, my refuge from the busyness of the city.  My oasis, where time doesn’t exist .. and .. after I make a pot of Yorkshire Tea .. .that is where I am heading for the entire day.

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee


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Wednesday brings good fortune for me and bad karma for others!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

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Wednesday was one of those rare sunny days .. these ones that appear from time to time, and deludes us into  thinking that summer has arrived.  I’ve not yet put my winter clothes away yet and have found that procrastination has paid off!  For the sunny days, there are my capris and t-shirts.  For chilly days, I have my lined cargo plants, t-shirts & jackets.  Gloves and scarves too.

But yesterday was a summery day as my pal D & I headed off to a local beach to collect seaweed for the garden.

Tide was at its lowest about 9:15 …. and it was lovely to see that we could walk way .. way out to the ocean!  It was a nice quiet day, perfect for selecting this treasured material for the garden.

I’m very careful to only collect that seaweed which is dried or otherwise not still attached to rocks and yesterday, due to the heat, there was a nice crispy layer on the surface of the wet seaweed.  So I was rolling the top layer like Sushi!

I’d brought my trusty old Rubbermaid containers, the same units I’ve been using for over 20 years.  Originally I’d used them to store the variety of pot-pourri, moth repellents (herbal), stove top spices and bath herbs, back in the day when I was making the rounds of craft sales.  And also selling these items, packaged, in stores, on a small-scale.

These containers were just plain handy.  Anyway, as I started to fill them up, I noticed that there weren’t as many there as when I’d started.  I had brought 11 and now there were only 7.   Mystified, trying to understand why someone would take 4 of these .. didn’t make sense.  Perhaps there are people who just like to take things that are on a beach?

Well, karma will out.  Next time I’ll write my name on my few remaining containers.  I just hope that whoever took them finds these containers to be as useful to them as they have been to me.

Anyway, collecting done, containers filled, tucked in the car .. it’s time to relax in the sun.  Body aching from hours of bending, collecting, filling, lifting.  It was sheer heaven to settle in on the warm rocks and breathe in the beautiful fresh air.

As always, we meet people who ask what we are doing .. and explain that the seaweed is good for the garden.  Adds minerals and texture to the soil.  enriches the compost.  Garlic loves it and slugs avoid it.

We have both taken an intensive seaweed workshop and understand how to properly harvest any living seaweed, cut off just a little and leave the plant growing.

At the end of our long outing, the decision was made to visit a different little place for our special treats.  We had been going to a little place that was noisy and that was just not relaxing.  So yesterday we went to another place.

And wow .. it was as if we had been transplanted to a lovely little European bakery!  It’s called “Little Vienna Bakery” and what a beautiful change this was for us.   Entering the welcoming open front door (and there were precious mosaic designed bistro tables & matching chairs near the entranceway)… we found ourselves in the most delightful bakery.

Gilt framed mirrors were everywhere.   Spacious tables were positioned so that everyone could comfortably visit and have privacy .. no crowding of tables.   We chose a little table outside .. and were rewarded with the most colourful flowering vista!  Vehicles could be heard but not seen.  Instead, our eyes saw towering banks of colourful foxglove, a wall of sunny California Poppies, waves of delicate red poppies.  And there were other perennials also, but my eyes were drawn towards the cheerful palette of the flowers.

How wonderful to find this oasis .. a perfect way to finish our day’s outing!  Sandwiches, soups, cheeses .. are all served here.  D had the poppy-seed bar, delicate and delicious (she shared with me) and I .. fell in love….  with the Schnecke!  Bought 2, 1 cinnamon and 1 chocolate (a treat for my DH).   Well, I broke off a little piece of the cinnamon one and found myself unable to stop.   So .. bought another one, as a treat, for when I was home.  Luckily there was one remaining in the case, otherwise, I don’t know, I might have broken down and cried if they were all gone.  So I was saved that embarrassment!

D pronounced the Schneckes as perfect, identical to the dainty pastries that were served in Vienna!   So the quality of the pastries, in conjunction with the most beautiful surroundings, the decadent regality of the gilt framed mirrors .. all added to the magnificence of this treasured place.  Oh, and they serve meals also, Breakfast & Lunch.  As well as wheat free products (as in the poppy-seed bar).

I think that next time I will have a grilled Panini .. they have a choice of Sicilian and Parisienne.  Well, with names like that, I just know that they will be delicious (really, though, I know they will be delicious .. cause in this beautiful bakery, everything is beautiful and tasty)  .   I’ll order the Parisienne next time, and I’ll just pretend that I’m back in France, wandering around dusty side streets .. listening to the language being spoken all around.  sigh.

Here is the site for the Vienna Bakery:  http://littleviennabakery.com/

As I was sitting there, looking around at the flowers, D whispered … don’t move!  A striking red and black butterfly had settled on the black ribbon encircling my hat, I was totally unaware.  So I passed the camera to her and she clicked away.  Luckily . .she was able to snap two good photos showing the butterfly nice and clear.  I’ve not seen a butterfly as striking as this one.  So I wondered, is this a sign of good luck?   That’s what I’ll interpret the little visit as.

It made up for the loss of my four containers.   And I released the negativity that I was feeling over the theft.

Soon, time to begin the trek home.  Back in traffic.  Happy for the day’s outing.  It’s so much fun to spend a day like this every once in a while.  Fresh air, sandy beaches.  D noticed a deer and a mink at the beach .. she always notices these things.

Back home, I emptied the containers from the car, and began the process of moving them to the back yard.  Some that I had gathered was for the bath so these I placed out on framed lattice sections, to dry.   The rest .. well I’ll be digging that into the garden today.


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Flying and Gardening .. what a great mix for a Tuesday, wouldn’t you say?

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

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Tuesday starts off nice and sunny.   Plans to go outside and play in the garden change .. as DH & I head off to the local airport.

Early lunch.

Tuesdays, Dak prepares authentic Vietnamese food and today this is curried chicken!  With 2 decadent pork deep-fried egg rolls.  I’m so hungry after a few days of not being able to eat much .. and chow down.  Still, need help from my DH to finish the generous portion of curried chicken, rice, pea pods and green peppers.

A few cups of tea and then we are outside … DH to prep the plane for our flight .. and me .. to tend to the garden outside the restaurant.  I’ll post a few pics later.

Due to the magical mix of EM, lots of sun and ample rain .. all the plants are growing well.  Except .. a bit of care is needed.  The Calendula flowers are rapidly going to seed and need to be ruthlessly cut down ..  no worries .. they will grow again.

I was so busy clipping and watering, that I didn’t take pics .. but will remedy this next week.  For yesterday, though, I showed tough love  .. cutting away the sections that were going to seed ( I have tons of Calendula seeds anyway).  The Mallow plants (like mini-lavatera) are at least 3 feet high, the seed heads have been forming and so it is time to cut them down.   I have millions of lavatera seeds collected from previous years, so no worries.

The lavender and pansy flowers are quite lush.   The sages are also flowering and I’m hoping to collect seeds from the purple and the green/white variegated sages .. this year.

The Rosemary plants are thriving.  As a matter of fact, all of the plants here are drought tolerant .. that’s why I chose them .. so they are tough as nails.

Next time I go out there, I’ll take lots of pics to share!

So I connected the hose and started watering the plants .. until it was time to fly away!

Being that it was such a beautiful sunny day .. the airport was kind of busy, so we had to wait a little bit before we took off.

What a marvellous time we had .. flew local .. I never get tired of this.  And so thankful that DH provided me with ground school and hours of co-pilot time (with the most wonderful instructor, Kirsten .. she is the best . an amazing instructor) last year.

I am so very happy when we are up in the air.  And, really, not having a sense of direction ..I’m ever so content to sit in the passenger seat!

Loved seeing the fluffy clouds way up high in the sky.  Seeing the tidy ploughed fields below.  the farms looking like little play toys.

After our flight, DH allowed me to dismiss my co-pilot duties and continue on to the garden so that I could finish a thorough watering of the garden area outside of the Dakota Cafe.

Not having my clippers, kneeling pads, and other gardening paraphernalia . .I worked away with a cutting knife, deadheading flowers and then watering the beds.   I’ll work more next week.  I love this volunteer gardening at the cafe .. and have plans to liven up the planter pots.

So tea … and relax in the sun for a bit.

Later, back home .. time to continue with the side yard plantings.  More boxwood cuttings are planted, along with the Southernwood.

And .. emptying the styrofoam planters .. I see the amazing root formations that have taken place on the Southernwood and the other cuttings, including the cedar cuttings.  These I tried, just for the heck of it, last fall.

Yesterday, when I removed the green cedar sections (branch tips) from the planters .. I didn’t actually see roots .. but, I did see the sturdy thick layer forming at the bottom of the stems .. which appear to be the beginnings of hardy roots.   So .. I coat these in mycorrhizal powder and put them all in a single pot … for the summer.  Then, in the fall, I’ll put them back in one of the styrofoam rooting planters.

Then, time to empty the Rubbermaid containers full of seaweed.    Place some around the garlic, some around the squash and tomato plants.  Some, also, in the new veggie section where I will be planting the Kentucky beans .. today, definitely.

I see that Yorkshire Tea has a contest on right now .. a chance to win a YT teapot .. so I quickly fill out the online form and submit.  Fingers, toes and eyes crossed.

This was  quite a day.  Spent mostly in the garden .. with a lovely bit of time way up in the sky with my sweetie ….   it was a great day!

🙂


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Oh, how delicious this quinoa recipe is .. using pesto & broccoli!! Delicious!

Jen Elizabeth's Journals's avatarThe Scrumptious Pumpkin

For a long time, a container of quinoa sat collecting dust in my kitchen cabinet.

I bought it because I’d heard – many times – about how easy and extremely healthy it is (full of fiber, protein, and antioxidants).

It made my pantry look all modern and healthy, sitting there … unopened.

The thing was, I wasn’t sure: 1) how to cook it and 2) how to season it so it tasted delicious instead of bland.

I finally decided to dive in and try it when I thought: why not mix pesto in?

I tried adding a broccoli and lemon pesto.

And I found that quinoa has a satisfying, nutty texture that’s complemented perfectly by a creamy pesto made of broccoli, onion, lemon, and pine nuts.

It was really, really tasty. And really, really easy.

I’m now quinoa’s biggest fan. Does Quinoa have a Facebook page?  I would ‘Like’ it…

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A fresh batch of garlic scape pesto all mixed up! Enjoying time spent in the garden.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

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And so the winds continued yesterday.  Sun came out .. .went for a break, then decided to shine for a while.   Glad to have you back, transforming the yard!

I’ve started taking a teaspoon of the EM concentrate every day .. as it seemed to have been very effective in warding off a recent ailment that was bothering me.   Yea again to the magic of EM.   I’d listened to someone who shared that she has taken a spoon daily for a few years and has managed to avoid catching strong colds that were affecting her friends.  Those kinds of colds that really knock you off your feet.  So I’ve heeded her story and have begun with the daily EM.  It tastes quite sharp and not bad at all.

Decided it was time to mix up a batch of garlic scape pesto… so quickly chopped, put in the blender, added olive oil, finely shredded parmesan and almond slices (slightly browned in a small cast iron pan).  Loosely guided by a recipe found on the ‘net .. I soon had a delicious mix prepared.  Garlicy .. delicious.

Next, I placed a small amount in wax paper and into the freezer, to firm up a bit.  Later, I placed sections in a small square of w/paper, formed into a small circular shape, and piled them in glass containers for the freezer.  Now, I’m all set to use a bit in the next recipe.

And speaking of which, I found a great blog with a variety of pesto recipes and one in particular for pesto broccoli quinoa .. I’ll reblog that one!

Yesterday I was getting back in my stride … feeling so much better.  Spent hours outside … finally potting up those herb seeds from a gift years ago.  Funny, the seed packets note to “use the seeds before 2006” … ha ha, I scoff, as I soak the contents of each packet in a diluted EM solution.  We’ll see, my pretties!

Don’t know what I’ll do if all the seeds sprout, though!  There are: coriander, thyme, parsley,  basil and some spinach.   Bumper crop.  Then I found some lovely squash seeds and my wonderful luffa.  I’ll just try a few of the luffa seeds .. to see if I can actually grow some.  Fingers crossed.

Then I spent some time unpotting some Scotch moss, separated some of the plants into two sections, soaked them in diluted EM and placed them at the side garden, in front of the boxwood.  This area is starting to look great.  And I scattered hundreds of Calendula seeds in this area.  These flowers grow like weeds.  Lovely yellow and orange coloured petals.  Then I can collect the petals for future use.   Ah, at times it seems as if I’m regressing .. I used to do this years ago.

I plan to get back into soap making .. on a small-scale, just for the fun of it.  I’ll not use tallow this time .. will focus on the cocoanut base and other plant-based materials.  And I do not plan to go into business this time … so will just enjoy the pleasure of creating a small variety of soaps for friends and myself.

Watched the baby sparrows learning from their parents, how to feed at the bird feeders.   I can hear their tiny chirps high above in the trees.  They sound cute.  Still looking forward to seeing the little woodpeckers, chickadees and other birds.

Funny how time just disappears in the garden.  Such an enjoyable place to be.  And I’m very slowly decluttering ..   planting the cuttings started last year.   Collecting all unused plant pots.   I’m really making headway .. and  … enjoying the journey!

🙂


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More on garlic and the powers of EM

Monday, June 18, 2012

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So, the winds arrived on Sunday .. well, they were really a continuation from the past few days.  They really dry out the soil so I had my little garden sprinkler on in several places, in particular in the garlic patch.

Still gathering some garlic scapes.  Funny, some of them are so small, they are easy to miss.  I’ve read that only hardneck has scapes, but I’m also finding them on the soft neck also.

I’d purchased 4 types of garlic from Richter’s a few years ago… had started off with a lovely sign for each type, or so I’d thought.  Quite cute, I thought, writing the name of the garlic on a large shell, using permanent black felt marker.   Until the weathering from the rain and the winters caused the letters to fade.  I was then left with quite a quantity of garlic and used to guess which bulbs they were.

Well, the Kazakhstan, Music and a few others were just mixed in together.  Now I realized that I am not the world’s best organizer in the world of plants and that just suits me fine.  Gotta live with what’s there, right?  I’ll leave it to other gardeners to neatly label, sort and plant nice orderly gardens.  That just doesn’t work with me.

And this just adds to the zany colourful and magical world of gardening.

I’d also purchased a few Elephant garlic cloves from a market stall and planted these alongside the fence at the side of the yard.  Last year I was rewarded with several baseball sized single cloves.  These were just delicious . .mild and flavourful.

What I would love is a large field so I could plant more garlic .. am I obsessed?  That’s ok if I am .. not a bad obsession, I think.  Our next place will definitely have more space for gardening.  I’m using this year to show my sweetie that I really can be tidier and organized (in my own way, though!) and am getting to be more successful in growing fruits and veggies.

This success, though, is mainly due to that most wonderful EM .. with the addition of seaweed.  And also some spent hops which I collect from time to time.  Adding to the lovely garden beds.  And the best compost of my life .. now that I’m more aware of the correct procedures of composting.  Information learned in the OMG course, Gaia College.  Changed my life forever in the way that I garden.

So, anyway, yesterday .. I’d been hit, out of the blue, by some kind of bug that must have been picked up when we went out for supper a few nights ago.  So I fought it as best I could.  Taking a spoonful of concentrated EM … feeling the improvement.  Lots of water with lemon.   Tried to work outside, but no energy .. oh, I dislike being ill, yes I do.

Still, I dressed up for gardening, not keeping a good woman out of her garden!  Topped up the bird feeders … they were empty, whether due to the winds shaking the contents about or perhaps a heavy influx of birds, who knows!

Wandered back to the latest gardening area.   Planning to fill in some areas with spoiled hay, seaweed gathered last week.  Mix in some soil.  Plant some squash and some basil.  Lovely.

And I have this great little herb seed gift pack from years ago to plant up.  The kit contains some great little labels, printed on think copper sign posts.  They will look great.

Played with my new lawnmower .. so happy to have a push mower again!  Two-fold activity .. burn a few calories and cut the grass without pollution and noise .. hmm .. that’s three-fold!

Gathered a few more roses for drying.  Abundant blooms this year.  Can you say “EM”?

Wandered around the garlic plants .. those scapes keep growing, even when picked.  And today, I’ll make up another batch of garlic scape pesto, adding lots of garlic gathered from last years crop.  This is green-gold!!

Another great day.  And today .. energized, time to go outside and play some more.

🙂


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Taking advantage of the rainy Saturday to just putter around the yard and just plain enjoying being outside

Sunday, June 17, 2012

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Saturday .. a mix of rain ..and clouds.   Outside for a little bit.  The day was for puttering around.  Not a day for massive amounts of work.

I like these kinds of days.  Time to relax, be creative.  Perfect opportunity to just focus on some little things to do.  Those things that get cast aside when the urge to work hard and dig and move hits me.

So yesterday I took advantage of this little window of fun.  Started off by putting more empty pots in a container .. to be washed out and either given away or recycled.

Next, time to clear off my little outdoor working table.   It’s one of those white plastic patio tables that I bought many years ago at Sears during a Saturday sale.  The umbrella is long gone .. but the usefulness of the table lives on.  Just the perfect size and weight so that I can easily move around the yard for my various projects.   The legs are easily undone and the unit stored away when not needed.

A quick scrub and a rinse with the hose and the table’s surface is proper again.

The rain continues … it changes from a light mist, moves on to a drizzle and then pours down.  Oh, it feels wonderful to be outside at this time.  Nice and cosy.  I tuck my i-Pod and camera into one of those new little clear plastic storage boxes, purchased at Canadian Tire yesterday.  Handy little things, these are and perfect for the rain.

First chore … is to finally pot up some miniature rose plants …. gifts from the Christmas season.  Nicely watered with EM and time for them to be planted in some real soil, instead of the shredded coconut fibre that they were packed in.  So now they are sitting pretty in some cheerful blue coloured round garden pots.  Did I hear a sigh of relief as their roots settled into real soil?  Or was that just my imagination???   🙂

Well, I feel better anyway!

Then, time to pot up some flax seeds.   These have a good history to them.   And a special importance.  They are from a collection belonging to a person who was quite ardent in permaculture, in recycling, in all the healthy and non-pollutant ways of living.

I was lucky enough to ask for and receive one of the packets of flax at her service earlier this year.   And promised to share these with friends.   I’d originally intended to repackage the seeds into several small envelopes, but, seeing that I’d inadvertently left a lot of my seeds outside (oops)… it was time to just plant them the best way that I could.  Thus the little pots.  Once they start to grow a bit more … then it will be time to share them.  And for me to plant some in my yard.   Positive memories and inspiration for the future.

During some breaks in the rain, I wandered around the yard, admiring the beautiful crystal clear droplets of water that bejewelled the leaves and flowers.  Such decadent beauty.

Finding more garlic scapes (they will keep on growing after I’ve broken off the scapes) .. .and gathered them all up.  Yum …. more garlic pesto!!

Looking forward to harvesting the garlic .. that will be just so much fun, like Christmas morning!

Just last October, I’d reshaped the garlic bed and carefully planted lots and lots of these wonderful bulbs.   And now, with the lovely mulched soil, lots of EM and a healthy topping of seaweed .. I have a true garlic forest!

Stopped for a while and watched the little Chestnut-Backed Chickadees foraging for insects and spiders in the white lilac tree.  Loving their little nasal chirps.  Wonder where the Red-Breasted Nuthatches are …. as these two travel together, or so I’m told.

Looking forward to the new baby Bushtits.  Last fall & winter there were so many in the yard.  Then spring arrived and there was one couple .. so I was wondering where they might have set up a nest in the yard.   There are plenty of places around our yard for them to set up a little home.

Spent some time just relaxing outside, enjoying the peace and quiet, the sounds of the birds.  The sounds of the raindrops pelting the leaves.  Breathing in the wonderful earthy smell of the wet ground around me.  Utterly content.

🙂


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Excellent information on worm composting, especially on what to feed these beneficial composters!

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

Step by Step Instructions on how to build your very own Worm Composting Bin. This is a 5 minute project. I completed it in 3 minutes with a cold beer in one hand. You can buy worms locally or from several sources online. I purchased 2lbs of Red Wigglers online for $29.99.

Here’s all you need:
2 Rubbermaid  tubs (or cheap knock-off like these) or some old 5 gal buckets.
2 blocks (in this case a couple 2×4 pieces)
Shredded Paper (I find that worms like bill  collection letters the best)
Kitchen Scraps (no meat or dairy products just veggies)
Crushed egg shells (provide calcium)
Cheerios and coffee grounds (with filter)
Worms (Red Wigglers or Eisenia foetida, are the best compost worms)
Drill (2 bits 1/8″ and 1/4″)

Step 1: Drill 1/8″ holes in the top (for oxygen) and 1/4″ holes in the bottom for worm juices. In…

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The Universe is kind .. and now I have a manual lawnmower and a grapevine to plant, in the sun

Saturday, June 16, 2012

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So, yesterday, I spent nearly the whole day in the garden, from early morning till later afternoon.

My intention was to proceed with the clearing up of cuttings made last spring, sort plant pots.  Decided to make a pile of things to give away, including the majority of those fantastic hard styrofoam flats that are just magic for propagating those difficult things, like boxwood, bay laurel, etc.

There are about 80 cells in each flat.    Each cell is about 2 inches in diameter at the top and tapers down to about 1/2 ” .. and they are about 4 ” deep.   They offer tremendous protection throughout the seasons to encourage root formation.  And the root formation for the bay laurels are very strong.  Each time I pried up a cutting from a cell and saw the tremendous root growth .. my belief in the magic of gardening was affirmed.

So I emptied 4 of these flats, have a few more to go.   I was very strict with myself, and any cuttings that didn’t show any roots .. well, they go into the compost.

Next .. I looked at the flats of Boxwood .. what to do with these plants?  I’d originally made the cuttings  …. just to see if they would root.  And they all did!  I was going to have a plant sale, but … changed my mind.  And then the idea began, of actually using these little plants in the yard.

So, I began digging away at the back side of the yard .. at the location where I had located my gigantic leaf compost pile last year.   The soil here is very good.  Gently digging away at the area … I began planting the tiny boxwood plants.   Shook away the soill they grew in, dusted the roots with mycorrhizal fungi to encourage strong growth.

Soon, I had a little border of these plantings.  They look tiny now, but just wait a few months!  I temporarily placed some other potted plants here and there, just to see what the effects would be.  Some variegated grasses, daisies.   Irish Moss will be at the front of the row.  They add a touch of brilliant green foliage and brighten up this area.

Once I’ve determined the final shaping of this area and the little veggie place at the back (where I’ll plant those Kentucky Wonder beans!) .. then I’ll put some ground up tree branch mulching … the final remnants of some free material that I gathered from a residence, thanks to Used Victoria.

This will add a good finish to the ground, allowing a soft surface to the little paths here.   And I just don’t like the look of bare ground, anyway.  The mulch will add a sort of carpet like feel to this area.

After hours of digging, on my hands and knees, moving things here and there I was just getting a little tired, so decided to go inside, make a cup of Yorkshire Tea .. and just for the heck of it .. turned on the computer.

Went to Used Victoria and … voila . … there was an ad for a push mower, only a year old and just $10!  Plus, I was the first viewer!!!  Quickly called the owner, and I was the first contact!  So raced over there .. and made my purchase!

I’d really been wanting a push mower.  The last one I owned had been quite heavy and difficult to move, so I’d given it away.

Plus, met some lovely little doggies and some rescued ferrets.  Turns out this gentleman and his wife care greatly for these little animals.  At this time, they have 4, but in the past, they’ve had quite a few.  So inspirational to meet such lovely kind people who care for animals.

Yippee ..  my new lawn mower in my car .. time to make a few grocery purchases on the way home.  And, what do you know!  Plants are on sale at a local supermarket!   There was a lovely selection of ferns, so I chose 4 (includes a Japanese painted fern, beautiful).   Was thinking also about getting another grape-vine, but decided against it.

I’d planted a grapevine in a sort of sunny/shady area a few years ago.  It’s not grown much.  That is, it hadn’t grown much … until .. I watered EM on it!  Now it has flourished and is growing like crazy.  I wouldn’t be surprised if I was able to actually see grapes this year.

Well, wonder of wonders!  There was a grapevine in the store that was going to be discarded, and magically, it was given to me!    This one I will plant in the sun and feed it lots of EM.

How lucky am I, then?   Two wonderful items that I’d really wanted and now I have them!

Back home, I try out the mower .. works great.   The front grassy section of the yard isn’t even, so I had quite a workout and burned a few calories.  Great fun.

So, Friday was a wonderful day for gardening and so onwards and upwards, will continue today!

🙂


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Loving the magic of EM and the effects on all the plants in the yard.

Friday, June 15, 2012

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Thursday started out as an overcast, windy and chilly day.  Which later changed to a sunny and occasionally windy day.  Perfect for drying off the small batch of rock weed gathered at the beach a few days ago.  Air smells lovely with the scent of the sea, mineral laden air, how lovely..

I spread  the small amount of the rock weed into a number of deep sided, woven baskets so that the brisk winds could freely enter  these containers, without swirling the contents into the air.  Seems to have been effective, they are drying .. although they’ll need to sit in the sun for a few more hours.  Today is perfect.

Making sure that the bird feeders are kept filled so that our winged friends can dine in style!  I see the colourful House Finches queueing up at one feeder.   The slightly nasal chirp of the Chestnut-Backed Chickadees sound throughout the yard … they visit the feeders and the suet blocks.   They must be getting used to me, as I was standing by the feeder and one by one, they flew to the feeder, quickly chose a tiny black oiled sunflower, tightly held between their talons and pecked away the hard shell, and munched on the tender meat of the seed.

Is it just my imagination or are these birds a little tired from taking care of the youngsters?   The amazing magical instinctual nurturing is taking place in the current raising of feathery offspring.   I certainly hope that I can see some of the young Chickadees and Bush-Tits flying around.

Yesterday I had a goal .. which was to continue clearing away my propagating area and to create  another small growing space for those amazing Kentucky Wonder Beans.  Found myself spending hours digging out rooted cuttings of lavender, bay laurel, Buddleia, Artemisia.   Potted them up … plan to either install them in a garden area, or leave in pots for another year, so that they can grow a little more before being planted.

Time disappeared .. and all that existed was the exciting discovery of strong root growth in these little cuttings that I’d started last fall.  The natural processes of the life force in the cuttings worked away quietly during the fall, winter and spring seasons.

I think how far my garden knowledge has come since this time last year.  Hard to believe that I really thought that I had so much garden expertise at that time.  My gardening life totally changed once I began the Organic Master Gardening program through Gaia College, held at Royal Roads University.

Now I am aware of the millions of life forms that exist in the soil beneath my feet.  The beneficial and cyclical world that I was so unaware of.  And the amazing power of EM (effective microorganisms).  That alone was worth the cost and time of the course.

I’m constantly preparing batches of EM for the garden.  The plants have grown so well, healthy, strong, and I just can’t single out one plant that is doing so magnificently.  As a matter of fact, every single plant, from the garlic to the blueberries .. the apple and plum trees also.  The tomatoes .. the strawberries .. .all are amazing.

Power to the EM!!

🙂

And I’m still finding little “treasures” in the yard … that somehow keep popping up!  yesterday I found a small section of plastic train track beneath an apple tree.  From whence it came, I do not know . .yet, there it was!  Curious .. I picked it up.    Perhaps a bird flew by and dropped it there?

Anyway .. back out to the yard .. and more EM to be established on plantings.   Today will be a sunshiny day .. and rain is expected for the weekend!  Good for the plants.