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.

Tag Archives: Garden


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Sunny days, blue skies .. it’s shaping up to be a lovely summer

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

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Lovely sunny weekend up-island .. temperatures in the 30’s and hot, hot, hot …. Till we came back home to the rain.  However, the sun returned here yesterday and continues so that is a good sign.

I had added quite a lot of EM to the garden on Friday and so it was nice to see that the plants are growing well.  Especially the squash and the tomatoes.  In particular, a tired sunflower, missing the companionship of the garlic, had begun to lean over an topple to the ground.  So I braced it up with a garden fork …   but the pore ole thing still continued to topple.  So I watered it quite well with EM … and today, 4 days later, the lovely plant is doing much better and the flower is starting to open.  Pics tomorrow.

Lots of cherries .. and lots for the birds.  I froze some and dehydrated some in the oven.   Lovely to have fruit from the garden.

There will be a surplus of apples in the garden .. so we’ll be sharing them with friends.  If I had a cider press, I would think of having cider made .. but .. perhaps I can find out the details of having them pressed somewhere .. something to check out.

I was quite content this afternoon to work away outside in the yard .. until the “noisy” neighbour decided to used his shredder outside.  I can only imagine that he gathers branches from nearby yards, cause he really doesn’t have much left in his little tiny yard .. to shred.  He is the type that leaves the machine running while he tip toes around the yard, sweeping up leaves.  Not exactly true, but you get the picture!    So instead of trying to have yet another “conversation” with him .. I decided to come inside for a little peace and quiet.

Funny  how some people feel a need to make noise with machinery in the faint pursuit of gardening, while others are content to mulch and garden more quietly.   It’s a world, though, isn’t it.

Today I’m drying sea lettuce and some bull kelp, freshly gathered.  The yard smells quite ocean-like and the time was quiet while I was carefully drying my lovely garden gold!

Reminds me of a conversation that I had recently with some visitors from the Netherlands.  The whole family, except for mom .. flew sailplanes .. so we had the opportunity to talk a little about gardening.  Sadly, seaweed is not readily available in that country and when it is . .it is quite expensive.  I  feel  so lucky that I’m able to just get in my car and go up-island to gather some.

Ah .. lovely lovely summer days …. So energizing to just go outside and enjoy the quiet …. Yes .. the quiet .. my noisy neighbour has finished his machine work for now .. so I’ll take advantage of the restfulness of this time.

🙂


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If I hadn’t gone shopping for a cherry pitter, I would have missed the most luxurious vehicle I have ever seen in my life!

Friday, July 13, 2012

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Friday .. the 13th .. is such a lucky day for me!

After the surprise hailstorm of very early morning, the day developed into a lovely sunshiny day!

I tended the gardens at Dakota, ruthlessly clipping away at vegetation .. then a lovely soak with water and a generous application of EM!  I look forward to next week to see the difference.

Finally, I’ve been applying EM to our yard .. and about time!   Everything is growing so well.   The seaweed adds a lovely perfume to the yard … a delicate ocean scent.  And the amazing minerals are feeding the garden.

Picked more raspberries, blueberries and a few tiny red currants.   Then, a few hours picking the cherries … the ripest are beyond my reach, even with a ladder .. so the birds will continue their feasting for a while.

Finally splurged on buying a cherry pitter.   Since I long ago give away the one I had .. because I didn’t need it.  sigh.  So I’ll keep this one.  A few nights ago I spent hours at the kitchen sink, busily cutting open the cherries in preparation for dehydrating in the oven.  Let me tell you, the cherry juice was all over the counter and a bit of a mess.  So I splurged tonight.

So very happy to see the Downy Woodpecker back in the yard!    I missed you .. I whispered .. welcome back.

The Chickadees love the fat that I placed in the feeders …. trying to keep the sparrows away, they are drawn like magnets when I place the suet block there .. so I’m taking a break from them.

Started reshaping the yard again . .now that the garlic has been harvested.   Digging a path by the raspberry bushes …. the yard directs me and I follow, shovel in hand.   Kind of fun and surprising.

Then I planted a few squash plants .. ready to grow up a meshed area.   EM’s like crazy.

Really enjoyed the peace and quiet of the yard today … playing music that I purchased last year when I visited the Sequim Lavender Faire …if I go this year, I’ll buy a few more dvds.

When I was returning from my trip to the supermarket, to purchase the cherry pitter .. I saw the most amazing car I have ever seen in my life!!

It was across the road, waiting to turn right and I quickly took out my handy camera and clicked away .. as the light changed to green, suddenly the road was filled with traffic and I wasn’t able to get a pic. So, the lovely driver, waited, after the light had changed .. and remained in place while I clicked a few pictures!  Thank you!!!

So, here is the car in all of its majestic classic shiny black beautifulness .. and .. if anyone is able to identify this luxurious motor vehicle for me .. well, thank you in advance and I’ll post the name with the picture.

And I owe this lovely surprise to my decision to buy the cherry pitter.   If not for that, I would have missed this amazing spectacle.

So .. remember .. acting on a whim results in lovely surprises!

Enjoy your weekend ..

🙂


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

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

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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.


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

Friday, June 29, 2012

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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


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

Thursday, June 28, 2012

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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.

🙂


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Sunday .. a day of sun .. enjoying the beauty of flowers and the joys of flying.

Monday, June 25, 2012

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We were very lucky yesterday, the weather did not turn out as predicted and we were treated to a hot sunny summer’s day!

Lots of flowers blooming away .. thanks to the previous day or two of rain.

I’ve been noticing, over the years, how randomly placed plants seem to just somehow group themselves together into a most cosy group of flowers.

Yesterday I was noticing the lively colours of the pansies were intermingled with the low growing thymes and the delicately scented lavender flowers.

And the sunflowers, dwarfed in their containers, growing quite happily with the lupins.  How sweet this will look, with the purple lupins growing alongside the bright cheerful yellow of the sunflowers.

The transplanted foxglove, which last year grew to well over 6 feet .. when it was in a richer area of soil and .. transplanted to the edge of a grassy area, in more clay soil .. grew to a diminutive height of less than two feet.

But next year, who knows?  It will acclimatized itself to the tougher growing area and will most likely resume its former grandeur.

I’d cut down the robust Lavatera plants, since they’d been rapidly going into seed .. and there are enough of these tough little plants anyway.  There’s no fear of not having lots of these plants.   In another week or so they will be tall and flowering again.

The rosemary plants are nearly 3 feet high now .. a far cry from the barely 3″ eight when I planted them, 3 years ago.

Some of the sweet peas have gone to seed … I’ll just plant the seeds and there will be another crop.

I love the tenacity of these tough plants, mostly drought resistant but they do love the water and flourish with an abundance of that.

Yesterday was a day to relax, wander around the flowers.   Spend some time up in the air, flying through the skies.  And time to read through my Compost Tea & textbooks from my gardening course.  The intricate subjects of soil and plants still unfolding .. so much to learn.  And loving the journey.

Another great day .. and on with this one.


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Mother Nature has been taking care of watering the gardens .. thank you very much.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

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Saturday .. what a day .. windy, blustery … rainy  .. and then the sun did come out, later on in the day.  A sweet promise of what will  happen on Sunday.

So I really wanted to play outside, but decided to save that treat for another day.

Looked outside at the trees, branches waving away in the winds … glad that we planted so many  here .. years ago.  Knowing that the birds have many places to take cover in rough weather.   Places to nest … unseen by human eyes.  I respect their privacy.  Although I would love to see their little homes . .I leave them be.

Happy that Mother Nature is watering the gardens thoroughly . .no worries about dry soil for the plants.   Oh, this will be good for everything, the berries, the garlic .. the fruit trees.  And the grass .. another opportunity for me to use my newest garden tool .. the push mower.

And I must empty the Rubbermaid containers .. that are full of seaweed.    So they can begin to enrich the plants with their mineral laden goodness.

So I didn’t take any pics on Saturday and am posting some of sunnier days:   Including some pics when my pal D & I visited the beaches of Sooke.  Slowed down when we saw a young deer standing, transfixed, by the side of the road.

Then, later, we’d been busy gathering seaweed and were surprised to see deer prints, freshly made.   It had been around our area and hadn’t made a sound!

Visited the beautiful Point No Point for the most delicious chicken soup, homemade bread and tea.  Drank delicious water, untainted by chlorine ..  Looked out the windows at the magnificent ocean vista.  Priceless.  What a lovely place .. it’s been years since I’ve been here and I vow to return again.

Wandered the magnificent property.  Walked the lovely red bridge .. a truly beautiful place to be.

Glad I took pics .. lovely memories of nature.

Well . on with this new day.  Some gardening, you say?  Of course!  At Dakota Cafe!

Laters!

A.M.


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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!

🙂