I was just looking through my photos taken during the winter, when we had snow here!! I remember thinking, how lovely to have this time to get things done, plan my garden, declutter! Well, that ship has sailed!!
Now, summer is approaching, we are experiencing spring and I’m really wondering just where “all that time” has gone!
I’ve actually done a lot of decluttering (much more to do) and have been spending time doing what I love doing! Gardening! Playing with our lovely cat Spoiler.
He’s so very sweet .. and, like all cats, cannot resist a paper bag (or a box or any kind of container) … he saw this bag on the kitchen floor and quickly went into the safe world of paper bag:
Once inside … he noticed “feather” .. he has many of these. They used to adorn my desk displays, but, he preferred them to be on the floor so he could play. He’ll throw them up in the air, then he goes into all kinds of crazy contortions, as he plays with them.
Suddenly, inspiration struck and just after I clicked this photo, away he went .. on some other adventure!
Brrrr .. outside in the backyard …a few months ago. This is my Favourite Tea! Yorkshire Tea!!
Lovely blooms in March …
Wow .. .I was so happy to see these growing! A few years ago, I salvaged some native plants (I belong to a group who salvage plants when changes will be made to areas) I cannot remember the name, thought they were Fawn Lilies, but not able to find any photos. I’ve kept them in the same container since the day I brought them home. It has sat, quietly in the side of the yard. Happy to see they have prospered. I should find out what they are in a month or so.
Around mid March I prepared flats of coir for my peas .. here they are, nicely labelled. Such a sophisticated gardening setup .. don’t you think? I’m composting in Rubbermaid garbage cans, they work really well!!! And here are some bamboo lengths that I use to create structures for the garden.
More excitement in the garden, the peas have started their magic!
This photo was taken a week or so ago and the seedlings are much bigger now .. still, there is that magic! The magic never goes away …
Spotted Towhee .. love them ..
White Crowned Sparrow ….We have so many birds visiting our yard all the time .. a joy to watch. A Barred Owl spent the day in January … I’ll post photos later .. I was over the moon as I’d never seen one and had been thinking about that when suddenly .. I saw him!
This years garlic bed layout! A few days ago, I dug up self-seeded garlic (about 30!!!) and transplanted them into some large circular planters! Yum .. yum .. garlic!!
Not sure if it is clear, but here I am forming “tunnels” that will run perpendicular to the back of the garden. I use the bamboo lengths and various extendable fencing items to create “walls” and a “roof” for all my vining plants to grow. It’s really cool! The tunnel isn’t straight, it curves slightly, adding mystery to the garden. In my mind’s eye .. I see what this is going to look like this summer.
Those large containers all contain the most beautiful compost!!!! I’m adding this to the tops of the beds that I’m preparing. Sheer gold!! Can you see the bricks .. these are my little beds for the peas that I will plant in a few weeks. Since this photo, I’ve created more “walls” where all the vines will grow!!
I’ll be planting a variety of beans, squash, they will be growing happily in the sun .. transforming this bare skeletal structure with lush green and delicious flowers for the bees to feast on!! In the middle of this area I will create a little seating area where I can sip Yorkshire Tea, do a Suduko and have little Spoiler Kat outside with me.
Every year it’s the same thing. I dismantle last year’s growing area and think .. what on earth can I do to create a different layout. And every year … the new ideas appear .. from somewhere and I’m always so excited.
Once the actual layout has been determined .. then I will fill in the walking areas with some beautiful Century oak wood chips. Right now they are patiently waiting at the side of the yard. Once they are installed, this will brighten everything up.
Also, I have some lovely unsprayed straw that I will use for topping up my container potatoes.
Sigh … I love the magical energy of gardening.
Everything has been carefully planted and watered – the water was obtained from Eagle Lake and brought up to the planting site, bucketful by bucketful. I simply had to encircle the plants with rocks. This, hopefully, would allow passersby to understand that these plants were intentionally placed there.
Important information for people to see and learn more about the turtles.
I also learned that one can have one’s property noted as a Habitat Steward! The information is on their web site. This is wonderful.
There are about 5 or 6 logs near the edges of the lake. These were placed there by HAT, so that turtles could bask in the sun!
Some aquatic plants floated in the water, a gentle breeze created some graceful arcs around them .. in a very artistic manner.
There is a cob house in the area and the owners take people on guided tours to show them how the house was built. I think that the same people built this cob building for the park. It certainly suited the surroundings. At any moment, I half expected Snow White to saunter out of a little doorway in the building, basket in hand, all set to harvest greens and mushrooms for supper. Really, that is how my mind works and I like my imagination a lot. We spend a lot of time together, and this is how it should be, for a creative person, n’est-ce pas??? 🙂
So my pal, D, whom I had visited just before driving out here, packed me a little picnic treat. She’d made a delicious apple crisp (made with the dehydrated apples I had prepared from our tree!) and insisted on giving me a portion to take with me, complete with a fork to eat it with! She also gave me the Red Green bathroom book .. he is such a funny guy! And there is my watch, ready to let me know when to leave for my lesson!
Back home, I kind of wandered around the yard with my camera .. and saw the Iris flowers blooming away. Beautiful, floppy, gentle, calming and graceful.
From the backyard .. more pretty flowers ( and yes, cannot remember the name).
Salal growing like mad at the front of the house .. and more evidence that the Leafcutter bees have been active!
Darling, lovely Bewick Wren .. perched atop our First Christmas Tree … so precious. I love them. This photo was taken from the back yard, about 30-40 feet from this 50 foot tree (or maybe higher than 50 ft., it’s hard to tell, but it is tall!)
I hadn’t noticed that my garlic was growing scapes, my pal D pointed them out to me!
This is the first year that I had planted all my garlic in containers. They are doing well.
Bizzy Bee …
On one of my (too) many trip to Michael’s Craft stores, I happened to notice this Guide Dog vehicle. I have the highest respect for what they do and this was the first time that I’d seen a car with the signage on it, so I just had to snap a photo.
Life has been pretty busy, now that the rains have stopped and the sun has begun shining.
Not far away is this lovely old rose bush .. the roots are deep so it doesn’t need much water at all .. my favourite kind of plant. Once in awhile I’ll add some EM or some other nutrient .. liquid seaweed. It’s a tough old plant and adds beauty and nectar for the bees and I’ve seen the Anna’s there also.
I planted some blue Columbines and now I see that there are pink ones also. Love garden surprises.
The blue Columbines that I planted …years ago ..now flowering away like mad .. a neighbour to the pinks!
So here I’m being “artsy” and applied a Slate shade to the blue Columbine.. glad that the flowers aren’t really this colour, but I do like the dreamy effect.
Some thornless blackberry flowers .. huge berries!! I wonder if the Leafcutter bees have been active .. as I’ve noticed some circular indentations on a variety of leaves. Busy Bees.
Sweet little Lady Jane .. this is one of her favourite places to have her treats. She keeps running towards this little bench, sits and stares expectantly upwards .. “where is my picnic?
Where are the rest of my treats?????
I finally decided to try growing potatoes in straw, having read many online accounts of success. I carefully unrolled some chicken wire, folded in half, lengthwise, inserted bamboo sections for the frame. Added some organic seed potatoes and covered with the straw. The potatoes had already started rooting when I planted them. Added some water and now I’ll just wait to see how they grow and will keep adding straw as the plants grow. I shovelled some soil on top, just a little bit.
These are the little potato sections that I had cut up, a few weeks ago, and planted them in little pots. 99% of them rooted and sprouted leaves .. see how strong the root section is!! And also, I see a couple of bean plants in the cells .. no idea where they came from as I had not planted them. happy to see them, though. Time will tell what kind of beans they are. One of the joys of using homemade compost, I think! the magic continues.
Every year I shape-shift my veggie garden. Every year I just cannot fathom how to come up with a new design .. and .. every year I do! This year is the same. We have had steady rains up until last week, so I haven’t gone outside to play. Now the sun is here and I’m all excited about work in the garden. It takes a few sessions outside before I’m really energized so patience is a virtue there.
My Lovely Garden … Mon Joli Jardin 