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.
And I had planted my potatoes late also .. these are supposed to be purple potatoes. I’d planted them in a huge oversize container in the back of the yard and they didn’t get much sun at all. Still, a respectable amount of potatoes despite all that. And that green thing that looks like a lime is totally strange. It grew along with the potatoes and is a strange vegetable .. one which I will not eat!
This is the rose that I’d planted many years ago. It survives on nothing, I swear. I don’t water it or feed it and it keeps growing on. The root system must be very deep. Anyway, I’d given it a very hard pruning months ago and was surprised to see the new growth. That’s my kind of plant. Tough and independent and at the same time, so very beautiful.
I know that there are many ladybugs in the yard but I really hadn’t seen many until I saw this shiny new one, resting on a bucket lid. Did it prefer the red colouring? Seems so.
The pigmentation is starting to change in the bean plants ..quite pretty, I think.
Despite this .. all of the pole beans are growing like mad and there are so many flowers and beans growing!
A morning photo .. dew on the bean leaves .. I like the effect.
Sweet little Gold Crowned Sparrow .. doing the shuffle shuffle dance, looking for food amongst the fallen leaves of the wild and crazy tree (pear stock).
And the tiny tomatoes keep on growing ..there are quite a few. I don’t give them any special care and they just flourish. See the tiny one growing on the left? Is it a tomato or is it a tiny garden sprite, camouflaging itself so that I wouldn’t notice? The top part does really look like the kind of headgear that a little sprite would wear during the summer, to blend in and no one could notice. 
There are sunflowers in all stages of growth near the bird feeder. This one is at the seed forming stage …
My Garden – Mon Jardin – Mi Jardin – Mein Garten - Daily Adventures & Thoughts 