Gardenmania! (The Plot Thickens)

2011-03-30T00:10:00.000-04:00

Spectacular Holland

Thanks to friend Ken in Greenfield Park, PQ for sending in these beautiful photos. Our garden will never look like this LOL!

2011-03-26T11:15:00.000-04:00

Saturday, March, 26th, 2011 Update

Unbelievably, we had yet another blanket of snow this week! So itching to get out there.

All but the cucumber seedlings have done extremely well, especially the beans, as seen below. Could be eating them before the frost leaves the ground LOL!

Have started approx 160 marigold plants, a big yellow flower variety whose bloom resembles carnations. Read that these attract bees best and with a diminishing bee population, want every advantage possible to pollinate the garden.

Come on Spring!

2011-03-01T12:04:00.004-05:00

Tomatoes A Bit Bigger Today

2011-02-26T16:00:00.002-05:00

Day Eight
Here They Come!

They sure germinate quickly!

They are called "Bush Beefsteaks."

2011-02-18T21:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Season Four

Away We Go!

Let's hope this will be the gardening summer of all summers.
The first year we moved in the middle of July, so missed out on planting flowers, although we did get in the locust trees and many bushes, which were some great accomplishments really.
Year 2 was our best as we finished shaping the "Upper Garden".
But then Year 3 brought us that dreadful July hail storm, wiping out every leaf and flower.
To be followed by Year 4 and my seven operations!
So maybe Year 5 will be a full and complete gardening season??? Let's hope!
Started today by getting tomato seeds into a starting flat.

2010-07-25T20:15:00.001-04:00

Annual Locust Measure

Circumference One Foot from Ground

Bruce
2009 - 6"
2010 - 7"
2011 - 7"

Paige
2009 - 6 1/2"
2010 - 8 1/4"
2011 - 8 3/8"

Spencer
2009 - 6 1/8"
2010 - 8 1/4"
2011 - 9 1/4"

Ellie
2009 - 5 3/4"
2010 - 7 1/2"
2011 - 7 1/2"

2009 Taken July 13
2010 Taken July 25
2011 Taken July 03

2010-04-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

Two Sunflower Varieties

Being Germinated

Kong Sunflower

Mammoth Russian Sunflower

There are several varieties currently being germinated in the flats down in the basement. The ones pictured above are the two largest, (both images found on-line).

Other varieties being "hatched" vary from mid-sized, (approx 5 feet), to dwarf (two feet); the latter will be for the beds in the centre of the gardens.

These two giant varieties will be placed along the perimeters and create natural hedges for the summer with big smiling faces!

The Kong variety branches like a tree and produces several flowers per plant. Hope so!

In reading all the on-line material, there is much that can be done to maximize the size of the flowers and heights of the plants. Seems they thrive on a good supply of nutrients, especially nitrogen. Also, because they do well in clay, they should be very happy in our garden when they send down their tap roots!

2010-04-15T00:05:00.000-04:00

Germinating the Sunflowers

Planting one of the flats of sunflower seeds.

Incredibly, just two nights ago, a neighbour put four large flats and two five foot long wooden flower boxes to the curb with a "Free - Take Us" sign. Talk about timing!

The flats are perfect to start the sunflowers and Ruth asked if I could prepare a garden she could care for. She was happy to hear she'll have to tend two flower boxes.

Planted and Germinating, (I hope!)

Here are the flats in the basement where the temperature hovers around 70 degrees. On-line I read this is the recommended temperature for germination. Each flat is covered with plastic but will keep an eye on the moisture. It said too damp and new seedlings could rot.

2010-04-14T17:00:00.002-04:00

Sunflower Reference Material

LINK: Field Crops Manual / Sunflower

LINK: Garden Guides / How to Germinate Sunflower Seeds

"Sunflower seeds need a temperature of approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit to begin germination and sprouting. "

2010-04-13T22:24:00.000-04:00

Welcome Back!

Will This Be a Luckier Year?

... or at least "normal"? Three summers ago we started our garden with wonderful intentions. That first year was designing and building flower beds, planting trees and perennials, and basically turning a crabgrass berm and a stretch of grass into a garden. Year One went well and all of the above and more was accomplished.

Two summers ago, or Year Two, started well. The perennials all came back, every tree we had planted returned greener than ever, our raised (for drainage) design tomato garden took off like bats out of hell ... then the hail storm hit with a vengeance, stripping every plant of every leaf, killing every annual, every tomato, everything! Scrap Year Two ...

Year Three started off just as well as Year Two. Then on the July 1st weekend I started to lose my sight. Six operations and five months of complete immobilization

later it was November and frost. Scrap Year Three ...

So here we are in Year Four. We need something really, really different ... something memorable that we can take pictures of and make up for two bad years.

Yesterday it hit me ... why not ... the Year of the Sunflower???

There are so many varieties and if there is one thing sunflowers do is make me smile. Big Time!

So off to the garden centre I went today and picked up six packs of sunflower seeds. There are ideas floating in my head on an overall design. Let's see what happens!

There will also be our regular perennials plus some annuals for contrast and colour.

So here we go. Fasten our seat belts. Let's cross our fingers and hope we get through a full summer of gardening!!!!!

... from our E-mailbag ~ from Adelaide, Australia ~ A Different Garden Gnome

2009-07-25T07:25:00.000-04:00

Hello Mike,
I've been enjoying your garden photos (and those from some of your friends) tonight. As well as the wonderful plants, I've also been admiring the various garden gnomes......here's my contribution ... and dare I suggest that I may be the only one of your readers (the Canadian ones anyway) to own this one.
No doubt you'll know who he is ... the famous English cricketer from many years ago, Dr. W.G. Grace. And after Australia's debacle in the second Ashes Test that's absolutely the only mention I'm making of the great and glorious game. :-)

Love Jenny

Our Hollyhocks are Blooming!

2009-07-14T12:15:00.003-04:00

We planted these two years ago but they were wiped out last year in the ruinous July hailstorm.
They are back and as noble as any I've ever seen ... a beautiful burgundy red, lighter when back-dropped by the sun ... as in this photo.
Once they have finished blooming, they will have to be moved to a spot on the hill, somewhere in the background due to their height.

PHOTO BY GOOMIE

Measuring the Jefferies

2009-07-13T13:41:00.006-04:00

Bruce

Paige

Spencer

Ellie

On doctor's orders, due to last week's eye operation, I'm not supposed to be doing any gardening; or almost anything for that matter.
Not being able to garden is torture!
Anyway, I thought a good idea would be to measure the Jefferies trees, (planted in July and August, 2007), on an annual basis to keep track of their growth. (I wish I had done this from Day One!)
Their circumferences on July 13th, 2009, to the nearest quarter inch, measured one foot above the ground, are as follows:
(standing from the East Garden to the West Garden)

Bruce ... 6.0"

Paige ... 6 1/2"

Spencer ... 6 1/8"

Ellie ... 5 3/4"

"So it's Paige in the lead by a nose, followed closely by Spencer ... then we have Bruce half a length back and closing fast ... and finally in the rear, behind the whole field, and just passing the sixteenth pole now is that courageous filly Ellie."

Gardening Time Out`

2009-07-09T20:00:00.000-04:00

If it isn't one thing, then it's another!
On the weekend of July 4 & 5 I started to notice a shadow in the lower part of my left eye. As it turned out, this was my retina peeling like wallpaper!
By Tuesday the 7th it became critical as within a couple of hours I lost all my vision. My family doctor sent me to St. Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton posthaste, telling me to get there in 20 minutes. At the hospital I could not see the large "E" on the standard eye chart!
My operation was the next day with instructions to sit for two weeks and do nothing ... even to sleep in a sitting position. There goes gardening for half a month!!!
Mar took the image above with Doctor Martin, the surgeon and ophthalmologist, the day after my surgery.

July 4th, 2009 ~ The Rosemary is in Beautiful Bloom Today!

2009-07-04T14:25:00.002-04:00

Tonight in the Upper Garden at Sunset ~ July 3rd, 2009

2009-07-03T20:50:00.002-04:00

Images in Our Garden at Sunrise Today ... July 2nd, 2009

2009-07-02T08:03:00.003-04:00

The Upper Garden is now looking like a full garden! Just over one year ago this was all crab grass.

The tiger lilies are probably going to open today!

Happy Canada Day! Images from Around Our Garden on July 1st, 2009

2009-07-01T13:20:00.011-04:00

The thyme is in full bloom

Another pic of the thyme blooms with the
darker rosemary flowers in the foreground.

The delphiniums are now out in full bloom as well.

The delphinium patch in the Lower Garden

We purchased this Tritoma (Kniphofia uvaria) "Royal Castle" ... that's right off the tag ... perennial last year. It stayed small and did nothing in 2008, but has taken off after we put it in a new location in May. Here's its first ever flower about to bloom!

The columbine are still flowering! They have been blooming for about four or five weeks now. Several new plants started from what must have been self seeding over the winter ... they have been potted and are flourishing ... we have to find a spoy for them soon. We love these ... so unique!

Natural Weed Killer

2009-06-30T12:54:00.004-04:00

4 cups vinegar (pickling is best)
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp dish soap

Put in a spray bottle and spray away!

CAUTION FOUND WITH RECIPE: "It'll kill any greenery that it touches, though, so use sparingly. I use it on my gravel walk and driveway and in between patio stones."

Awesome Floral Displays ~ Friends & Visitor's Garden Images

2009-06-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Thought I would share some of my lupins with you.
Heather

Thanks for sharing Heather.
They are beautiful!
We have been trying to grow them for two years but our resident rabbit-in-hiding loves their leaves and our lupins never get past tender shoots. He or she might be misreading the sign as "lapin", not lupin, and think they're a personal buffet!

Some Images from Around Our Garden on June 18, 2009

2009-06-18T18:50:00.005-04:00

Two new bird feeders bookend Mr. Sun feeder. It's getting to be Buffet City around here for the birds!

Goomie's new frog ... a little gift from the $ store today.

This is the bird's favourite feeder.
Some of them get right in it!

Closer view of one of the new feeders.

Whazzup!!!!!!

A view of Jackie, our new Red Velvet Curly Willow
courtesy of Cousin Jackie

The Russian Olive has thousands
of these little yellow blossoms.

It's pink around here!

... and red too!

... and yellow!

... and green!

"Who took another penny?"

Some Images from Around Our Garden on June 15, 2009

2009-06-15T11:36:00.005-04:00

The pink poppies are so delicate ... like crepe paper.

Some of the iris received as a gift last year are out
and we now know the colour ... a rich deep purple.

The columbines behind the iris are blooming beyond
belief this year.

Our cousin Jackie from Quebec is visiting and she
gifted us with a beautiful red velvet corkscrew
willow ... the burgundy foliage is a wonderful contrast
to the greens surrounding it.

The sage in the herb garden is flowering profusely!

We found this cute little bird feeder in the
Dollar Store yesterday. Once filled, it took
the local population just minutes to find it.
Bruce, a red-winged blackbird, directs
traffic, making sure he gets his fill first.
Kermit, our jolly round-faced Inukshuk, looks
pretending to be very unimpressed

Shots Around the Garden June 2, 2009

2009-06-02T19:17:00.003-04:00

Lower Garden, June 2, 2009

2009-06-02T19:13:00.004-04:00

What a difference in less than two years.
In 2007 this was nothing but grass.

Our New Kermit the Inukshuk

2009-06-01T19:01:00.001-04:00

Noticing a few round rocks sitting in the garden yesterday, I thought it time to make our own Inukshuk as a welcome to all who enter.
It wasn't until I stepped back that I realized it had an uncanny resemblance to a frog.
But then ... I also saw Elmo sitting there! After a one-sided home vote, (my ballot was not counted ... how's that for the creator!!), and realizing frogs are more conducive to gardens, well Kermit it is!
So when you enter our garden, be sure to touch our new touchstone(s), Kermit the Inukshuk. He will bring love and wealth.
If not, I'll kiss your cheek and give you a penny ....

The Upper Garden, Tonight at Sunset

2009-05-31T21:20:00.003-04:00

Took this pic just as it was getting dark.
It was a cold weekend with thunderstorms on Saturday, so our gardening was limited this weekend.
This shows the development of the Upper Garden as we plant more and more varieties across the top from east to west. Actually, the new plantings this weekend were all relocated from our protected "development plot" where we plant small stuff and let them mature in size.
You can see my humour ... knowing Goomie was watching from the window, I slowly rounded up round stones and made an "Inukshuk, but an unconventional one ... in the shape of a frog which she has already christened Kermit. So what was just supposed to be a joke ... it looks like Kermit will become a permanent fixture in our garden.

Bumblebees 'Love Tatty Gardens'

2009-05-30T07:48:00.000-04:00

Overgrown gardens are one of the bumblebee's
favourite nesting places, a survey has revealed.

LINK

Grasses

2009-05-26T20:29:00.002-04:00

We bought these three grasses last year in small 4" pots and planted them in the "holding bed" to grow.
Today we transplanted them next to the second stairwell to the Upper Garden.
We love them so much we'll probably be agging lots more ... and they're maintenance free!

The Memory Tree has Grown Like Gangbusters!

2009-05-25T08:00:00.002-04:00

Just planted - 2008

May 25th, 2009

Last year we planted this Curly Willow as a gift from an old and great friend. Dubbed "The Memory Tree", in remembrance of those we have lost, it is the focal point of the furthest corner of our garden where quiet, timeouts and meditation are the order of the day.
Small, but with promise, it grew well until the hail storm of July, 2008 stripped it of every leaf. It made a small comeback, but its second set of half-hearted leaves yellowed and fell in the fall.
Look what 2009 has brought ... "Curly" is going crazy! It has more than doubled in size. Maybe Mum has her hand in this?

E-mail from Manitoba

Hi Mike,
Oh how I love the pics of yours and Mar's beautiful garden ... it's like opening a page in a magazine and if I had a garden that gorgeous I'd enter the pics in a contest!!!!!
I'm so happy the Memory Tree survived and doubled in growth and I know for sure your Mum has her hand in that; she loves that tree and it's her way of saying I'm happy to help you in your garden. She was such a lovely, gracious lady.
Keep up the wonderful work so I can see even more pics.
I'll be back soon.
Tally ho,

Brit

It's Pink Again!

2009-05-23T20:57:00.000-04:00

The first passage of spring in our garden is the flowering blossom tree, (which we still have to identify).
Inherited two years ago when we bought our home, we will be forever grateful to the former owners for planting it!
This year's display was beyond belief with thousands of 2" blooms.

We're Back!

2009-05-22T21:00:00.001-04:00

Our East Garden today - fully recovered from the hail.

The new staircase to the Upper Garden almost
complete ... looks like an overgrown pile of
rocks right now ... but once planted it should
have lots of character!

Hi Folks!
After our garden was COMPLETELY wiped out by a freak hail storm last July, we were forced to take a leave of absence.
There was nothing left.
All our vegetables, herbs, trees, bushes and flowers were wiped out 100%. All gone! Nothing left.
Over the winter and spring Mother Nature has done wonders. Almost every perennial is back. The trees have put on better coats of leaves than ever ... especially the new Curly Willow in the Memory Garden ... we'll get that on here soonest. It has more than doubled in size!
Anyway, welcome back to all visitors ... we look forward to receiving and uploading your garden pics too.
Back to the garden.
See you later!
mike

Here's Some of the Blooms Mar and I are Enjoying This Week

2008-07-19T23:05:00.002-04:00

The 23rd of July, five days hence, marks one year since we moved in.
Almost from Day One in our new home we started to convert a lawn into a garden.
Now one year later, almost to the day, we cannot believe what has transpired as everywhere we look beautiful blooms are in abundance.
On top of that we have a micro farm of tomatos, corn, broccoli and of course our annual squash on the fence.
We have also planted trees, bushes and grasses, so there's so much to enjoy as we walk through our garden.

..... from our E-mailbag : From South Australia ~ Spring is Soon in the Air?

2008-07-19T22:03:00.000-04:00

Dear M & M,
I've been sighing over the pics. of your beautiful garden.
Nothing much doing here in the middle of winter I'm afraid, however I thought you might like to see my one and only pot (such are the constraints of a very shady courtyard garden) of daffodils - King Alfreds of course.
I have a pot of tulips next to the pot of daffs. and the first buds are just appearing - I'm hopeful of a good display, but it's the first time I've tried tulips, so I'm not sure how they'll go.
Love Jenny
Thanks for the letter and beautiful pic. We are luck to be in Niagara's micro-climate. The Niagara Escarpment is classed as Carolinian forest, (a good indicator of our relative growing zone), meaning its growth is equal to the fauna growing in the Carolinas in the "deep south".
Hmmm ... maybe we should try growing Ti-Tree!

Our First Corn!

2008-07-13T13:43:00.002-04:00

Last night when Mar, Scruff and Ruff went through the garden for a walk, we noticed our first ever corn had sprouted!
I couldn't wait to photograph it this morning.
It is a miniature little guy sporting quite a haircut of fluff.
While our yield will be small at best this fall, the joy in watching our first "crop" grow to maturity is so enjoyable.
As a bonus, the fast-growing corn stalks add a beautiful stretch of green to the expanse of otherwise grey wall that runs along the back of our garden.

Oh the Spaghetti!!!

2008-07-06T21:34:00.002-04:00

We spent a good part of this weekend, (finally), putting in a herb garden.
The first two pics show construction in progress and the third our final result.
Up through the middle of the herb garden are large rocks buried in the soil which creates a stairway up the bank. (How we will negociate those stairs twenty years from now will be an issue we can deal with then!)
Left to right behind the new garden is corn, a new chive garden and our squash ... which hopefully will soon be adorning the whole fence, (as in past years).
Edibles scattered in other parts of the garden are raspberries, broccoli and of course our tomato patch.
Come on sun!
Those herbs should soon raise the bar on my barbequed chicken spaghetti sauce.

..... from our E-mailbag : Linda's Cactus is Blooming!

2008-07-05T21:09:00.002-04:00

Hi Mike,
Last year I told you the prickly pear cactus would bloom but only for a few days.
Mine opened today, I've attached a photo.
Linda Nantel
(Linda, formerly of Springfield Street, Greenfield Park and I both attended RGHS)

..... from our E-mailbag : From Longueuil, Quebec ~ HELP!

2008-07-05T20:37:00.000-04:00

Hi guys,
My sis in Ontario sent me some pics of her garden and I just loved this plant.
She told me she planted it about 2 or 3 years ago and no longer has the tag and she cannot remember the name of it. Do you know what it could be?
Thanks so much!
Sue LP

Long Overdue Garden Update

2008-06-30T21:21:00.006-04:00

Here's the view now from our patio door. From our family room we look out onto this view, the "East Garden", the area we have developed first.

Aw yes! Squash on the fence! Once again we have planted squash against a fence ... this time the back wall. These should soon be vines ... and then yummy squash for Thanksgiving and beyond!

Took this at sunset. The four locust trees we planted first last year are thriving beyond belief. They will be soon adding much desired shade to the whole back yard.

The feet. Mar found a few of these on Kijiji and we put them as one of the many stairways onto the hill. Guess what. They are practical! They make for great stairs, and so easy to install. We are not getting younger, so we have elected to continue making these our garden stairs of choice throughout ... and hopefully we will be able to climb all over the garden until we are 100 years young! Well Mar will be a tad bit older then too. Hahahahaha!!!!!

Looking westerly from the top of the East Garden right into tonight's sunset. The top path is a great place to go for a walk with Scruffy and Ruffy.

Some of the roses at the top of the East Garden.

Looking down onto the perennial bed ... the starting point for our now abundant flower stock. We'll break these up and spread them slowly through the whole garden.

We have even tried a few stalks of corn this year. It is thriving. Alas, there is the flagpole ... a project we hoped to get done by Canada Day. Oh well. Soon I hope!

Here's Scruffy and Ruffy out for their nightly garden walk with me.

The Memory Tree

2008-06-15T21:55:00.000-04:00

Finally, I have a quiet moment to post here again! (As in it is SO sunny and hot today at high noon I prefer to be indoors than in the garden.)
Above is one of the latest additions to our garden - a curly willow, which will grow and fill a good portion of our southeast corner.
Mar and I have dedicated this corner in memory of her dad Stan, my mom Joyce and other family and friends who we wish could still be with us and enjoy the magic of our garden.
The catalyst to start the plan was a kind monetary gift we received for our nuptuals from an out-of-town friend. The tie is in very special indeed, for she knew my mom Joyce very well, adding a special continuity to this idea for a quiet, reflective corner to sit and enjoy the sights and aromas of our labours.
The curly willow is especially poignant, for it brings back fond memories of being with Mom in HER childhood garden, a place that her mom, or Gram to me, brought floral magic to all who were lucky enough to visit.
There were two large willow trees, with a tree house, (more of a platform only), stretched between their giant trunks. For my generation begat by Mom and her two sisters, (three brothers and five cousins), this was the centre point of Gram's home on Lafayette in Montreal South.
What a garden she had! It was her full time summer job just to maintain it. But the rewards were tangible by the ribbons she proudly earned from the St Lambert Garden Club.
Her vast garden was from this centrepoint from which games such as Hide and Seek always originated, and boy, were there LOTS of places to hide in and around Gram's acreage!
Sadly, those two gorgeous willows were eventually cleared out to make way for an apartment complex.
For decades since, the sight of any willow brings back both happy and poignant memories in my Mom's first backyard and garden.
Perhaps one day Mar and I will have produced a garden on which our own grandchildren will build their own foundations of a childhood of imagination and wonder.
Thanks 'Muffin' for sending the impetus to get that corner started!
-----------
PS We planted lots of marigolds below the willow to attract bees to the tomato plants sitting in the bed immediately below.

A Variety of Images Taken June 15th, 2008

2008-06-15T12:21:00.006-04:00

The east garden today. Less than a year ago this was just a patch of earth with a few dying plants left unwatered by our home's previous occupant, probably due to packing up a home, something we NEVER want to do again!

I grabbed the six foot ladder and also took a "aerial" photo of the east garden. This photo gives a better view of all the stepping stones we have installed on the hill in order to reach all the plants for deadheading and care. (Geez ... am I starting to sound like a real gardener???!!!)

The entrance to our first flower bed, meant to be a holding garden of all our new perennials, until we could decide on new locations for them. For now, they are all living in such harmony in this bed, and blooming so beautifully, we have decided to leave them there to God's hand, (and our watering).
Those two clay pots in the entranceway were last seen framing our homemade wedding aisle, full of daffodils.

The last of the poppies. Included in the batch of perennials we purchased last year from the lady in Fonthill were these fabulous pink poppies. Each flower is almost six inches in diameter and are so perfect they are almost artificial looking!

Our columbines, the first Mar and I have ever grown are doing fabulous, and multi-coloured. They are unbelieveably beautiful .... sometimes I'll sit and stare at these blooms one by one for long stretches. I must take some close ups of them for prosperity later today!

The Latest Haul ... Rocks, Rocks and More Rocks ... In Fact, An Infinite Number of Rocks

2008-05-31T18:44:00.000-04:00

For anyone wishing to build an English rock garden, I guess my job is one of the best to have.
All day long I am in and out of construction sites all over Ontario's Golden Horseshoe. And with construction sites comes digging; and with digging: rocks!
Every day I pick up a rock or two or three, throw them on my truck's drop bed, then hide them in our firm's yard here and there, until I have a chance to go around with the van and haul them home.
Above are the rocks I have scooped from many sites over the last couple of weeks.
A few are from under the Queen Elizabeth Way, from the new football stadium at McMaster University, from a quarry on Hamilton Mountain and even one from Ralph Bennett's block where new homes are going up.
This week my game was up! Knowing I am building a rock garden, our shipper asked me if I was the one hiding the rocks all over the yard. I thought no one had noticed!
Well, I better go out and build more retaining walls on the berm today ....

Bed of Pink

2008-05-25T21:02:00.002-04:00

Took this just before sunset tonight, from the hill looking down on the Rhodie Bed, now completely covered in pink blossoms.

2008-05-25T20:56:00.002-04:00

Just planted tonight in the foreground is today's find, a Rose of Sharon plant. We have zero clue what colour it will be.
We were travelling on a side road in the Niagara today when we spotted a few dozen of them at the end of a driveway with a sign advertising them for five dollars. No one was around, but taped to the stand was a plastic margarine container with a sign, "Place your money in here".
So we did and now she's "home"!

Another Project for Another Day

2008-05-25T20:46:00.002-04:00

Our resident Queen Kijiji found this flag pole at an extraordinary good price, so back it came this morning tethered to the roof of our trusty old van.
Now the tough choice: being highly visible from the Queen Elizabeth Way with its millions of annual passersby, do we display the Canadian flag or the Canadien flag?

Our Latest Garden Decoration ~ A Beacon in the Garden!

2008-05-25T18:18:00.000-04:00

Mar saw and instantly fell in love with this lighthouse in Cape Cod.
What a wonderful purchase she made!
At night it is awesome, to say the least. The beacon light at the top slowly goes on and off all night and the lights in the windows slowly alternate through the colours of the rainbow.

Scruff in the Perennial Garden

2008-05-25T17:23:00.000-04:00

The perennial garden is a bed of pink as gazillions of blossoms have fallen from the flowering cherry above.
Scruff is barely visible .... he's the smart one, always seeking the best shade.

... and then there's Ruffy ....

2008-05-25T16:40:00.000-04:00

Scruffy always finds a shady spot.
Then there's Ruffy, with his thick blond coat ... as usual, sitting in the hot sun with a silly grin on his face.

Our Rhodies are Blooming!

2008-05-24T19:12:00.002-04:00

This is the best of the four we planted.
We have lots to learn, especially the special soil; balance we must maintain for them.
The leaves browned over the harsh winter, but it seems lots more are growing, so they have survived!

The Pulsatilla Flowers are Going to Seed

2008-05-24T18:35:00.002-04:00

Our pulsatilla plant, (recently identified by Linda, aka Crafty Gardener), is beautiful when it goes to seed!
I think it is as pretty in this stage as it was in its purple blooms.

Our Chaenomeles Japonica Still in Bloom!

2008-05-24T18:30:00.002-04:00

It has finally stopped sending out new blooms, but most are still on the plant. This flower is just starting to fray on the edges, but is still a magnificent display.

Another Wonderful Inheritance at its Best!

2008-05-24T18:26:00.001-04:00

This little lilac came with our new home last year. We have waited this long to see it bloom ... it is a gorgeous purple!

It's a "Chaenomeles Japonica"

2008-05-19T16:56:00.005-04:00

One of the small bushes we inherited with the house was terribly neglected and almost dead when we moved in. It was at the top of the hill, against the back wall, high above the water table. When we arrived it was begging for water. Most of its branches had dried up and withered.
We pruned it right back and by the end of last summer were awarded with new shoots.
Look what happened this spring!
On May 10 I went up the hill and found it was thanking us with these beautiful flowers. I took this picture in the hopes we would soon identify it.
Today Mar found it in a new garden book we had purchased.

Our Ever-Growing Collection of Garden Decorations

2008-05-19T16:06:00.005-04:00

It's becoming more and more fun to walk through our garden paths and visit all of our new friends and toys. (Yup, I'm losing it!)
This was the funniest. When I got home on my birthday, Mar asked if I had put a new gnome in the garden. Nope.
We tried to figure out who it might have been; perhaps Don & Gloria, or maybe Cindy.
But it was too coincidental, being my birthday.
Suddenly it dawned on me ... being something I WOULD DO, it must have been my own kids. Sure enough, when they walked in the door for supper they had undeniable smirks on their faces. Michael and Ali had planted the little guy during the day when everyone had been out.

Mar, (or Ms. Queen Kijiji in these parts), found this on the site yesterday, for sale in Ancaster. It is ceramic and its hands form a feeding tray for bird seed.
Up it went this morning and it looks like it has been there forever.

Don and Gloria presented this beautiful metal garden ornament to me when they were over for a barbeque last year.
Since then, it has graced the hearth next to the fireplace, but today the time had come for its rightful place in the garden. I found the perfect location where no one can miss it!
Me be the Garden King!!!!
(Even if I don't know the names of most plants!)

And let's not forget our litle boy and girl, all cleaned and painted.
They have a perfect place leading into what will become our Little Pine Forest .... a bunch of mugo pines planted, and to be planted, to grace both sides of that stretch of winding garden path. (Hey, some of the garden has to be maintenance free!!!!!)

Our New Fern Garden

2008-05-19T15:31:00.008-04:00

Today's Project ~ Our Fern Garden

They Didn't Look Too Healthy When
We Got Them Last Year!

I've always felt a garden with an area sporting ferns looks regal. (Notwithstanding my love for steamed fiddleheads, butter and pepper ...)
Last year we bought some perennials from Melinda in St. Kitts and the ferns she threw in for free looked so scraggly I didn't give them much of a chance for survival.
We potted the fronds in some rich, dark potting soil and put them in a corner against the back wall, forgetting about them until this week.
Lo and behold! I was walking by them and up they were sprouting!
So today another area of garden was sectioned off with rocks, the fronds were planted, the new little garden was filled with red bark multch to help keep the soil moist, and we'll soon see what we have along the side fence.
Wondering how they reproduce, I went surfing. This is what I found:
1. A sporophyte (diploid) phase produces haploid spores by meiosis;
2. A spore grows by cell division into a gametophyte, which typically consists of a photosynthetic prothallus
3. The gametophyte produces gametes (often both sperm and eggs on the same prothallus) by mitosis
4. A mobile, flagellate sperm fertilizes an egg that remains attached to the prothallus
5. The fertilized egg is now a diploid zygote and grows by mitosis into a sporophyte (the typical "fern" plant).
I have ZERO clue what that means, but if my ferns spread, I will know they are having sex and those five points are happening in our garden!
(Hmmm ... I wonder if these are the fiddlehead variety?)

Our Home now has Protection, Peace, Calmness and Spirituality!

2008-05-19T13:29:00.005-04:00

Our New Blue Barn Star on the Back Wall

It seems everywhere Mar and I travelled throughout Cape Cod on our recent honeymoon, we saw stars decorating homes and or garages.
Everytime I saw one it gave me an inner feeling of peace and well-being, and felt that displaying those stars was "the right thing to do".
The more I saw, the more inquisitive I became, but no one could give me an answer why so many were displayed on homes in every town.
How many are displayed on the Cape? Who knows, but one day, on the twenty minute or so drive to Sharon's restaurant, from Dennisport to Yarmouthport, we counted fourteen, so there must be thousands or more just on the Cape!
One day at the Christmas Store in Hyannis we found a huge display of them, in all kinds of colours. Ah ha! Asking the saleslady what it was all about brought the most unbelieveable and kind response. She said she knew it had a special meaning, that she had seen it on display at another one of her stores. Asking me to wait a few minutes, she went to the office and had the other store fax her the info!
Here's a retype of what was faxed to me from the other branch store:
-------------------------

History of Barn Stars

On many older American barns, particularly German farms, a large decoration in the shape of a star was mounted on the face of the barn. These were called barn stars. Sometimes they were just aesthetic, but sometimes they represented the trademark of a specific barn builder.
Barn stars go back to at least the 1820s in Pennsylvania and were most popular after the American Civil War. The colors had significance with Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch barn paintings. These folk art designs, many of which were star shaped, were painted directly onto each end of the barn, and date back to the 1850s.
In modern times, barn stars have come to be known as signs of good fortune and luck.

Colors and their meanings
Black:
Protection, also used to blend or bind elements together
Blue:
Protection, peace, calmness and spirituality
Brown:
Mother earth, also can mean friendship and strength
Green:
Growth, fertility, success in things and ideas that grow
Orange:
Abundance in career, projects and matters needing an added push
Red:
Emotions, passion, charisma, lust and also creativity
Violet:
Things that are sacred
White:
Purity, power of the moon, allows energy to flow freely
Yellow:
Health in body and mind, love of man and the sun, connection to the God
----------------------

And so we picked blue and our Cape Cod Barn Star, mounted today on our back wall, will bring us protection, peace, calmness and spirituality! That, plus it adds to the back wall .....

Our Nifty Perennial is Identified! Is This Cool or What!

2008-05-11T09:44:00.004-04:00

Image from 'Crafty Gardener's' Web Site

Yesterday we posted a couple of pics of a beautiful perennial we inherited when we bought our home last year. It is flowering profusely this week.
We had no clue what it was and asked if anyone knew.....
This morning we received this wonderful reply in our mailbox from another gardener with her own garden blog.
Neat! Neat! Neat! I wish Gram, (who consistently took blue ribbons at the St. Lambert Horticultural Shows), could see this modern way of sharing gardens. She would be amazed.
Here's the E-mail we received:
------------------------
Hi Marilyn and Mike

I was visiting your blog, via Blotanical, and you were asking the name of a plant. I couldn't find any place to reply to your messages, but wanted to tell you that I think your plant is an anemone or pulsatilla. Have a look at a post on my blog, http://craftygardener.blogspot.com/2007/04/some-blooms-at-last.html and see if you agree.

Linda aka Crafty Gardener

The Gardener Side

Sow Then Grow
------------------------
Thank you so much Linda! Our flowers are definitely a match.

Our Azalea Needs Help!

2008-05-10T22:52:00.002-04:00

Our azalea has flowered in its first year, but I think it needs help ... the soil is probably the wrong ph. ... so went to Canadian Tire for azalea and rhodie food today ... there's a new "to do " added to the gardening list!

But! How's THIS for an azalea!!!!:
This is Mar standing beside an azalea we saw in Cape Cod two weeks ago, while on our honeymoon.

Does Anyone Recognize this Flower?

2008-05-10T22:20:00.003-04:00

This is one of the many plants we inherited when we bought our home last year.
We don't know what this beautiful purple and yellow-centred flower is. It has bloomed from late April to now ....
Can anyone identify it for us?

Time for a Second Coat!

2008-05-10T22:18:00.002-04:00

I can't believe how much the cement absorbs the paint! I'll do a second coat tomorrow ...

The Tulips are Up! The Tulips are Up!

2008-05-10T22:14:00.002-04:00

How satisfying it is in the spring when the bulbs you plant in the fall come up like this.
The first two pics above were taken at mid day in the full sun ... the third shows how they close up around suppertime and go to bed for the night.

Our Cherry Tree is So Beautiful in Full Bloom This Week it Can't Stop You from Smiling Inside!

2008-05-10T22:10:00.004-04:00

Why can't it look like this all summer!!
When we are sitting in the family room we see so much pink right now it is unbelieveable.
Best tree we ever inherited!

Wow! It's May 10th Already .... Time to Get Gardening Again!

2008-05-10T20:02:00.002-04:00

Mar and I returned from our Cape Cod honeymoon last Monday, so the poor garden had not even been raked and cleaned from a very snowy winter.
The cleanup was done piecemeal during the week, so this is the first weekend we've had to start other gardening projects.
Our new little, neglected cement boy and girl garden statue was inherited this week so after a long week back at work it was a nice 'n easy project to look forward to.
We think we'll freshen it up every spring with a coat of a new colour. Canadian Tire had this blue grey begging to be bought on their refused paint table this afternoon. After a wire brush cleaning and a new coat of paint they look new again!
Now where will they sit this year .....

Beautiful Garden Pictures from Heather Blain-Gibb!

2008-03-30T20:15:00.005-04:00

I am forwarding a few of our backyard photos from last spring and summer.
It is great to see the color.
Heather
Thanks Heather! Beautiful images! It won't be long now .... in the Niagara, most of our snow is gone and we look forward to the bulb stock breaking through.

Flowers Helped to Make the Day and the Sense of a Spring Wedding, Despite the Late March Snows Outside!

2008-03-23T17:02:00.004-04:00

Last weekend, (Saturday, March 15th), Mar and I wed in a very quiet and relaxed wedding ceremony and party among our immediate family and friends.
Flowers were the order of the day! Oh how Gram would have been proud!
As a housewarming gift last year Ros had given us a huge package of daffodil bulbs. Trouble was ... we didn't know where to plant them, as our garden was still so young in its inception.
A trip to Walmart provided the answer! In the fall, when it was nearing the critical point of where to plant the bulbs, we happened upon some huge clay pots written down to a ridiculous price. That was it! Plant the bulbs for next year in moveable pots and display them in the spring throughout the garden. Then, for year two, we could then plant them in a daff garden, site to be determined .....
To ensure the pots wouldn't crack over the winter in our outdoors Canadian subzero temperatures, we stored them instead in the root cellar, where they would stay just above freezing. All winter they hibernated there, totally ignored by us.
Then a funny thing happened one week before the wedding. They were stored next to our white wine supply and I was down there checking what we had for the wedding. The daffs had started to sprout! They were about an inch tall and totally yellow due to the cellar's zero light.
All excited I brought them up to the kitchen island. They took over our kitchen's main workplace all week, (a bit to Mar's chagrin, but hey ... I'm the cook!).
In one week, under the (fleur)escent light 24/7, they came up to full and beautiful bloom.
Unable to make it, Ros was still there .... at our wedding in the spirit of her flower gift.
As seen above, we used them to line the runner and give a semblance of a church aisle!
They sure added to the flair of a spring wedding!

Welcome to Year Two: 2008 ~ First Garden Task ~ Hang "Bird Dog"

2008-03-21T15:40:00.009-04:00

What a great way to start this year's garden ... even when it is still buried under a few inches of snow.
On March 3rd, Michael and Ali gave Mar "Bird Dog", (as Mar so aptly christened him), on her 39+ birthday.
He has sat on the family room's treasure chest long enough ... it was time to hang him outside in the hopes a feathered family decide to nest in him.
We were told that the diameter of his hole would attract a larger bird, such as cardinals or blue jays. Let's hope so!

Not sure if we have hung him high enough ... but any higher and he would be lost in the branches. If this doesn't work this year, we'll have to go a few feet higher in '09.

There we go! Bird Dog is ready to hopefully welcome a feathered family to our garden.
If he goes empty, at least he'll be a cute ornament viewable from the patio doors ....

Our Exciting Announcement

2007-12-16T13:40:00.000-05:00

Marilyn and Mike
are pleased to announce their engagement
on December 15, 2007.
A spring marriage is being planned.

December 16, 2007 ~ Deep in "Hibernation"

2007-12-16T13:34:00.000-05:00

Snowstorm, December 16, 2007

Hi Folks,
We sure miss our garden and posting our progress!
But it is Canada, not the tropics, so there are a few months of "Time Out" every year.
Hope all your plans for Christmas are going well.
From our home to yours,
Have a wonderful Christmas holiday,
Marilyn and Mike

Pleasant Surprise!

2007-10-19T18:53:00.000-04:00

When we took over what little flower garden was inherited when taking possession of our new home in late July, we found the few plants around here had been sorely neglected. This was understandable since we too had just devoted our lives to packing for a couple of months, throwing most other activities to the wind.
Up on the east end of the berm was a pathetic, flowerless and almost leafless little rosebush begging for water .... the berm is well above any water table and unless it rains Noah-style around here, those plants will probably always have to have some extra water.
We deadheaded the plant completely and cut it way back, hoping to save the little guy.
Our efforts have been rewarded!
This is the first flower it has produced for us, photographed this morning. What a show!

Common Garden Scene Around Here

2007-10-19T14:14:00.000-04:00

All summer and fall this has been one of the most common garden scenes at our home.
You'll be working away and suddenly get that feeling that someone is staring at you.
It happened for the umpteenth time early this morning, but unlike the hundreds of times before, this time I finally had camera in hand to capture the moment.
Ruffy will come up behind you, drop one of his four dozen tennis balls we have scattered all over the garden, (see the end), and stare at you, probably thinking you have eyes in the back of your head, know he's there, and will pick up and launch the ball for him to chase.
He's not very patient. If you don't react in a minute or two he'll start to whine, then bark, until you drop everything to play his game.
Ruffy lives for tennis balls. As a housewarming gift in July we found a deal for a few dozen balls at Giant Tiger for less than five bucks. He was in seventh heaven the day we opened the pack and threw them all over the garden. No matter where he is, he now has a ball at the ready!

For those New to this Site: Meet Dennis!

2007-10-17T21:39:00.000-04:00

Keeping QEW Traffic Safe Once Again!

First Twilight Back on Perch

This Time He's Locked and Secured

If you are a faithful reader to this blog you know about our gnome and his temporary demise into our town's overflow flood area.
Today he was placed once again on his perch, but this time with a set of plastic ties, doubled to be safe, all wired through holes drilled clear through the cement wall.
All the King's Horses and All the King's men would be extremely proud!
There was one final thing to do: baptize him with a name, for until now he was just The Gnome.
The solution was in the concerned E-mail from our Town's brown truck driver.
On Saturday, as seen in an earlier post, Dennis from UPS was concerned with his whereabouts, so we feel that will be the most fitting name for him.
From now on he's Dennis the Gnome!

Reply Back to Our Sister-in-Law in Saudi Arabia

2007-10-16T10:19:00.001-04:00

Thanks so much on your Gardenmania! comments. They are much appreciated!
Glad you liked this weekend's happening with Mr. Gnome.
We'll have him back to his post soonest to keep Dennis, our UPS driver, and all others transversing the QEW, safe and sound.
Love
Mar and Mike

What a Great Growing Year!

2007-10-15T19:56:00.000-04:00

Wowwee Kazowwee! and Holy Smokes!
Is this a great year for growing, or what? It's mid-October and we're still picking tender fruit!
Here are some of the cherry tomatoes we just picked in the garden for tonight's supper ....

.... and they are still flowering!!!!

... or is it perhaps the warmer clime in the Niagara Region? Is anyone else still picking tomatoes?

Saving Mr. Gnome, (A Movie NOT Coming to a Theatre Near You!), with a Funny Ending

2007-10-15T17:03:00.000-04:00

For the several faithful readers of this site, being family and friends who are enjoying our garden's growth from afar, this weekend's 'happening' will kill you.
You'll remember Mr. Gnome from many posts ago, which we acquired from a hardware store in St. Catharines, with the stipulation to give him a good permanent home.
He's quite short, but being made from cement weighs 60 to 70 pounds, (except after dark when rumour, as in our daughter Ali's conjecture, is that after we fall asleep, he does come alive and plays in the garden).
He was placed atop the cement wall at the back of our property which separates us from the bustling of six lanes of the QEW and four more lanes of Service Roads.
Facing these ten lanes, we decided his responsibility in life was to now watch over all the drivers and keep them safe.
Little did we know how fast he was to become iconic in other people's lives!
Early in the week Mar's Mom Ruth asked, "Where's Mr. Gnome gone?"
Hmmm. Was my daughter right????!!!!
I've heard of Gnome's being stolen, but this one would be tough.
On the other side of his high wall perch is our town's 30 foot buffer zone, fenced and locked, with a huge ditch full of rocks, plus trees and brambles galore. I think it is a flood prevention overflow thingie ... hardly a safe place to transverse to grab a gnome.
Our yard is fenced and locked ... who'd want to trespass from our side?
Hmmm ....
Every day this week Ruth was asking where he was. Her bedroom window is closest to Mr. Gnome's perch and we suddenly realized that this joke to us was now more significant to her: Mr. Gnome had become part of her routine, seeing him perched, watching traffic, had quickly become one of those daily things that become truly iconic and habitual with those her age, seeing him from her window had become a comfort to her.
Where was he!

Mr. Gnome Before the Fall

Suddenly mid-week I realized where he must have gone.
Even at such a weight he must have blown off into the town's property during one of the high wind storms we had experienced a few days earlier. Standing on a bench and peering over .... there he was, lying on his back in the grass on the other side. (To tell you the truth, he looked very cozy and relaxed! ... and as grumpy as ever ... he does have a very dour face.)
But how to retrieve him??????
I did not relish calling the town and asking for the key to their storm overflow area to retrieve a gnome. People have been taken away in white coats for less!
I could not leap that high wall in a one bound ... my gymnastics agility garnered at Royal George High is now totally a fast fading memory. From the other side it has to be a seven or eight foot return climb, with zero foot or hand holds, so that was the LAST option.
Suddenly, on Saturday morning, I had it! Lasso him just like a cowboy would grab a steer!
So with a ladder, rope tied like a lasso, and a long rake to push the rope around his neck, up to the wall I went.
I did not realize Mar was following me with camera in hand.
The event is recorded for all to see.
But it all came to a very, very funny ending! Mr. Gnome has evidently become an icon in other people's lives too! ... as you will see at the end.
So here's a pictorial of the rescue and be sure to read the ending ....

Showing My Best Side!

Mr. Gnome Home Again!

The Victory Dance, a la Rocky

Several hours after the rescue, all at home were now relieved to know Mr. Gnome was back and in one piece, especially Ruth. At least that's what we thought.
Later in the day we got an E-mail from the United Parcel Service delivery man, (Dennis is known by ALL in town and he knows everyone even better!). He drives any one or all of those ten lanes many, many times a day.
It said simply, without even a signature, "Where's your wee man on the fence?"
Even professional drivers know what is now REALLY keeping them safe on the QEW!
Better get him back up there asap, this time with anchors!

Gnome Sweet Gnome!

2007-10-13T15:09:00.000-04:00

Look what Mar brought home as a gift for me last night!
Bonus .... it's a solar powered unit!
The two little mushrooms light up at night, powered on the back by the little solar panel, as seen in the last image.
Now where shall we put our new little guys ....
Thanks Mar!

Bluebeard ~ Our Latest Arrival

2007-10-12T18:12:00.000-04:00

Our New "Baby", Bluebeard

A Bluebeard as found on the 'Net

Yesterday, when I went through the very, very down-sized Home Depot gardening department on the way to another, I saw this poor little underwatered guy marked down to a paltry three bucks. How could I resist such an orphan!!!
Wowwee kazowwee! On arriving home and researching what he is, (LINK), I was very excited to see that next year he will probably be a very exciting addition indeed!
Don't these surprises make gardening much more enjoyable!

Images from Atop the Berm

2007-10-12T10:38:00.000-04:00

My son Michael was looking through Gardenmania! and suggested I post a few angle shots from atop the berm, giving another perspective of the developing garden, its pathways, plantings, etc.
Great idea and here they are!

That Should do the Trick!

2007-10-09T18:32:00.000-04:00

Here's a shot of the east end of the garden as at today, taken in the late afternoon sun. What a difference from being just a patch of grass on July 23rd!
On the right is the new brace that is now almost complete, built to hold back the section of the original retaining wall we just noticed was starting to cave forward. That should do the trick!
It also nicely offsets the stones forming the rhodie garden, bringing a nice balance to this section of the garden.
Up the centre of the new brace you can see the stones which have been strategically placed to form a stairway up to the "bird sanctuary", Ruth's feeder and the bird bath. The cardinal couple we posted earlier last month were here all morning using the facilities. (Why haven't they gone south?) The male spent the entire morning jabbering. Guess he was staking a claim to the garden.
Going up these new stone steps is fine, but it is quite steep for a down trip; but that's okay, there are four other return routes. Doesn't stop Ruffy though ... if he's after a ball he scoots down them no problem. Scruffer is the wiser old dog and, like us, takes an alternative flight down.
Hmmmm ... maybe a railing would be a good project for another day ......

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Here's a closer view of the new brace/steps:

Everything a Man Could Want is Right in this Picture!

2007-10-08T23:14:00.000-04:00

No gardening today!
We had a beautiful, quiet, and intimate family Thanksgiving supper this year.
Most of you know our family ... Ruth, Ali, Mar and Michael ... and guaranteed Scruffer is under the table.
For those of you thinking I have a heck of alot on my plate, all I can say is they are VERY small plates ... hahahaha.
.... and I had pumpkin pie and whipped cream after that!
Better walk a few miles .....
Back to the garden tomorrow!

What a Thanksgiving Day ~ Hang the Weather Forecaster!

2007-10-08T18:52:00.000-04:00

Weather predictions have bounced around this week like a billiard ball.
As of yesterday, today's clime was supposed to be in the 60's and very rainy, so we did not plan a stitch of gardening.
Well right now it is 81, sunny, hot, humid and we just put the turkey in ... nothing seems balanced with the norm!
Oh by the way, that beach is not near here ... it's the weather that is tropical at this moment.
BUT! Guess there is a cold mass lurking nearby ... now thunderstorms are predicted!
Just might end up being turkey by candlelight only! ...
Happy Thanksgiving All!

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To Our American Friends
Yes, you are in fact reading correctly, it is indeed our Thanksgiving.
We have ours well before yours in order to get the best turkeys.

One Door Closes, Another Opens ...

2007-10-07T13:13:00.000-04:00

With the poor weather conditions some fall garden chores were put aside, (who wants to dig in mud ... not us or Scruffer), but HALLELUJA!!!!, look what I found!
In lieu of being in the garden, I was driving past a massive new housing project up on the mountain. Although not one house has been started, the streets have all been shaped and some curbs have been poured. There were no barriers set up for the long weekend to keep anyone out so I decided to have a look ... and so glad I did!
Rocks!
Tons of limestone rocks!
I drove up and down the newly plowed streets through what were cow pastures just a few short weeks ago and picked up rocks like apples off a tree.
One door closes and another opens ....

So Much for a Bright and Sunny Thanksgiving Weekend Forecast ....

2007-10-07T13:09:00.000-04:00

The garden needed it, but why couldn't the rain wait till Tuesday!
The long range forecast from the beginning of the week called for a sunny weekend in the 80's, so we had all kinds of things-to-do planned for the garden.
Oh well ....

The Lighter Side of Gardening! ~ "Suburbanites"

2007-10-07T10:47:00.000-04:00

GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colours by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.

St. FRANCIS; It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

GOD:
Grass? But, it's so boring. It's not colourful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it - sometimes twice a week.

GOD: They cut it? Do they then bail it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

ST. FRANCIS: No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD: Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.

GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.

St. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

GOD: No. What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?

ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD: And where do they get this mulch?

ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE: 'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about....

GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.
Thanks for sending this to us Sue!

In Full Bloom for Thanksgiving Weekend

2007-10-05T22:45:00.001-04:00

The mums Gloria and Don donated to our happy garden are now in full bloom, right on time for turkey, stuffing, homemade cranberry, and pumpkin pie & whipped cream.
Bring on the Weekend!

Hello Sunshine!

2007-10-05T22:26:00.000-04:00

We have planted our new baby Royal Purple Smoke Bush on the berm in front of "Bruce", our 'first' locust.
Boy, is it ever digging the sunshine rays bringing unseasonably warm temperatures here in the Niagara .... the themometer hit the mid 70's today, and the predicted highs for the next three days are 77 for Saturday, 79 for Sunday, and then 81 on Monday!
What a Thanksgiving!

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Here's our newest acquisition taken from another angle. In the background you can see the bird bath, and further back, next year's project ... our planter box love seat.

Let the Good Earth Begin!

2007-10-05T19:15:00.000-04:00

"Now Accepting all Dumb Cats, Eh!"

Today Scruff helped us install our composter in the far west corner of the garden, against the berm. (You can see how exhausted he is after a job well done.)
From here in the coming years it will be just a few feet from the vegetable, (read cherry tomato), garden ... handy to keep feeding the crop for our table.
That reminds me! We must run to the local farmer's market for a couple of bushels of squash before it's too late!. They only charge about 12 bucks a bushel and they'll keep fine in the root cellar, (after being washed), until February.
Yum pass the brown sugar and cinnamon please ....

..... from our E-mailbag : from Edmonton, Alberta

2007-10-05T18:32:00.000-04:00

The Wild Rose
Alberta's Official Flower

I want to tell you how much I enjoy watching the progress you and Mar have made in your garden. It's a remarkable undertaking and coming along quite nicely. I am so jealous of the warm temperatures you people are still experiencing and which ultimately let you enjoy your blooms so much longer.
I have a huge yarrow plant, deep pink or purple in color. It started out as 2 meager stalks transplanted from my niece's garden. After only 2 summers I was able to divide it into 3 plants. It is one of my favorites. When my eldest daughter was around a year old and just beginning to talk, her word for water was "yarrow"...no idea why...so it holds a special sentiment for me.
My other favorite is a the prickly pear cactus. It blooms every summer, either late June or early July, but only for a few days. I don't do anything to prepare it for winter. It just slumps over and collapses but perks up again every spring. If it can survive an Edmonton winter you should have no problem whatsoever.
Happy gardening!
Linda
(Nantel)
Linda also grew up in our home town of Greenfield Park, Quebec and attended good old Royal George, (before our gardening days), a high school we hold with lots of memories.
(Hey Linda ... I'm not referring to you as the Wild Rose of Alberta! hahaha)

The Lighter Side of Gardening!

2007-10-05T13:12:00.000-04:00

We Have a Purple Smoke Bush!

2007-10-04T07:44:00.000-04:00

Here's Our Latest "Baby"

Here's its Mummy in St. Kitts

Recently when Mar and I met Lynn & Marv in St. Catharines, we commented on how much we loved their Royal Purple Smoke Tree, (Cotinus Coggygria 'Royal Purple', for the technically-inclined botanists among you), and that we were planning to acquire one to add some foliage contrast to our mix.
The young one is green, but the foliage does become a beautiful burgundy.
They kindly said they would unearth one of the babies spouting beneath it and yestersday we drove over to pick it up.
Now we must find the best place to plant it ... it is a very showy specimen, especially when it flowers, which look like clouds of smoke.
Thank you Lynn and Marv!

Our Ladybug Has Come Home!

2007-10-02T17:17:00.000-04:00

We put this ladybug over our front door when the children were 5 and 3. She sat there for 12 years.
We have missed her ever since we moved.
This morning when we looked out our window, there she was!
She has come to watch over our home and garden once again.
Welcome Home Ladybug!

Problem Solved?

2007-10-02T11:37:00.000-04:00

We inherited a four foot retaining wall which runs along the berm for almost the full width of our back yard.
Previous owners had decorated it with hanging juniper which looks great, but until this weekend, was also hiding a future catastrophe.
The section seen in the image above was falling forward!
This is probably the result of improper drainage behind the wall and years of winter freeze and thaw slowly pushing the wall forward.
After staring at it for a few days, wondering what to do, we have come up with what should be a solution.
Last night we started a new project not only to save the wall but also to create a quick route to our budding bird sanctuary ... the feeder and bath.
We ran out of rocks halfway through the job but so far there has to be at least a ton of rock and clay backfill making up this brace.
Now that should do the trick!

Welcome Dominican Republic!

2007-10-02T05:32:00.000-04:00

Your visit today represents 26 countries which have come to visit our garden!

What? Me Worry!

2007-10-01T19:02:00.000-04:00

That can be said for both Ruth and Scruffer in this pic, as they both relaxed in the new garden surroundings this morning.
Hmmm ... gotta install some speakers throughout the garden to add to the ambiance!

It Flowers!

2007-10-01T13:30:00.000-04:00

When we bought the four Japanese Maples from Alan the Bonsai Specialist to create our Bonsai Bed, he also handed us several complimentary pots of assorted other goodies.
One was the groundcover pictured above which he warned was very invasive. Boy!~ is it ever - as it is quickly covering all the ground between the plants we will maintain as dwarfs.
But look! This morning as Mar and I toured the garden we noticed this yellow flower, plus the flower bud right next to it.
This image was taken with the macro setting ... the open flower is just over 1/4" wide.
Sometimes we have to get on our knees to enjoy the finer aspects of gardening!
Does anyone know what this ground cover is?

25 Countries Have Now Visited Our Garden in Canada!

2007-09-30T14:56:00.000-04:00

Welcome Romania!

The Blooms are Appearing!

2007-09-29T15:46:00.000-04:00

The Roses Bushes Are Sending
Out Huge Blooms

The Mum Plant from Gloria & Don
is About to Show its Fall Colours

The Miniature Pansies are
Blooming Like Crazy!

The Black-Eyed Susan Started Slow
but is Picking up Momentum

We did not get the keys to our new home until July 23rd, so it was almost August before any of our plants had time to get comfortable, meaning this was an austere year for blooms.
But some have established themselves and are showing great colour.
Wait until next spring when we can get to them all as soon as the frost lifts!

Hitting Some Snags!

2007-09-29T14:59:00.000-04:00

The Angle Saw Cutter About to Go Into Action

Just after we had moved in, Mar and I both caught our toes on some eight foot metal fence posts just barely sticking out of the ground. Eventually we found four of them in two pairs, about eight feet apart, buried in the ground.
We presume that eighteen years ago they must have been some kind of markers to prevent earth-moving equipment to avoid an accident, perhaps snagging gas lines buried deep underground.
We dug down a couple of feet around them and tried to pull them out of the clay. They were stuck fast!
So to the rescue came Jim, a friend in St. Kitts with an angle saw cutter. They cut those pipes in literally seconds, going through them like butter.
I had never used one of these before. You should see the sparks fly as the grind wheel bores through the steel.
It was so much fun I looked around dying for more metal to cut ... in fact, every man should have an angle saw cutter and metal to cut to let off steam!
All's well that ends well ... no one is going to be stubbing their toes on those posts anymore.

The View from the Office Window

2007-09-29T09:55:00.000-04:00

Coach MJ in the Office Window Tallying the
Latest Swim Meet Results on Her Trusty Laptop

Well all our Rock and Earth Moving is Paying off.
Here's Mar's View from Her Office Window.
Wait Till Next Year When all is in Bloom!

Bienvenue Cote D'Ivoire!

2007-09-28T10:06:00.001-04:00

Welcome Ivory Coast!

You are the 24th country to vist our garden!

Wowwee Gazowwee! 23 Countries Have Now Visited Our Garden!

2007-09-27T14:35:00.000-04:00

Welcome Barbados!

Welcome Denmark! Visitors from 22 Countries Have Now Visited Our Garden!

2007-09-25T23:00:00.000-04:00

Today some one from Niv, Frederiksborg came by for a visit. Hope you enjoyed your stay. Come again!