Finally Some Colour

We finally have some colour with all of the tulips in bloom around the yard right now.  Last year it was so dry there wasn’t a single tulip! Not one!  It was also so warm, the daffodils finished blooming an entire month early.  

Isn’t it amazing how one year can be so different from the last? 

Variegated Tulips

Tulips in my not so neat front garden (I am going cottage style remember).  This line of tulips is left from the edge of where this garden used to be.  And also from when I thought you were supposed to plant tulips in a line. Too late, they are happy where they are now.

Grape Hyacinth

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Fabulous Threesomes for Spring

Fabulous Threesomes for Summer

Fabulous Threesomes for Fall

Fabulous Threesomes for Winter

Fabulous Threesomes

Fabulous Threesomes that bloom together in Mid-Spring. 

Fancy Daffodils

Trillium

Periwinkle

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Fabulous Threesomes for Spring

Fabulous Threesomes for Summer

Fabulous Threesomes for Fall

Fabulous Threesomes for Winter

Entrance Garden on Life Support

My entrance garden has been on life support, for the third year no less. Time to pull the plug.  

You know how sometimes its the things that you walk by the most that you don’t really see, or are the easiest to ignore?  I have been waiting for some kind of epiphany on this situation for some time now.  Those Spireas are not going to just revive themselves into the young beauties they once were (and yes I trim them), they actually look better in the winter.  Those spireas and alyssum may actually both be as old as the house. 

Lately I find that I have no idea how to solve a yard dilemma until I sit out on the grass and do a little sketch. Then I can see the balance that’s lacking in a black and white pencil drawing and I can look around the yard and see what’s working, what plants I already have that I could move or divide to make the section I am struggling with work. (yes I really should have cleaned up my porch before I took this photo, but anyways!)

I have decide that I really like cottage gardens.  I like things full and maybe a little bit messy by some others standards.  And I haven’t always been on this track.  There has been a lot of wood chips layered all neat and tidy around my well spaced out plants, but now I want to get away from that.  I also want more repetition for the flowers that thrive in my kind of location and  soil.  

It can be very tempting when I visit the garden centre to want what is new and have a single specimen of that plant, but then I just end up with a plant museum that doesn’t work as a cohesive whole.   Luckily there are many plants that do well, not only do I already have them, most of them need to be divided.  

I hope that this year I can be creative with what I already have.

What I would like to do is take out the two spireas and find a compact hydrangea shrub.  There is one that only gets 3ft x 3ft that would be great by the staircase. I have lambs ears in the garden nearby that need to be moved. I will keep half of the alyssum that is doing well where it is and replace the other Spirea with globe thistle and Rudbeckia both doing well in a neighbouring garden which needs to be revamped also.  I am not sure if there should be just one Hosta or more under the old fashioned hydrangea.  Your input is welcome!

What is your favourite plant to have at your front door?

Still need votes on (Help!) Fences Make Good Neighbours. Vote Here

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20 Ways to Get the Cottage Garden Look

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Tulips, the Happiness Makers

I’ve probably mentioned before that I don’t usually think of picking the flowers in the yard for some reason.  I have a daughter for that and she is very good at it.  There are no emotions for her or reservations when yanking out blooms!

These are the 3 little bouquets that ended up around the house before the end of a warm day.  They make me smile.  I am working on starting a painting based around them and I had to photograph them right away.  They just got me so excited! I wanted to capture their colours, their shape, their severe perfection.

I love how just one little daffodil was invited in for two of the tulip collections.  I think this is what delights me the most.

Party in the Hen House

On  a weeknight!

At 11:30pm!!!

You should all be ashamed of yourselves!

I thought the chickens had been going through an awful lot of food lately.  I couldn’t sleep and I was thinking I needed to lock up the coop because I wanted to move their fence in the morning without the chickens trying to break free, so I got up and went out there in my pj’s.  I open the door and saw a stupid possum mowing down on the food like he was dying of starvation.  He honestly barely cared that I was there.  And the protective rooster.  What was he doing?  Oh, he had his back turned.  Some protective guy he is. 

Needless to say the fence has been charged and hopefully the little rat doesn’t find his way back in because I can’t afford to keep him.

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Possums have immigrated to Southwestern Ontario

My Chickens

Will I Ever Sow my Seeds Again?

Um, Of course not! I am married silly!

Oh, you mean garden seeds. *blushing*

It’s been three weeks now since I did that.

And this is what I’ve got.

The results make me laugh.

During the germination period I had a thermometer inside the container. It was a steady 30 Degrees Celsius (86F) with 94% humidity.

I did not have direct heat for the  bottom of the trays, but considering how warm it was in there, I cannot see how this would matter.  Last year I had 100% success rate with all new seeds.  This year I did not. Some seeds are two years old and even though they have been kept in a dry, dark, cool location they did not germinate. If seeds are supposed to last 5-6 years – they do not. 

I see now that if I have to buy a new packet of seeds every year for the 5 plants that I need this isn’t going to be a very cost effective endeavour.  If I buy a seed starting heated tray, sow more than I need and then repot them, that might work.  But still my seedlings don’t look all that substantial.  I’d rather buy a healthier plant from the greenhouse.  Assuming they are well priced.  At two national stores this week I noticed they were selling their seedlings in larger pots and asking $2.98 per plant! Gah! You should be able to get 4 plants for that price.  

I think for me, seed sowing is over.  Based on the size of my garden it doesn’t make sense.  If I was planting an acreage, where I needed to buy fresh packets of seeds every year, then it would and the seeds would actually sprout.  In someways that too can be a gamble when you don’t know how long those seeds have been sitting in the store.  

Well, now I know… I can save myself the effort next year.  (Note:I am still a bit on the fence. I do kinda want to try the heated tray…)

We are two weeks away from our big planting weekend (Last Frost Date). Yay!

Related Posts: My Garden Plan

(HELP!) Fences Make Good Neighbours

Fences make good neighbours so I hear anyways.  I don’t have a fence and I don’t have good neighbours.  But if I had a good fence and therefore the neighbours seemed good also the world would be a happier place wouldn’t it?  This is THE BIG QUESTION. My BIG internal debate that has been literally going on inside my head and with my husband for an entire decade.

I live beside a flea market.  And I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I have ever seen a flea market that was stunningly nice.  Or a real inspirational treasure and this one is no exception.  I do not usually take photos that would show that ugly monstrosity but today you will get to see the beauty of it all!!  But I will only show it to you if you take my concerns to heart and give me your honest opinion on what I should do on the poll below.

Facts:  The hedge was planted 9 years ago.  It is currently 6′ tall in the highest spots (full sun) and much lower where there is less light and the spruce trees overhang.  There isn’t much space between the driveway and the property line.  The hedge was very small to start and at the time we could not afford any fencing. They are emerald-green cedars which my father suggested we plant because they are dense and you cannot see through them.  However they grow conical in shape, get to be about 12′ tall and die at about the 30 year mark.  Our soil is terrible in that location also but we have had them professionally fertilized every two years.  Looking at the hedge on an angle is sufficient, but looking straight though it, as I do sitting at my dinning room table is depressing. My husband says he is worried that we will feel boxed in with a fence, I agree that having a lush green hedge would be quite pleasing but we have lots of space and maybe having a room like feeling would be just as comforting. It is hard to say until it’s in. And anyways, what has the hedge been doing this entire time? Just enjoying the view? Let me know what you think!

Another attempt at Starting Seeds

So, I haven’t posted much in a month.  But today it is to be 21 outside and I finally have time to focus on yard work.  Yipee!! First I must clean out the garage and wash all the windows and I will feel much more sane. 

I decided that I had to give seed starting another go (on April 18)  I decided to use grow lights that I had on hand and a camping blanket as described here.

Laziness is the mother of all inventions right? ha!  

Instead of building something out of wood I dug out the hamster cage that I use for starting my chicks and put the jiffy peat pots with seeds in there. If someone wants to give you their ridiculous hamster cage, do not say no.  It is proving to be amazingly useful!

Grow lights- florescent daylight bulb attached to wood planks.

I fastened the lights to the metal cover with twine.  (I later lowered them from this position)

Using a camping blanket from Canadian Tire, I cut a rectangular piece for the bottom of the cage and used the rest

to wrap up the entire ensemble. 

 It looks like a space craft! ohhh, ahhhh. 

Then I stuck it in a corner of my house out-of-the-way (with the camping blanket and lights on 24/7)

 I only need about 36 seedlings. This set up is the perfect size.  

If it works! 

Even Grown Ups do Dumb Things Sometimes

Even Grown ups do dumb things sometimes.  Yup it’s true! And it is totally unnerving when it happens.

Last weekend my husband decided to have a spring fire.  We have a burn pile that gets all the loose sticks and clippings dragged to it constantly.  Plus he had some boxes of work documents that were no longer needed to be kept so those were in the wheelbarrow ready to go.  The fire started out fine until he added those loose papers.  

Did I mention that it was a tiny bit windy? One little piece of paper on fire was all it took to light the nearby field on fire.  (We stopped cutting the back acre about a year ago)  

It’s spring right? So who would have thought it was so dry??

 

Next thing I know my 7-year-old is in the kitchen trying to get a cup of water from the sink because daddy needs some water.  I go outside and see the start of a problem.  

My 9-year-old is frantic, Trying to carry water in a wobbly bucket to the field.  The hose doesn’t reach (are the outside taps even on yet?) I yell ”do you want me to call the fire department?” Ben flaps his arms and waves me away.

Hmmm.  This is kind of like when the kids and I went paddle boating in the  middle of the lake and the boat sunk.  I didn’t call for help.  We were fiiii-ne!!

Just stay calm.  I ask again.  He nods.  So I make the call to have the trucks come out.  

While they were on their way the rude neighbours came out to swear and heckle my husband as well. It was not helpful but nice to see they haven’t lost their mean spirit.

It left us on edge for the next week wondering when the next silly disaster would strike.  

In the end all was well.  The firefighters did their job well and didn’t make us feel dumb.  If only we had gotten all the rain that was dumped this week LAST week!

Can you say embarrassing?

Smart Gardener Garden Plan

I spent a good chunk of time lolly gagging slaving over my garden plan this morning.  It was quite fun!  I have discovered though that to have a really useful garden I need to change the shape of my rectangular middle box from 3′x6′ to 4′x6′.  Even though there wasn’t a huge difference square footage wise having a box that is only 3′ wide really limited the amount of veggies and their correct positioning.  Hopefully I can squeeze it into place without having it look like an afterthought.  I plan to add another box the exact same size where I have a bit of extra space closer to the house.  Here was my plan last year.

  Oh the amazing world wide web! At only 262 square feet here is my plan for this year.

It was very tempting to try to add things like Kohl Rabi which doesn’t really grow well for me in this zone (as the Smart Gardener site popped up and warned me about)  so I resisted because I know that there are other vegetables that we will definitely eat all of and that is the goal.

What is really neat and beyond useful is the print version.  All the plants are numbered and listed numerically with how they should be spaced.  Slip your sheets into a page protector and you’ll have it ready for easy reference all summer long.

I want to make another garden!  If anyone has one to share please post it below.