Sun Baked Day

Progressing along today. The 'William Baffin' Rose opened and I gave the tallest of the 'John Davis' Rose something to climb. The sun was out today even for the Coleus 'Coco Loco' which is not in the sunniest of spots. It was hot and no rain. Slow going in the heat but I did manage to get things done. Just not sure right now what all those things were.

Everything is Rosey!

Roses have really started. The 'Therese Bugnet' are always the first and have been full for awhile now, filling the sun gardens with their scent. The wild rose quickly followed but now, they are all opening. The above unknown pink rose came from my Aunt Marilyn. She doesn't have enough sun for roses in her yard so she sent it to me three years ago now. All four of the climbing roses, 'John Cabot' and 'John Davis', are blooming in the sun gardens and I put a willow tent trellis over one of the John Cabot which was desperately looking for something to climb. All the Ferncliff Dahlia got planted today. I am still thinking two more days until everything is in. Might be ambitious at my normal pace. Miles got the swan fountain running at the top of the boardwalk off the back deck and the birds came swarming in. Must have been the running water sound because there were already three very active bird baths set up but the fountain was still a big draw. For awhile today it looked like rain and it did spit on us for about five minutes but it cleared quickly. I also finished planting all the fern that survived the winter in a box beside the house. Don't ask. I still cannot believe they made it through the winter. Thought I'd reward them with a better living condition today.

Seeking Refuge

Caught Hannah seeking shade or a hiding spot from the dogs under the Columbine and Peony. I took another photo of the red Columbine today which I am thinking more and more is the same as the one I lost from the shade bridge garden. All of the roses are pruned now and the sun gardens are officially ready for the expansion plan this year. Three blooms on the poppy. It seemed like it opened suddenly although I am sure I just did not notice it in time. Hard to notice things knee deep in weeds which is where I have been when not still planting. Such an odd year. The end is in sight though on the weed front and with no rain today, dare I say, perhaps on the wet soil front as well?

More Blooms Showing Up

This dianthus has been blooming a couple of days now and the white blooms have also shown up in the mixed pinks patch at the slide base. I am thinking of moving all of the red and some white out of there to another spot. From thinking to doing is going to depend on what else happens out there this year though. Anything that will live where it is, might get left. The Dropmore and Catmint are blooming together in the boardwalk garden. The delphinium, oriental poppy and 'Morden Blush' roses are all in bud. We had sunshine today and no rain but there was rain throughout the night. The decks were wet again this morning. Dry enough to get work done though and as crazy as it sounds for the end of June, I got the Calla Lily all in today. I even got the camera out before dark and managed to get shots of the light pink lupin and medium pink lupin. Another good day in the garden. Three more and I should be able to relax a bit more.

Darkest Lupin

All three blooming Lupin are pink and all of them are different. Still waiting on the yellow to bloom but when they do, it will be stunning. Right now, there is too much pink here with the 'Therese Bugnet' as a backdrop. Not that I have anything against pink but you know how it is when you have a vision and a key element is missing. I guess that is going to happen when the planting strategy is... the next plant to arrive goes in the next easiest spot to dig. Where plants are in relation to each other in my garden generally occurs as happenstance. Of course, that doesn't apply to shrubs. Shrubs I tend to overthink before planting. They are not nearly as easy to move as Lupin. All the dahlia I planted before the rainy season started are up. No drowned dahlia so far and no rain today. Could things be looking up on the dry soil front? 

Waiting Out the Rain

Jake tried hard to wait while I was doing a health check on Linda's Allium patch but Jake is really no good at waiting so this Serenity Now pose did not last long. These days I can empathize with him about waiting things out, especially as today, in the early afternoon, rain clouds arrived and stayed until dark... bringing rain with them. I will not wish the rain away though because I do remember when it was dry. They are equally bad garden problems here. On the bright side, I found two wild rose growing along the bush edge at the front. Right where I planted them. Still exciting though because I have been planting them what seems like forever and although wild rose grows prolifically all over the bush edge, it never seems to want to grow where you actually plant it. I was delighted to see it is finally taking.

Remember when Saskatchewan was dry?

Well, another Summer storm today. Right in the middle of the day. It poured buckets for about an hour. Power was out again. It's been out more than on lately it seems. It passed quick but left everything soaked. I planted anyway. Got the strawberry patch cleared out too. It has grown from three plants to nine. I had to uproot almost as many raspberry which were trying to encroach on the strawberry patch. My raspberry patch moves. It has a mind of its' own and I just let it go unless it tries to move into another garden bed. I won't let it choke anything out but I let it wander anywhere it likes between the drive and the shade bridge garden. The original edge is now in the middle of the patch. I have two new pink carnation blooming but I have yet to find the motivation to look up their proper names. Seems like a winter activity. For now, I am calling them pink carnation One and pink carnation Two. I actually found mushroom in the sanctuary. Usually our soil is baked so dry from the hot afternoon sun that mushroom wouldn't stand a chance. Plants barely stand a chance without a good layer of mulch and an irrigation pump. That is not the case this year. Staying positive for sunshine tomorrow and dry soil the next day. Might be wishful thinking.

Flower Power

A garden journal post with photo links so I don't forget to tell Linda anything :) I am always amazed at what continues to thrive despite my gardening philosophy of what can't survive on neglect should be in someone else's garden. I have no time for fussy plants that need any special attention, nevermind those that need to be literally coddled ! I am so glad there are so many plants that are not fussy. Although it looks like a pink Lupin patch, I planted yellow as well. Six buds opening today and they are all pink. The rainstorm turned the 'Therese Bugnet' into a pink carpet. I got a shot of Benedict's Abu Hassan open although it is just about done. I think if I blew on that flower the petals would fall but it is still stunning. The second bloom of the dark yellow Iris opened while the sun was out along with the red Columbine. The double blue Iris look very purple in the sun and the blue and whites opened on the other side of the entryway today. The mixed pinks - red, pink and white are opening but so far only a single white. The pink spirea, sanctuary peony, and white Bleeding Heart are all in bud. The peony are full of little red ants that bite and I keep forgetting that until I am getting bitten on the wrist, just above the glove. My first food crop besides edible flowers is Swiss Chard 'Bright Lights' and they are up. Miles' fern patch got cleared out a few days ago and it has grown to sixteen. Iris was the word of the day though and they are blooming everywhere. Oh, and you asked me to mention when my delphinium started. It was a busy day in the garden here. I couldn't use the shovel so I decided to use the camera.

Tuk & Penny's Latest Gardening Project

Penny started this when she jumped it and knocked a stone down. That got her digging. Tuk finished it with a bit more digging and some rolling around in the wet dirt to make the rock pillow. Three days and ta da! they have a new shade bed. Tomorrow I will move the rock that looks about to fall and break his back although the whole thing could come tumbling down on him any minute they way they have dug it out from underneath to fit their form. I guess I'll check all the rocks above. I have long ago learned that when they make a nest, it's best not to fight with them about the space. It is only frustrating to try and besides, he looks very comfortable.

Stormy Day Blooms

We had a Summer storm today. I was hearing thunder for a long time before the dark clouds moved in but when they did... yikes! Our power was knocked out so the lightening and thunder were entertaining. There wasn't much time in the garden before the storm blew in but I did manage to rescue some allium for Linda in the nursery.

My Mom's Violas

Today would have been my Mom's birthday. Her name was Viola June although she went by June or Junie or Junebug :) In fact, I was an adult before I even heard the name Viola. She loved my garden in the city. She never got to see the garden here but it is full of Violas for her. I don't visit gravesides for so many reasons it would be a rant to list them. What I do is plant Violas every June 20. I think of her much more often than that but this day belongs to her in my garden. Johnny-jump-up is the most common Viola around here and self-seeds rampantly but most other violas tend to disappear over the winter... seeds and all. Likely because I plant so many, this year, I have four varieties other than Johnny that are self-seeded in my garden. I think the credit for those belongs to her as well. Today I added 'Black Duet', 'Erlyn Lemon Bluewing' (both pictured) as well as 'Antique Shades' and 'Valentine'.

'Bonfire'

Ever since I decided I like orange, it seems to be all I plant ! I love this Begonia 'Bonfire'. The color is fantastic. It was one of the plants that caught my eye when I was at the greenhouse trying to spend no money. No rain today. No sun either. It was cool and wet. Still found lots of things to do outside though. The tulips are all almost done. Most dropped their petals with the rain last night. I have a single Narcissus bloom this year with Narcissus 'Tahiti' and am very happy to see it. I have always had limited success with Narcissus and when I planted them last Fall, I told myself I would not plant them again if they did not come up this Spring. Of course I tell myself things I don't believe all the time ;)

Judy's Table

It stormed all night and this morning when I woke up, everything was wet. I decided to go into the city and have coffee with Judy after I drove Nicholas to school. She fell victim to the Safeway miniature Rose display at the checkout and picked up these two little beauties. She was mentioning a cream one that would have looked great with them so she may be planning her second trip to Safeway. I broke down and stopped at the greenhouse to get impatiens for the bird sanctuary and it was lucky I did. They had only 7 left. No color choice. Pink, white and red. I got Coleus to go with them and an orange Begonia that doesn't look anything like any Begonia I ever saw. Anything going in pots got in and I was able to plant late today in the sanctuary. I got a bunch of Dahlia in yesterday and all the weeding I have been doing is definitely starting to show. Even with all the rain it is looking great. The 'Flaming Parrot' is turning white, the pink lupin is opening in front of the 'Therese Bugnet' rose which smells wonderful. I also have an orange and purple Viola that has self seeded which makes for three varieties other than the old fashioned Johnny-jump-ups growing in my garden. These are the busiest days and will stay that way until a few days after the rain stops. Lots of the perennials I was going to move are getting too big on me but there is always next year or this Fall. I made the decision yesterday that any seeds not in are being stored until next year. The rainy season has pushed it too late for seeds I think. They have a better chance of survival in my seed box until next Spring.

Grand Opening

So much more is open today after 2 days of sunshine. This columbine, which is my oldest and moved here with me, is the first to open. The unknown red Columbine is getting ready to open though. (Linda, I don't think it is the same as the one I lost but it is still red. Looks like red and white or red and yellow). The creeping thyme, white spirea, several iris and all of the pinks are blooming. Although the 'Antoinette' are finishing, the 'Ice Cream' beside the Columbine are just starting to puff up. I seeded Cosmos today, got the rest of the annuals in, planted more Dahlia and got about half of the roses pruned. I am resisting the urge to go buy impatiens. I am not buying anything to plant until everything I have here is planted. Really :)

The Sun Showed Up

Planted some annuals that were in danger of expiring in their starter pots, got most of the glads in, weeded and refreshed the mulch at the Chiminea. Started early this morning so I could get Mikaela and Yehoni walked before I drove Nicholas to school. It was a beautiful sunny day but not too hot. Perfect gardening day and it is supposed to be the same tomorrow. I am starting to forget what the inside of the house looks like ;)

Happy Sunday !

It is not open all the way and I am already taken with this 'Flaming Parrot' tulip. In fact, I am really happy with all of the new tulips this year. They have been spectacular. Tulips have come a long way since I started gardening. The 'Gavota'  are just finishing now and the 'Mickey Mouse' are open wide along with the 'Happy Generation' which have finished turning red. The purple have started to open in the 'Plum Pudding Mix' and a single 'Blushing Beauty' appeared under the bird feeder at the end of the path. The 'City of Vancouver' are just starting so tulips are everywhere. Or so it seems. Wile E. is slowly learning this year not to dig in the garden. We had no rain today and quite a bit of sunshine. All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better Sunday in the garden.

No Rain Today :)

My Siberian Iris are in bud along with the Lupin. All the Lupin came back which I was happy to see because it took forever to get them to turn into a patch. The 'Therese Bugnet' rose is blooming and the Cerastium looks fantastic. I wasn't able to dig today but I got a lot of weeding done and seeded Poppy, Marigolds, Rudbeckia and Calendula all along the front sidewalk around the bush edge to the Hydrangea.

My Garden Shoes

My garden shoes are like old friends so no matter how often I look at them and think I should throw them out, I never do. I probably won't until they don't stay on my feet anymore. We have developed gardens on two properties together over the last decade and they perfectly fit my feet. They have a trench across the sole the exact size of the top of my spade. In a pinch, I can run after a dog in them which is more than can be said of a flip flop. They can be slipped on or kicked off and what more could you ask of a garden shoe? Well, maybe to stay dry but I always forget about the air conditioning built into them until I am standing in an inch of water with wet toes. Still, on dry days, they are great :)

Today was mostly about books and magazines. Sorting, stacking, organizing, packing and some reading. I am revamping the craft room to make more room for Sean. Sunshine finally forecast for the next two days. Of course, it's raining now.

Benedict's 'Abu Hassan' Tulips

Most of my plant experiments are really pushing the gardening envelope and many of them flop. Every once in awhile though, one of them works. These 'Abu Hassan' in the upper level of Benedict's Garden is one of those that worked. They are growing in almost complete shade and are opening about a week behind the same variety in full sun. Next step is seeing if they come back next Spring.

Slide Garden Sunny Spot

Well, if I can't have a sunny day, this view and no rain is the next best thing! I got the Zinnia and Bidens in, several delphinium moved and more weeding done. The 'Happy Generation' tulips are almost done turning red, although I quite like the yellow. The 'Flaming Parrot' buds are opening along with the Cerastium getting started. I reorganized the upper level of Benedict's Garden so the dogs can use their favorite shady nap spot without crushing anything. We will all be happier.

Rainy Day Lilacs

We have had so many days of rain, the grass is almost as tall as many of the plants. I caught the lilacs trying to bloom just off the back deck though. Our water pressure pump went today so we were without water most of the day through the repair and I ran to the city in the late afternoon. Digging again postponed due to rain. Two days ago, sun was forecast for tomorrow but this afternoon I heard an update that said sun only in the morning. I am getting up early !

Turn and Face the Changes

The 'Antoinette' started turning raspberry and the 'Happy Generation' started turning red. The 'Ice Cream' tulips finally started to grow and open today so I expect they will change daily for awhile since they will look much different than this by the time they are fully open and (hopefully) taller. The 'Davenport' also started to open when the sun was out this morning. They immediately closed by 9:00 am when the rain came and the grey stayed. They say no sun until Wednesday now. Sunday was sunny and it made a real difference with the tulips so I am wishing for one more full day of it before tulips are finished. Annuals didn't get in due to rain. Lots of things postponed due to rain. I guess Wednesday will be busy.

'Gavota'

The 'Gavota' opened yesterday for awhile but today we had Sun all day and they opened right up! I have two good sized patches of them and today I dropped Nigella seeds all around them. The 'Davenport' are in bud and if we get another day of Sun tomorrow, I am sure they will still open. I went to the city today and planted my Aunt's garden. Tomorrow, the rest of the annuals I had picked up are going to be planted in mine.

The Chameleon

Today was all about tulips and weeding. We had some sun and the tulips started to come alive finally. This is Tulip 'Antoinette', which opens pale yellow and constantly changes to end up bright yellow with raspberry markings. From the picture of it in the catalogue, I expect the parts that look white in this photo will be the raspberry. It also has great variegated foliage. The 'Happy Generation' were budding up today and should look like Red 'Zurel' tulips with variegated foliage when they are fully open. The 'Lipgloss' are getting more pink by the day and are starting to look more like their catalogue picture too. The Plum Pudding Mix that was looking mostly white got another purple bloom today and I was able to get a pathway shot with the 'Lipgloss' and 'Salmon Impression' together. I tried to plant in the ground but only got a couple of dahlia in when it became really clear it was too wet to dig. Our soil can turn to concrete if you dig it when it is too wet so I settled for planting in the firepit pots. I got a lot done and it was a good thing because tomorrow I am planting my Aunt's garden and I am told that Monday we are getting rain.

Every Plant Has a Story

In this photo you can see both my light pink and my dark pink Lamium. Many years ago, I planted 3 of the dark pink and now have carpets of it. Lamium loves my garden. The light pink showed up at the bottom of the stepping stone steps in Benedict's Garden a few years ago. I have tried to move it and it either does not survive or it comes up dark. Hard to tell which. So it remains an oddity that belongs only to Benedict. It grows in an inconvenient spot in that garden but I am loathe to move or uproot it for fear of losing it altogether. There are few things that don't have 4 legs and bark that I will move a pathway for. This Lamium may become one of them this year. 'Mickey Mouse' tulips and Anemone started blooming today and the 'Monte Carlo' are still going strong. I discovered that the 2 patches of pink tulips uncovered in the Nursery are definitely 'Angelique' and although they are blooming small, there are lots of them. We didn't have a lot of sunshine today but at least there was no rain.

'Salmon Impression'

It rained most of the day today but it stopped in the late afternoon and I was able to catch these 'Salmon Impression' Tulips in bud next to the 'Lipgloss' Tulips. I got alluminum sulfate on the begonia and one of the 'Endless Summer' Hydrangea. I haven't decided yet why I would want blue flowers when I like the pink so much so I only ammend the soil at one of them. I still have tulips coming everywhere and one day of real sunshine would make everything open. Maybe that will be tomorrow.

Bird Sanctuary Path

Weeding, weeding, weeding for at least another few days but it's great. I keep uncovering things and found more tulips in the nursery. Two patches of red and two patches of what look to be pale pink but are not yet open. I caught these two open this morning while weeding in the bird sanctuary. The hosta and phlox are coming nicely on the other side of the path. My first purple bloom of the 'Plum Pudding' Mix opened and the 'Princess Irene' still look great. I managed to get almost all of the Shade Bridge Garden weed free with only a small patch behind the peony to the bushline needing work. I had friends drop by for coffee today so the rest will have to wait for tomorrow. One of the wonderful things about the garden is that it always waits, usually with little consequence.

Sunny Daze

Today I feel as sunny as this little Tulip 'Ballerina'. The sun was out most of the day. I moved all the Daisy that was popping up in the drive to a little section between the bush and the Orange Lily Garden, then added the Forget-me-not that was taking over the raspberry pathway. I got a lot of weeding done and several plants are blooming today that were not yesterday.

Hallelujah

The sun is shining ! I woke up singing Leonard Cohen's hallelujah. On my way out now....yippeee !!

Forget-me-not Blooms

Today was another day like yesterday... chilly, damp and grey. Another great day for weeding without getting over heated and I could use another 5 to 7 days like that. I weeded the garden all day in my typical haphazard way. Meandering through all the gardens; weeding here, weeding there, but never quite getting it all done in any one place. In my travels, I found blooms on the Ohio Buckeye, Chokecherry, Lilac, Lamium, Bergenia, Creeping Charlie and Forget-me-not. The tulips are still going and the Hosta are all coming up. The rain only chased me into the house once and the sunrays called me outside more than once so it was an excellent day in the garden.

Sunrays Arrive

They had forecast snow for today but they were wrong. It was mostly grey and still way too wet to dig but there were long periods where the sunrays fought to shine through. It was a great day for weeding and cleaning up winter debris in the yard. There is a lot more to do but it was a good start. It was nice to be out all day even if it did mean a jacket. Bring on the sunshine :)

Some Like It Wet

When I went outside today, I found several things that are happier about the rain than the tulips and I! This Creeping Jenny was one. Another were the Narcissus which are coming up everywhere and were the last thing I expected to see. It was such a delight to see them poking through the mulch. I guess all the rainy days did have a treat for me after all.

Cabin Fever

Another rainy day and I am feeling cooped up ! Took another run to the greenhouse and picked up the few plants I needed to finish my Aunt's garden since I managed to get the plan for that finished last night. Took the camera out and got pictures of all the closed tulips, identified them on my maps and recorded the blooms. I am running out of things to do inside though and the list for outside chores grows each day of rain. I'd love to see sun soon but they say rain until Sunday when it will snow. Today we received our first flood plain warning since we moved here... it is wet. Lilacs are budding up though and I finally got to my email today so there is always a silver lining.

Greenhouse Day

Another rainy day but this time with more cloud than rain. No sun at all though and the ground is wet. A perfect day to run to the greenhouse. I needed a couple of things so you know... any excuse ! I bought Gaura 'Blushing Butterflies' and a Cleome 'Senorita Rosalita' for planting out with my 'Winnipeg Parks' and 'Country Dancer' Roses. Diascia 'Wink Orange' and 'Darla White' to plant together in an odd spot under a tree, above the fern where Diascia did well last year. It is a spot that is just outside the kitchen window so close enough to see the tiny flowers and its' open, airy look when it sways in the wind encourages daydreams so I wanted to repeat that planting. I got Zinnia 'Zowie Yellow Flame' not because I needed more Zinnia but because I couldn't resist the colors and wanted to plant it in the new front bed with the Lantana 'Bandana Orange Sunrise'. The Euphorbia 'Breathless Blush' and Bidens 'Mexican Gold' are fillers for the pots along with 2 Fuchsia varieties; 'Swingtime' and 'Angel Earrings Snowfire'. Finally, there are pink and white varieties of Osteospermum in that photo but I haven't decided who's garden those are going in yet.

My Nursery

When poeple talk about a nursery, they are typically talking about a baby's room. My nursery is the spot at the top of our drive. When we moved here, I brought anything I could dig up from my city garden. The initial problem was that there was nowhere to plant it. Since it was impossible for me to plan and plant a garden in just one season on a new property that was much larger and less developed than any of my past gardens, I just plopped all of the plants in the easiest spot I could find to dig and plant quickly. That first year, I dug three circular beds in a rectangular space and used gravel to create pathways between and through the beds so I could weed easily. The spot has a lot of trees growing around it so it had shady edges but still had a large center that was full sun. It was perfect for storing shade and sun plants together while I figured out where it would all go permanently.  The second year I started my 5 year garden plan which has since become my rolling 5 year garden plan. I started moving plants into permanent beds and gradually the nursery began to empty. The third year, much to my delight, the nursery filled again. Self-seeded Viola, Poppy, Pinks, Anemone, Delphinium, Lamium in 2 varieties and Phlox in 3 were all showing up where I had moved their parents from. Small Tulip bulbs missed in the move had grown large and were blooming again. Year 4 was even better with Speedwell, Forget-me-not and Daylily added to the group. Since I had a lot of space to fill, these babies have come in handy over the years and the nursery has stayed just that. Each year, I move the new plants out, being sure to leave a few behind with the gravel and weeds so they can drop their seed in the fall again. This year, I have noticed Lupin popping up and these white Tulips are appearing for the third time. I have twice moved them and both patches are surviving well where they were transplanted. This year I will move these out but I won't try too hard to make sure I get every last one because I love the surprise of spring in the nursery. 

Olympic Flame

At least I am pretty sure they are 'Olympic Flame' tulips but I would have to check my map to be positive and I am way too tired to look at maps ! Rain again today but I managed to get pictures of open tulips yesterday. I even cut my first table bouquet of the season. The vase my sister made me many years ago is full of Zurel Tulips which are the only ones blooming in enough volume to cut. All the others are coming though and most are in bud with a few in bloom. It is starting to look like a good year for tulips which tells you how impatient I can be in the Spring. The garden is good at teaching patience which is a life long lesson for me.

Suzy Q

This is Suzy. She is our Grey and White Giant Malamute. She is Sandy's littermate and the last of our pets left to introduce here. 6 cats, 11 dogs... you have met them all now. Suzy's favorite passtime is watching the cat door that leads to the basement. That is what she is doing here. Funny thing is, she will watch the cat door even if there is a cat sitting beside her, above her, almost on her.... it seems like what she likes to watch is the door itself. She is fascinated to see a cat go in or out of it. She is also very mellow and will lean into you when you pet her. Suzy and Sandy both used to like walking between our legs when they were little. Suzy sometimes still tries to do it but she ends up lifting me up because she really isn't little at all anymore !

Spot of Sunshine

It rained all day today. Actually, it poured rain all day today. Really heavy rain. Luckily I got an early start so I managed to get in Bachelor's Buttons 'Black Ball', Maltese Cross, Marigold 'Citrus Mix', Red Hollyhock, Nasturtium 'Tall Climbing Mix', Poppy 'Purple Gleam', Sunflower 'Double Dandy Dwarf' and Zinnia 'Oklahoma Yellow' before it all started. Managed to catch this little guy blooming before the sun disappeared too. It should be a 'Chopin' tulip according to my map. It looks exactly like the written description in the catalogue and nothing like the picture in the same catalogue. If it finds a few friends and gets a bit taller for next year, I think it will be quite nice.

Hannah About the House

This is Hannah sitting on top of an old ladder in the bird sanctuary. She loves to bird watch and would bird hunt if it didn't bring Miles with a hose to spray her out of the sanctuary. She contents herself with watching because Hannah hates being wet. We got Hannah with our house. She has lived 3 or maybe 4 more years here than we have. She was very happy to share it with us but she does not like sharing it with the other cats. Dogs she likes, cats she doesn't. She doesn't fight with them but she certainly doesn't associate with them either. Mostly she ignores cats. She thinks she is a dog and can be found playing with Moxie quite often.

Large and In Charge

This is Sandy, our red Giant Malamute. Her littermate, Suzy, is a grey and white and is also with us. Sandy is beautiful and gentle with people. She loves to be petted and she is my giant baby. She and Suzy were our first dogs and moved with us to here. She won't take any crap from other dogs though and will get aggressive if they get on her nerves. Some days it is easy for them to get on her nerves. She also likes to play with cats but she is way too big for that. Sandy and Suzy also are so large they scare strangers so they are 2 of the 4 dogs that are fenced when they are outside.

Reminders of the Past

Whenever the work of the garden overwhelms me, much like it was starting to today, something happens to make me pause and that feeling of panic recedes. After all, plants are organic and therefore contribute to the cycle of life. They live, they die, they feed other plants. If everything doesn't get in, it will compost. Seeds can be stored until next year. Nothing is as bad as no fish by 2050 and what lasts is the overall effect of the garden. The peace it brings to my busy mind. Today, sweeping the walkway, I remembered that as I again uncovered these pavers, the only ones left from a gardeners' work over 20 years ago. I should tear them out along with the sidewalk that has rebar showing through but I won't. I like the nostalgia of them and I need the reminder on a day like today. I sometimes imagine her working in her garden. All indications and the tulips she left behind are that her garden was much larger than mine. I might get there one day as I uncover bits of her work here and there... the wild violet and anemone in the bush, the buried pond under the willow. But for today, my garden is large enough for me. Unfortunately, it is too small for all the plants in boxes I have yet to get in. New beds need to be dug in the next couple of weeks and I am betting I will find more traces of her as I go. As I do, I will be grateful that she speaks to me still, urging me to slow down and notice what we have accomplished together. Her past, my present, unknown future. Just the way it should be.

Summer Time

Meet Summer. Summer was a stray puppy when she showed up injured and unable to eat. She recovered very quickly after treatment and feels it is her job to protect the yard. Each day she patrols the entire perimeter first thing in the morning and last thing at night, often several times in between. She has trouble containing her excitement when we return from being out, when people show up to visit and most especially when Sean comes home. She grew up as Sean's dog, seeing him off at the school bus then waiting patiently for him to return, so she thinks he belongs to her.

Survivor Finale

Sandra and Parvati at the end was what I wanted to happen so it was a great Survivor day. Too bad it wasn't just the two of them but since Russell was ignored in the votes, that turned out OK too. You would think Survivor would learn though and stop having a final three when so often the third is ignored. I was surprised when Russell voted Jerri out instead of Parvati and I always thought Sandra had a great chance of winning if she made it to the end so I knew Russell was wrong about that. I was happy with Sandra winning. I'd rather have seen Jerri have her chance with a jury instead of Russell and I think it would have switched up some of the votes but no complaints here. It went my way for once :)

It was an excellent season and I will definitely watch the next.

Samantha Contemplating

Samantha is our Chocolate Point Siamese. She is very shy and most of our infrequent visitors have not even met her... she takes awhile to warm up to new people. She also does not like The Mayhem. She loves the other dogs but Didi, Maggie and Moxie move too fast and are too energetic for her. I call Samantha my little monkey face because she has the cutest little chimp face with big doe eyes. She also has the quietest little meow that sounds more like "meep" than "meow". Here, she is sitting on my garden maps trying to figure out where to plant all the tulips last fall.

Wile E. Coyote

Wile E. came to us two years ago. He was left in the ditch with a broken leg and crushed foot by someone who drove out from the city... likely to avoid having to explain the broken leg to a vet or the shelter. Although a neighbour saw the truck at the bush edge with an open crate in the truck bed, she was not able to see what they were doing inside the bush. 26 hours later, Wile E. showed up. Once we got him to the vet, he had to be referred to a specialist who told us that his leg had been broken 3 other times and not treated by a vet. At the time, Wile E. was less than 6 months old. Surgery, 16 weeks recuperating in a crate and today he doesn't even know he is broken. His foot is not exactly straight on his leg, it is turned slightly to the side so he uses it to push off. His leg that was repeatedly broken is shorter than the others and always will be so he has a little bit of a rolling gait. He has no trouble keeping up with any of the other dogs though and he is cute as a button. He is also very talkative in a high rowwww-rowwww-rowww babble and he listens faster and better than most of the other dogs. The only other lasting effect from his early days is that he tends to curl himself up like a pretzel with his bad leg underneath him when he sleeps. I think he is protecting it eventhough I am sure he has figured out that he doesn't have to protect it anymore.

The Garden Begins for 2010

Gardening season officially arrived today. It was beautiful and sunny, the ground is dry enough to dig but wet enough that the weeds pop right up. We are not safely passed frost but there is lots that can be done. I put in Strawberry Red Rhubarb, Moonsilk Iris, Puddy Tat Iris, Stargazer Lily, Vermeer Lily and Hosta Carol today. There is a lot to clean up and clear away out there. We had a wind storm in early May that took out way too many branches along with a couple of whole trees. Of course, that wasn't for today. Today was about moving mulch around and finding out what is coming up. I have Key Lime Coral Bells, lots of tulips and hosta coming up since the last time I checked and all of the groundcovers are greening up. And.... it only gets better from here.

Sleepy-Eyed Solomon

This is Solomon. Our Bluepoint Siamese. Solomon is relentlessly pursued by and very much loved by MoeMoe. Solomon has a really loud purr and he bites your head to show how much he loves you. He will actually bite you anywhere because he cannot contain his enthusiasm but your head is always his favorite place to bite. At least he doesn't try to use your hair as dental floss which one of our other cats, Snowball, used to do. Snow passed away last year but she used to be Mom to all the other cats. We miss her as much as they do.

Survivor - Almost Done

Rupert is gone. I won`t miss him and I would have missed Sandra so it all worked out for me. Don`t forget the finale is Sunday. Should be a good one.

Penny Pie

This is Penny, our Rotty-Lab cross. Penny is skittish of strangers and she will bark whenever anyone comes into the yard. She is very mild tempered despite all her show behavior. She stays very close to me always and has endless patience to sit and wait for me to be finished whatever I am doing before we move on to the next thing. Penny was on her way to the shelter when she stopped here and decided to stay. She loves to play with the other dogs and is the most gentle of all of our dogs. She is also our most talkative dog and is constantly yakking at me in what sounds like a series of low grunts and growls. I never know what she is saying but it doesn't seem like she cares about that anyway.

The Wolfies

Mikaela and Yehoni are littermates that came to live with us from Victoria, BC when they were already old for mid-size dogs. You would never know that though. They are healthy, spry and love to go for walks. They could walk for hours although Yehoni slows down considerably after the first hour or so and I am constantly reminding Mikaela that we have to walk at the old man's pace. Neither of us mind. Gives us more time to notice what might be in the ditches. Mikaela's favorite ditch find is garter snakes.

Spring Shoots

Spring shoots are up everywhere in my garden ! This allium, along with lily-of-the-valley, tulips, siberian iris, narcissus, and tarda, are some of the bulbs that are up. The tarda are in bloom with the lily not far behind. I am still not seeing all of my new tulips but I am seeing enough of them to keep me hopeful that the rest are on their way. I can see delphinium, coral bells, and columbine coming but the only other blooms today are on the wild violet. Such an exciting time of year...