Spring's joy begins in fall.

It's bulb time in the garden.
We took a break from the rain this week to allow for some planting.
These were filled with 75 deep purple and pink tulips.
The pots normally reside along the rocks beside the driveway, but we learned a valuable lesson from last years bizarre snowfall. Anything that large hidden under piles of snow, just becomes a hazard. And boy did it snow last year!
So into the garden they went. Their bellies full of spring bulbs.
I edged the stump with Muscari. About a hundred of them outline my tallish tree in waiting.
and of course props to the helpers.When they got bored with me and the bulbs they took to their own activities. For the boy, that included laps around the garden. And for my girl, bug collecting.
She found a teeny tiny snail.
I know as a gardener I'm not supposed to like snails, but I do. I rarely kick them out of my patch. Which suits the girl and the snail just fine :)

Wordless Wednesday

The Colours of Fall

Creating Living Art: Updater

I enjoyed some carried away time in the garden this afternoon.
After finishing the scoop out of the old stump, I started adding dirt.and more dirt, and more dirt.
This hole took 3 wheelbarrows of dirt to fill.
Not just any wheelbarrows either.
This was the double wheeled (for sturdiness) extra large wheelbarrow.

The mother load (so to speak).
Once filled I transplanted the Coral Barked Maple,
and tag along foxglove into the stump.
So finally the tiny weenie,
smallish,
soon to be tallish tree has found it's home.
I am looking forward to the fall colour to come.
From green to that hot fuchsia colour!
It's tree inside a tree-ness will be stunning!
Given a chance to grow.

Creating Living Art

While peeling away the layers of the season,
there are always surprises.
Last year I tore out a Juniper that was growing inside this stump.
I didn't like it,
it wasn't the focal piece I wanted for this garden.
I dug and pulled as much as I could,
but the root ball would never come out.
Hanging by a thread apparently.
It came out easily yesterday.
I can finally begin this long awaited project.
Rule of thumb tells me one shouldn't plant within an old Cedar stump.
Thing shouldn't grow well there.
Yet a Juniper bush and a bunch of day Lilly's beg to differ.
The stump itself is so hollowed,
I need a good day of digging out and then I'll be ready to go.
I have a sapling that I bought from the Riverview Tree festival last year.
It was a tiny little thing,
that's grown into a smallish thing,
and will one day become a tallish thing.
A Coral Bark Maple for here in this stump.
A tree growing from within a tree.
Also found under the wilds.
A Bleeding Heart.
I have no clue from where it came.
My closest Bleeding heart resides in the back yard.
The clean up is in full swing.
The front of this garden is done-ish.
There are a few late season perennials still doing their thing.
So it will need a final sweep in a couple of weeks.
The center garden is done, ready for leaves and such.
The back length still needs to be cleaned.
It is a little weird that I find this fun, right?

The Patch: A Year in Review

Well the Veggie bed is officially done for the year.
It was my first year growing vegetable's.
I learned,
I laughed,
I loved,
I cried.

So here it is, my do and don't list for next year.
Do- Grow more pumpkins (they were a blast for the kids to watch grow. Ah who am I kidding, for me too!)

Don't- Forget how much room they take up. What I planted could have easily taken over the back yard had I not been so diligent.
Do- Grow cucumbers again (de-lish!)Do- Grow Cabbage. Its foliage is stunning!

Don't- Forget to harvest them on time. Next year I need to harvest them sooner so I can donate them to a local homeless shelter. (As beautiful as Cabbage is, I can't stand the taste!)Do- Grow herbs again, Although next time more of them will be planted in the beds vs the pots on my patio (all but the invasive ones like Mint or Lemon Balm of course). My favorites of the season were the Pineapple Sage (pictured below, flowering), Rosemary, Basil, Mint, Tri-coloured Sage and Lemon Thyme.
Do- Peas! And more of them! This was a big surprise to me, but the Peas were easily one of my favorite garden snacks (the kids loved them too!).Do- My Tomato hanging basket was a huge success! These juicy little treats kept on coming all summer long. Next year I need at least two to fill the demands of the house.Do- The tomatoes were great this year. I planted many varieties, and have a better concept of what I'm looking for come planting season next year.

Don't- Plant them so close together! I planted two rows of tomato's way too tight. It lead to a lot of waste as I couldn't get in there to get them regularly. Also next spring irrigation will be a top priority. We lost a few plants due to black bottoms.Do- Grow more Alpine Strawberries (Yum!).
Don't- Buy a jumbo pack of Strawberry plants too early because it was "such a great deal" then not get around to planting them for a month. Leading to Strawberries that never quite get enough moister no matter how often they are watered. Or as commonly referred to by me as "BBQ Strawberries"
Do- Plant more Potato's. Lots more. Lots and lots more.....They were gooood!Generally speaking. Do more of everything, and do it earlier!

Fresh Garden Strawberries? Yes please!

Yes it's true,
I'm still eating Strawberries fresh from my garden.
Golden Alexandria Alpine Strawberries.
Tiny on size,
but with a punch of flavor!
This perennial clump forming delicacy was by far my favorite planting in the front garden this year.
They are terribly tiny,
almost to be over looked.
Which they are often.
It's not that I haven't told my husband and kids that there are two Alpine strawberry plants in the garden,
because I have.
It's not that I haven't lead them to the two locations and pointed them out directly,
because I have.
But for whatever reason they only raid the first bush.
Splendid!
It leaves the second for me!

Mmmmmm, fresh strawberry's in October!