The Cottage Gardener

Garden Tours - A Time to Share

2011-08-07T11:26:00.000-07:00

A deck outside the kitchen provides an outdoor kitchen for entertaining.

Our largest pond with a newly created waterfall which still needs a little work.

This seating area is hidden from the main garden and is where my son Jeremy and his friends like to warm themselves on a chilly summer or autumn evening.

This newly appointed seating area is great for enjoying a glass of wine while the chef makes dinner on the BBQ.

The gazebo is where we enjoy our summer evening dinners close to the big pond. The raised box veggie gardens provide us with fresh produce.

Yesterday we were part of a garden tour for some visitors who came from Toronto with Garden Instructor Frank Kershaw. My son was surprised when the coach pulled up next to the house and a whole busload of people disembarked. But the rain held off and the weather was perfect for a garden tour. Everyone enjoyed some juice and goodies and a walk around the garden. I hope they got some good ideas.

We love hosting garden tours. Not only is it a great way to get those niggling garden tasks completed (my husband is a procrastinator and works best under pressure) but it forces you to look at your garden from someone else's perspective. I have started to rehabilitate our gardens this year. A small rock garden had become infested with a big ant nest, so I had to deal with that and then add more soil and replant and at the same time I added another great piece of granite.

You can see above that we also added a waterfall feature to our big pond. (We have three water features in our backyard - we love the sound of running water throughout the garden).The waterfall still has some adjustments to be made but it adds another dimension to the pond.

We also reconfigured our back deck. Previously it has held two Muskoka chairs on one level and a picnic table on the upper level. Well, the past couple of winters a huge icicle came down on the picnic table and finally broke the stone slab that was the table top. After having been at garden Walk Buffalo last year, we came home with an idea from that garden tour. We moved the BBQ up to replace the Muskoka chairs which had reached the end of their life span while at the same time remaking the picnic table into a table/counter for food preparation next to the BBQ. We then purchased a new seating arrangement for the upper deck. Using the frame of the old pergola (for the ice had smashed that too) we rearranged our fabric shade cover to work over this space and with enough of the leftover fabric I was able to recover the cushions so that all matched. Now we have a lovely are to sit, relax and enjoy a glass of wine while being able to converse with the grill master. And the counter area is great for setting up the food for a BBQ. Jeremy loves grilling the burgers while his friends can load their plates.

Garden tours are a great opportunity to share your garden triumphs, disappointments or mistakes. Two days before the tour while digging a hole to put up a bird house for me he cut the TV cable, luckily the cable guy came on Friday to restore order. For us, it is a chance to show the ability to reuse and recycle materials. One of our ponds is an old bathtub. The marble floor of the gazebo came from a building in Toronto via my sister's neighbours backyard. Our greenhouse was made from windows from a restaurant on our main street that was having the windows replaced and sided with leftover siding from the house and the pergola was once the children's play unit. Peter, the resident handyman, builds everything with screw nails so that he can constantly reuse materials when things outlive their current usefulness.

Take the opportunity to visit other peoples gardens and get ideas that you can use in creating your own personal sanctuary and then share what you do with others. Happy Gardening!

Summer Days, Summer Days!

2011-08-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

These are the lovely hollyhocks that appear in our garden each year. But a recent windstorm knocked many of them over.

I just love the beauty of a summer's day. Yesterday I had the chance to visit another gardeners' garden and see the beauty that they have created at their home. The sun was shining, good friends were in attendance all to share in one couple's creation of their personal sanctuary.

We each garden for our own reasons. For some, vegetable gardening is the way they sustain their family during the summer and winter months. Or perhaps they just want to try and reduce their carbon footprint, know where their food comes from and enjoy straight from the vine fresh produce when it is at its absolute best.

Some garden for the flowers. They love the beauty of colourful blooms and they are entranced by the wildlife and biodiversity that those blooms attract. I'm a bit of both those gardeners. I have six raised beds in which I grow a variety of fresh vegetables. There is nothing better than fresh picked beans, lightly steamed and drizzled with a little butter or extra virgin olive oil. The rest of my garden is a mix of perennials, trees and shrubs with a few containers of annuals. I too delight in the wildlife that visits my garden from the groups of starlings, a few robins and mourning doves that like to frolic in the water of our several water features to those crazy squirrels that dig up my bulbs and my beans (had to replant them several times before they actually germinated). But oh those squirrels make me laugh as they chase each other up and down the trees and along the fence tops. And then there are the couple of little chipmunks who scurry about always with their cheeks full of peanuts courtesy of our neighbour next door.

No matter what kind of a gardener you are the important thing is to love what you are doing - getting exercise, fresh air and enjoying all that nature has to offer. And to take time, not just to work in your garden, but to sit down ever once in a while and truly enjoy all that you have created. Summer is fleeting, so enjoy it while it is here!

A Great Gardening Year

2011-07-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

Huge hostas grace my garden this summer.

Wow! What a great gardening year this is. People are constantly telling me how wonderful their gardens are growing. The weather experts predicted a hot, dry summer but so far we haven't experienced much of that. Instead we have alternated between cool wet weather and a few hot dry days which has resulted in the gardens growing large and lush. The hostas are huge, the berries bountious (strawberries that is!), the grapes glorious and the weeds wicked! The gardens seem to have exploded. I haven't seen a garden season like this for a few years.

We picked strawberries at Brooklands Farm in Milford Bay a few times and the berries were large and delicious. My son Jeremy baked and decorated a cake with berries to represent the Canadian flag in celebration of Canada Day. We gorged on fresh berries and whipped cream, made jam and froze a great quantity to enjoy during the winter. Yum! Yum!

The grape arbour is covered with grape bunches and it looks like we will have a great grape harvest this fall that is if we can keep the birds and squirrels away as the grapes ripen. We're looking forward to making grape jelly to enjoy on our toast when winter sets in providing a reminder of the summer that was.

My roses were ravishing this summer. Many summers I have lost leaves and buds to caterpillars before the buds could bloom but this summer everything bloomed with fragrant aroma. The peonies were perfect too - fragrant large blooms that awakened the olfactory senses as you wandered through the garden.

But along with the burgeoning beauty are the wicked weeds and ferocious ferns that seem to have taken over too. Last year I was not able to give the garden much attention due to dealing with family health issues and now with a great garden season I am forced to tackle the weed and fern problems. So with vigour I am digging out the ferns and eliminating the weeds and putting down lots and lots of mulch. (I should have shares in the mulch companies). I have also been reworking some parts of the front garden. After spending some time on a garden tour with Frank Kershaw, I am starting to lift some of my smaller plants up to display them better as I saw on that tour. Garden tours are great for getting new ideas and summer is the time when horticultural societies across the province and country are showcasing local members gardens. Take time out from your own garden chores to check out some of these tours.

Today is cool and overcast but a perfect day for getting out in the garden to continue with my garden tasks. Enjoy your day but remember always to take time out to smell the roses and celebrate the beauty of your private sanctuary.

World Naked Gardening Day- May 14, 2011

2011-05-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

Who would believe that there would be such an international day as World Naked Gardening Day? Well, I'm here to tell you that such a day exists and that day is May 14, 2011 this year. Now I personally can't imagine doing my garden chores naked, especially in our part of the country where May is the beginning of black fly and mosquito season. How about gardening naked protected by a bug jacket? But there are somethings a bug jacket won't be able to protect (if you know what I mean),

Personally I prefer to think about naked gardening in the same context as Jamie Oliver, The Naked Chef. For me "naked gardening" simply means just stripping away all the glitz and getting back to gardening basics, using sustainable practices like composting, integrated pest management, discontinuing use of pesticides and insecticides and the use of hertitage, heirloom and native plant material.

So celebrate World Naked Gardening Day in whatever manner makes you feel good.

O Reluctant Spring!

2011-04-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

O reluctant spring - when will you ever show your warm spirit and bright days.

Can you believe it - these are my little crocus, frozen in the snow that fell yesterday and through the night. A few weeks ago we were lulled into the prospect that spring was just around the corner. Warm breezes brushed our faces, we scampered to put our laundry on the line revelling in the smell of clean, fresh linens. And then wham. The warm breezes were repaced with blasts of bitter Arctic air and along with those strong winds came blinding snow - yet again. Can anyone believe that it is now April 18th. Spring when will you grace us? These tiny purple petals frozen in time and space. And as Easter approaches this weekend, we can look forward not to donning a new Easter outfit as I did when I was a child but instead to get my winter coat out again.

But the signs of spring are here - these frozen crocus, my rhubarb budding up through the ground (topped by a hood of snow) and daffodils just waiting to burst. And I must remember that we gardener's are a patient lot, so patient I must be and I know that I will be rewarded when my anticipation is finally quenched with spring's warm weather and colourful blooms.

Canada Blooms - Inspiration, Ideas and Information

2011-03-15T05:47:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that it is mid March already and time once again for Canada Blooms, Canada's premier flower and garden show. Winter has really been hanging on and we are all ready for a breath of spring air and Canada Blooms certainly delivers that along with plenty of inspiration, ideas and information. Some people can easily feel overwhelmed at the show but here are a few tips to help you make the most out of your Canada Blooms visit.

1. Inspiration-The show gardens are large and beautiful but can be overwhelming to some who say I don't have the funds to hire a landscaper to do all that work and it is beyond my own capabilities. Remember these are show gardens where landscapers and designers are showing you new products and their services. These gardens are meant for inspiration. Look at the smaller elements that you can take home and use in your own garden - it could be a new plant variety, and interesting colour combination or a new hardscape element like a water feature, outdoor kitchen idea or some cool accesories.

2. Ideas - The show is filled with lots of great ideas. Bring along your digital camera and a notebook and pen so you can make note and record ideas or new plants you'd like to try in your garden. If you rely on your memory, you'll lose a lot of ideas. By the end of the show your head will be so filled with ideas that when you go home, you won't remember them all. I keep a file of new gardens ideas so that when I have time and want to make changes to my garden I can readily see ideas I wanted to try.

3. Information - If you are a novice gardener just getting started or an experienced gardener wanting to find out about new plants or techniques, Canada Blooms information sessions are filled with quality education from experienced gardeners. There are many opportunities throughout the 4 day show to here excellent speakers who share their knowledge, tips and techniques. Again, bring along a notebook so you can jot down all the great gardening advice.

If you've never been to Canada Blooms, there is no time like the present. Not only will you leave filled with Inspiration, Ideas and Information but you'll leave knowing that spring is just around the corner. So celebrate spring this week at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto at Canada Blooms.

Winter Won't Let Go

2011-03-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

"Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own."

Charles Dickens

What a week it has been. Winter it seems just will not let go its hold on us. It's almost mid March and just when we think that spring might be on our doorstep, we are blasted with another hit of winter. Yesterday, it was rain, then wet, heavy snow and my children even had another "snow day" at home. With the extra rain and snow, it has meant flooding all around our town. We are all getting a little down with the weather these days and can only hope and pray for some sunshine, mild days and warm, warm weather. It doesn't help when our Kenyan son texts us from Nairobi telling us it is so, so, so, so, hot Mama. But still the fresh dusting of white covered up the muddy brown of spring's melt time.

And so we can only hope for spring by looking at our photos of our gardens in full bloom and perusing and picking our seeds and summer bulbs from the garden catalogues but when we will be able to plant, well your guess is as good as mine. So tonight with a light snow falling and mild temperatures, I'll grab a mug of tea and get back to my seed orders.

Roses - Symbol of Love for Valentine's Day

2011-02-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

"In the heart of every woman
is the memory of a Rose."

Jean Gordon

Roses have been the symbol of love throughout the ages but it was the Victorians who began to write about roses in their poetry and prose extolling their virtue and innocence.

And as Liz Klose and Laura Peters recount in their book 'Roses for Ontario', "A Greek legend attributes the creation of the rose to Flora, the goddess of spring and flowers. She found the lifeless body of one of her beautiful nymphs in the forest and asked the gods to give the creature new life by transforming her into a flower, one that surpasses all others in beauty. The request was granted and the new flower was named Rose, Queen of Flowers."

Roses have been the symbol of love in my relationship with my husband and he often gives me roses for special occasions, and sometimes for no occasion at all. We have a few roses growing in our gardens, new varieties that come out on a regular basis that seem like they might like to survive in our colder winter climate. We love the ones that smell like roses should smell, that wonderful sweet intoxicating fragrance. My husband especially loves the mauve variety (name unknown) that really exudes with rosy aroma. After all, what good is a rose if it doesn't smell like a rose! In ancient times in Persia it was found that oil could be distilled from rose petals and that once bottled rose oil could last almost indefinitely. This was a real blessing as it was much easier to open a bottle of attar of roses, as the essential oil was known, than to be surrounded by bushels of roses, to enjoy rose fragrance. From this discovery, the scent of roses became a staple of cosmetics, aromotherapy and perfumes.

This Valentine's Day show your loved one you really love them with a gift of roses. And remember that the Rose is the goddess of Spring which I hope is just around the corner (and on this very snowy day we could use a few warm thoughts about spring!).

Did you know that Kenya is one of the major rose growing countries in the world that services much of Europe?

2010-11-05T07:37:00.000-07:00

"And when the vines and stalks are empty, when the soil's been turned, and it is blowing into Winter, we sit with neighbours and compare. About who had the best luck with this year's garden. Outside, the garden's brown again. The crows are back. And we are, all of us, waiting . . . for next year's garden."

Cynthia Ryland, "This Year's Garden"

Today is one of those days that you just feel the need to have a little sunshine in your life. As I look out the window the sky is leaden grey and a light snowfall is gently drifting to the ground. Luckily it is still not cold enough for the snow to accumulate but rather it melts as it hits the earth.

It's hard to believe that it is the end of the first week in November already. Most to the garden chores have been done and the beds put to bed. The garden seems empty and dull with colourings of brown and green but the red rosehips and white snowberries add bright spots of colour. True to form, I still have tulip bulbs to plant. Hopefully we will have a slight reprieve this weekend and I can get them planted.

It seems like the time to sit back and relax but I know I must create next season's to-do list. Fix the fence, replace the lattice, redesign the front garden, divide the hosta, cut back the grapevines (do it earlier next spring because I got lots of foliage but no grapes this year)and build a waterfall for the big pond (that was on this year's to-do list but just didn't get done).

Some people like to think that gardening is an activity that can be "completed", if you can use that word. But a garden is a living, breathing, ever changing entity. Plants grow, or don't grow, and need to be moved and divided and we must always deal with Nature's blessings or her wrath. Our gardens thrive with plenty of sunshine and adequate rainfall or they suffer with cold or too hot temperatures and too much water but that is in fact the true beauty of gardening. No two seasons are the same and the garden is always in constant evolution.

But for today, I'll put the kettle on to make a cup of tea and dream of winter's depths when the land is covered with snow and as both the garden and I take a rest, I'll get my gardening fix getting caught up reading all about other people's gardening exploits.

Thanksgiving and Harvest Home

2010-10-11T19:10:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that it is already Thanksgiving weekend - autumn is almost over. I looked out the window yesterday and with the wind there was a rain of leaves falling from the trees. Here in Muskoka, the colour parade is mostly over and many of the trees are already bare. But the weather this Thanksgiving weekend has been beautiful, sunny with a touch of warmth that is unseasonal for this time of year. It has meant that we have ben able to get out and attend to the last of the garden tasks, like putting away the gazebo, table and achairs for the winter, cutting back the perennials and storing the statuary. But somethings have really surprised me.

Yesterday I purchased a new ice cream maker at a yard sale and today in celebration of the harvest season I made pumpkin and ginger ice cream. I had just told my husband I would have to wait until next summer to try lavender and honey ice cream but lo and behold, when I went out to get some parsley from the garden I noticed the lavender was blooming again. Hurray! Guess what? Tomorrow we try lavender and honey ice cream with locally made Papa Jim's honey - yummy!

It's time for pumpkins and squash, potatoes and turnips. I spent the weekend deocrating the church for Thanksgiving and it looked lovely celebrating the harvest from local gardens. How lucky we are to live where we do and in this time. Others in our world are not so lucky. But it's the rainy season in Wongonyi Village, Kenya and Ronnie is in the village checking up on the banana plantation and delivering seeds we've sent him to farmers in the village. The Lukundo Self-Help Group (a group of young men who are tryiing to improve their lives) have just benefitted from one of our microfinance loans to start a banana plantation too.

So many things we have to give thanks for - a bountiful harvest, good food, family and friends and most of all the ability to share our good fortunes with those who are not so fortunate. So celebrate harvest home - invite some friends or neighbours to celebrate Thanksgiving with you!

Fall's Fungi

2010-09-27T12:31:00.001-07:00

"I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds that cherries, and very frankly give them fruits for their songs."

Joseph Addison

What a month it has been - full of all sorts of changeable weather. Days start out warm and sunny but by mid-day the clouds roll in, the sky turns to pewter, and then the heavens open up sending folks scrambling for shelter. This means that garden chores are still waiting to be done, for you go outside, start to clean out the beds, then run for cover. I don't know where that beautiful Indian summer they predicted went but we certainly didn't get it here. But strange things are happening - can you believe it but my some of my hostas are blooming for a second time. And my roses are in full bloom again - global warming maybe??

Yesterday our hiking group from church hiked the Beetle Lake Trail at Oxtongue Lake just west of Algonquin Park. Up there the trees have already peaked in their autumn colouring and many of the trees are already bare of leaves. The wet weather this month has resulted in a great variety of woodland fungi as evidenced by the photo above in all manner of shape, colour and textures. But even then, the wetness has made many of the fungi turn to mush.

Today when I went to my yoga class the Mountain Ash tree outside by instructor's home was filled with birds, sparrows, robins, goldfinches chowing down on all the luscious berries. And when they weren't consuming berries, they were filling the air with chattering and chirping.
Carol was complaining that the fallen berries make quite a mess especially when you step on them and she's constantly having to sweep them up. But she commented that at the rate the birds are eating the remaining berries will only last another day or two.

Back at home I've started by autumn decorating by purchasing a couple of big pumpkins for the porch and a basket of ornamental gourds to brighten the table. I've put up the fall wreaths and will replace the spent annuals with some lovely fall mums. But not today, for as predicted the sky has clouded over and rain seems iminent, so that will wait for another day.

Summer's End

2010-09-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

"The maple wears a gayer scarf,
The field a scarlet gown,
Lest I should be old fashioned
I'll put a trinket on."

Emily Dickson

Wow! It's hard to believe that summer has come to an end and today is the first day of September. Schools will start next week and routines will get back to normal. This week the weather has been hot and humid, a reminder of the dog days of summer, as if this season wants to linger on and not move into autumn but the gardenscape shows a different story. Although with this type of weather I can imagine what it must be like to live in America's deep south or a tropical country like Panama or the Caribbean.

On the ground the gardens are starting to show decline but up in the air the colour show is just beginning. The leaves are shifting from green to yellow, orange and red, a branch here, a whole tree there. And with the recent lack of water for the past few weeks, brown leaves have already been falling from the trees.

Back on the ground, it is time to remove those tired and dying annuals and spent perennials and repplace them with some fall annuals like chrysanthemums in shades of dark pink, gold and burgundy, tall willowy millet and purple crinkly ornamental kale and cabbages. Taking a few minutes to clean up the garden will give your garden a renewed look to take it through fall, especially if we have a lovely Indian summer. Just remember to dispose of any diseased plant material in the garbage not the compost pile so you won't transfer disease throughout your landscape.

There is still a good month or more of time in which to go outside and enjoy days and evenings with wonderful friends in the pleasurable pastimes of dinners in the garden.

Five Tips for Garden Touring Time

2010-08-12T11:25:00.000-07:00

"God Almightie first planted a Garden. And indeed, it is the Purest of Humane pleasure. It is the Grestest Refreshment to the Spirit of Man."

Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626) Essays

Although summer is half over there is still time to get out and participate in a few local garden tours. These tours are a great way to take time away from your own garden chores and to get a little inspiration from other like-minded individuals. It's a fun way to spend a day and just think of all the ideas you come home with to use in your own personal sanctuary.

But there are a few things you should remember when visiting other people's gardens.

1. Be prepared. It's summer, it's hot so make sure you are caring lots of water with you, don't expect garden hosts to quench your thirst (except for garden knowledge). Bring along plenty of sunscreen, a hat and/or umbrella and remember to wear proper walking shoes. Many gardens are built on uneven ground. And don't forget your camera and a notebook for jotting down the name of that new and must have plant you see in someone else's garden.

2. Garden touring is really an adult activity - it is not particularly appealing for children or pets. Be respectful of your garden hosts and don't bring your dog along for a walk. Summer's heat is not good for your dog and others may have allergies to your pet, so leave Fido at home.

3. Practice good etiquette. Remember someone has opened up their private sanctuary for you to see and worked hard on getting it ready for your visit. Don't pick the flowers or snatch any seed pods unless you ask the owner and have been given permission. Most gardeners are happy to share seeds and plants but they need to be asked first. If you are using a tripod for photography work, ask first if you can place it in gardens to get a close-up. And don't expect to be able to use homeowners bathrooms, find a public washroom before or after visiting the garden.

4. If it is an expansive garden, don't get discouraged about your own garden. Instead look at the individual elements that combine to create this unique garden and take the elements back and recreate them in your own garden setting. Remember that everyone's garden is a combination of personal elements reflecting the artistry of the gardener.

5. Be patient with the gardeners when asking questions. By the end of the day, the gardener may have answered the same question 100 times and simply be out of steam (especially if the day is sunny and hot).

So take a day off, seek out some local gardens and get touring. There is still time, summer's not over yet and many localities still have garden tours posted. And best of all come home refreshed and full of new ideas for next garden season.

Revitalizing Buffalo - One Neighbourhood at a Time

2010-07-19T18:34:00.000-07:00

"Gardens are not made by singing 'Oh, how beautiful!' and sitting in the shade."

Rudyard Kipling

July 24 and 25 are quickly approaching as gardeners in Buffalo prepare for Garden Walk Buffalo, a great event in which gardeners share their private sanctuaries and knowledge with others of like mind (gardeners and non-gardeners alike). Recently while getting a sneak peek at some Garden Walk gardens, as we toured around Buffalo I noticed that many areas of the city were less than prosperous having lost the lustrous shine of Buffalo's heyday. But the City of Buffalo is working to turn the town around.

We were taken to a restoration project opposite an old Olmstead water feature that too will be restored. Our hosts likened it to Extreme Home Makeover - Neighbourhood Garden Edition. In this neighbourhood a group of 16 landscape design companies volunteered to do 19 front yard garden makeovers (donating time, labour and supplies) on some tarnished homes, and in consultation with the homeowners they created lovely new landscapes in just 4 days. The public is being invited to visit the neighborhood and select their favourite garden in the National Buffalo Garden Festivals Front Yard Garden Competition. And this is only the first step in the revitalization project. Next the homes will be painted (some already had started being painted). Once the water feature is restored by the Olmstead Conservancy this neighbourhood will have begun to achieve some of its former glory.

The city is hoping that this project is just the first of many, acting as a model that will be repeated over and over again throughout the city bringing Buffalo back to life. Many thanks to the garden industry for working to improve these neglected urban areas.

Garden Walk Buffalo - It's Touring Time!

2010-07-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

"Every gardener has a strange and romantic tale to tell, if you can worm it out of him - of blue flowers that came up yellow, or of a white lily that sinned in the night and greeted the dawn with crimson cheeks. In the strong heart of every gardener some wild secret stirs."

Beverley Nichols, 'Down the Garden Path'

It's the middle of summer and what better time to take a break from your own garden chores and check out the gardens of others. This past weekend my husband Peter and I joined 70 other garden bloggers in Buffalo to get a sneak peek of Garden Walk Buffalo 2010. This is an annual program where 350 homeowners throughout the Buffalo area open their private sanctuary up for other gardeners to take a peek. This year the event will be held July 24 and 25.

We had a lovely time swapping garden stories and advice, and getting a load of inspiration and ideas. Most of the gardens we had the opportunity to visit where small urban gardens and I was surprised to see the amount of plant material that can be packed into a tiny space and the ingenious ways people incorporated summer living areas into small spaces graciously adorned with plants. I certainy loved all the jewel box gardens we viewed.

My husband, the tool and project guy, got great inspiration from the many water features he saw, like the one in the photo above, if only he could find three large rocks predrilled with a hole in the centre. He was also busy checking out water features with water falls as that is his next planned project.

As the plant person of our gardening duo I was impressed with the many beautiful window boxes combining unusual plant combinations and obviously loving tended as you can see by the overflowing abundance. The tiny cottages and historic homes in all their coloured glory gave one a glimpse into Buffalo's prosperous past.

So don't get so caught up in the work of your own garden that you don't take time out to visit others. July is the month when many areas host garden tours and you don't have to go far afield. You will be surprised to find how many fabulous gardens abound in your own backyard. And the benefit is that you can make friends with local gardeners with whom you can share advice and potentially plants. Check out your local horticultural society for the date for your local garden tour.

Hosta Heaven

2010-07-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

"Brave flowers, that I could gallant it like you, And be a little vain! You come abroad, and make a harmless show, And to your beds of earth again; You are not proud; you know your birth, For your embroidered garments are from earth."

Henry King, Bishop of Chichester (1592 - 1669)

The last few days we have been experiencing the 'dog days of summer', even though July has just begun. But we should not complain just because the weather is a little like the tropics - hot, hazy, and humid, just plain steamy. But looking on the bright side, we've been able to enjoy dinner in the garden every night.

Last night sitting under the gazebo with the sun setting and the breeze wafting bringing a little relief I thought about how wonderful it is to have your own piece of heaven. The gazebo is now enclosed with the beautiful pale lavender blooms of the hosta giving a cozy, secretive atmosphere. We were entertained by the black squirrels frolicking in the honeysuckle and then playing "catch me if you can" as three squirrels chased each other along the top of the fence. Even though they dig up my bulbs in the fall, I can't be mad because they provide so much entertainment the rest of the year. They act just like little kids.

And another on another fence post, a male and female woodpecker tapped away, probably thinking they were going to enjoy a tasty meal. I haven't seen a couple in such a long time that it brought a smile to my face. I can't believe how mature the garden is already but a week of rain followed by hot weather has made it burst forth in all its glory.

With the summer heat it is so wonderful to be able to just sit, relax and enjoy the wildlife that is visiting the garden. The sound of the water fountain bubbling beside me adds yet another dimension to the garden experience and although we live in cottage country, we don't own our own cottage. But the garden provides the perfect getaway, even though the house is just steps away.

I hope you too take time to enjoy your personal sanctuary. Summer is fleeting so take time to smell the roses!

Honeysuckle's Sweet Perfume

2010-06-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

"How sweetly smells the honeysuckle in the hushed night, as if the world were one of utter peace and love and gentleness."

Walter Savage Lanfor

How true the above quote is for the honeysuckle smells sweetly in my garden evoking the essence of peace, love and gentleness. Today as I hosted a ladies garden party, the sweet nectar of the honeysuckle in full bloom wafted gently on the breeze tantilizing our olfactory senses as the petals began to gently fall to the earth. I love the fragrance filling my garden at this time of year. As one moves through the garden scent fills the air, from the honeysuckle to the roses to the peonies. It seems there is no area in my garden that is not perfumed.

I am amazed that a simple thing like scent can lift the spirits, transform one's outlook on life and create a sense of bliss. We are certainly blessed to live in such a wonderful creation as our earth. And with our windows open the honeysuckle's fragrance drifts into our home in the evening hours. This quote from Louise Beebe Wilder from her book, "The Fragrant Garden " sums up eloquently the effect flowers perfume have on us. "It is to thread our days with subtle, gentle happiness, a happiness definable but profoundly felt. To sleep in a room beyond whose casement Honeysuckle scrambles and to awake in the night to the exquisite fragrance that inspires the darkness is an experience of a rare quality. Such things invade life's commonplace routine with an ecstatic pleasure."

Five Tips for Great Container Gardening

2010-06-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

"And 'tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes."

William Wordsworth

Friday we enjoyed a jaunt to Toronto for our summer Garden Writers meeting at the Toronto Botanical Gardens. Our afternoon session was led by horticulturalist Paul Zammitt, who is full of enthusiam for all things floral. One of the other garden writers said to Paul halfway through his presentation, "Paul, you make me tired just watching you buzz back and forth giving your talk."

Paul was talking on Container Gardening and he gave these five tips for creating great container gardens.

1. Remember that even though you might not even any actual ground, you can have a container garden. Most people think you can only plant flowers in pots but veggies are also quite happy to be grown in containers. Check out local seed purveyors as many are now offering vegetable selections specifically bred to be grown in containers.

2. Choose a great pot - the best you can buy. Containers can add colour and art form to the garden landscape. Invest in the most expensive pot you can as it will last longer. Many containers look great even when they are not planted. Although terra cotta is tried and true, the new resin products are looking really attractive.

3. Drainage is the key. Make sure your pot has a hole in the bottom to let the moisture run through. If you don't have drainage, you can be sure that during a wet summer, your precious plants will die of root rot. If you are worried about soil running out, place a piece of screen over the hole.

4. Use the right soil. If you fill your container with ordinary potting soil, the soil will compact over time and you will squeeze out the air pockets which are essential to the health of your plants. Create your own potting mix by combining 1/3 triple mix, 1/3 compost and 1/3 peat or coir product for ligihtness. You can also add some slow release fertilizer to the mix.

5. Finally, get creative with your plant material. Mix up perennials and annuals, herbs and veggies, or combine all four. Think outside the pot, you are only limited by your imagination. Remember though that if you plant perennials in pots, you will need to move them into the garden to overwinter.

And remember that by gathering your pots together in clusters you can create a garden where none previously existed. Paul place three pots together with the same plant material and viola, instant garden. Just ensure that to make your watering job easier, cluster pots together that have the same watering requirements. Then sit back and enjoy the beauty you have created.

My English Gardening Angels

2010-05-17T05:13:00.000-07:00

" Gardening can become a kind of disease. It infects you; you cannot escape it. When you go visiting, your eyes rove about the garden; you interrupt the serious cocktail drinking because of an irrestible impulse to get up and pull a weed."

Lewis Gannit

Well, as life goes sometimes it throws you curve balls and some things have to be left undone while you attend to life's challenges. This past month a variety of family health issues had me racking up frequent fliers points at doctors and dentist offices and as spring advanced, so did the weeds in my garden but no time for garden chores. But if one is lucky, life also sends you garden angels to help out. A couple of weeks ago just when I needed them, my husband's cousins, Jean and Godfrey arrived from England for their vaction. Little did they know what they were getting into.

When Jean saw the state of my garden and my life's challenges she quickly set to work. Every day with good weather she has been out doing weeding, weeding and more weeding. What a godsend, and does my garden now look great. Godfrey and I followed close behind crowning the newly weeded beds with a topdressing of mulch. What a relief! Before I was overwhelmed and now I can relax and enjoy my garden for the remainder of the summer. But as the quote above states, even with the gardens weeded Jean can't resist pulling up a newly sprouted weed during happy hour.

And not only has Jean cleaned up my garden, she also moved on to my neighbours. Karen can't believe she too was sent a garden angel as although she likes the look of gardens, she readily admits she is not much of a gardener herself. And so as we enjoy a new week of proposed beautiful spring weather, I will get busy and plant my veggie seeds while Jean and Godfrey take a rest and enjoy the final two weeks of their visit in Bracebridge before heading out on their tour of Quebec before heading back to England.

Previously Godfrey and Jean have only visited us in the winter as Godfrey loves our Canadian snow but this trip not only have we shown them a Canadian spring but they have experienced snow, hail, rain, and yesterday's summer hot weather (all four of our Canadian seasons) in just two weeks.

The garden is lovely - the forget-me-nots are in full bloom, the hostas have unfurled their large leaves, and a few late season tulips are still blooming, soon to be replaced with the budding peonies. In the greenhouse are colourful annuals waiting to fill my containers when the last frost is over about June 1st and tomatoes ready for transplanting into the raised veggie beds. Well, with the sun shining and blue sky overhead, it's time for me to leave this computer and get my seeds planted.

Daffodils Bring Spring Cheer

2010-04-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

"I wandered lonely as a cloud,
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine,
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch in never ending line,
Along the margin of the bay;
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not be but gay,
In such jocund company:
I gazed - and gazed - but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on, my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils."

William Wordsworth (1770 - 1850)

These words penned so many years ago by William Wordsworth are known by many around the world, and today as I look out my window I see exactly what he was talking about. It's cool and breezy and the daffodils in my garden are fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Daffodils to me are one of the quintessential harbingers of spring. As the snow recedes and the ground retreats from hibernation, daffodils spring up, their cheery yellow colour brightening our days and reminding us the the fullness of the garden season yet to come. My garden is home to many varities of daffodils from single flowers to double petalled blooms, from delicate dwarfs to giant trumpets, each strikingly beautiful in their own design.

The prophet Isaiah in the Bible trumpeted the glory of God saying, "Let the wilderness and dry lands exult, let the wasteland rejoice and bloom, let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil, let it rejoice and sing for joy." And how true it is, for daffodils do make us feel joyful - that winter is over and spring is here. Their bright sunny colour also makes our hearts sing for their cheerfulness elevates our spirits after the long cold winter.

And so today, my daffodils are "tossing their heads in sprightly dance" and I sit gazing on their stunning beauty for they are the percursor of the beauty that is yet to come. But remember that if you want to be greeted with a "host of golden daffodils" next spring, you'll have to plant bulbs this fall. And with over 8,000 varities to choose from, I would hasten to say there isn't a gardener who couldn't find just one variety to bring a smile to their face.

Celebrate Spring - Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

"European writer Karl Capek described spring as 'the rebellious outburst of the will to live.' A spring garden may be an acre of woodland, a special corner by the kitchen door or no more than a tub of tulips; but whatever for it takes, it is always the gardener's celebration of that joyful and indomitable spirit, the will to live."

I'm not really sure what happened but while we were away in Kenya for a couple of weeks, spring arrived. When we left there was two feet of snow on the ground and when we got home, the snow was gone, and the tulips, crocus and snowdrops along with the daffodils were bursting forth. Apparently as soon as we left, warm weather swept through Muskoka and melted all the snow. Our friends said we missed the best two weeks of weather. Oh well, we were happy to experience summer in Kenya.

It's Easter weekend and a great time to celebrate spring and the rebirth and renewal it brings. How great it was this weekeknd to open the windows and have fresh air blow through the house, to hang laundry once again on the clothesline in the sunshine and to set up the gazebo, get the table and chairs out of the potting shed and enjoy wine and cheese with my good friend Sandra as a day of garden clean-up ended. We had a hard winter and many of the plants and shrubs have suffered under the weight of winter's white snows. Broken branches need to be trimmed and the loss of three of the mature maples on the exterior perimeter of our property mean the face of our garden will change yet again this summer. More sun may mean the hostas will feel out of place but we will see. And I think of it as an opportunity to try out some new varieties of sun-loving perennials to attract both birds and butterflies.

Tomorrow is another day - the grapes still need to be trimmed, the compost to be turned, gardens to be mulched and the raised veggie boxes to be turned. I hope to plant my tomato seeds to - I feel a little behind this spring but Kenya was a great experience for our second trip to Wongonyi Village. It was amazing to see the banana plantation, unfortunately the bananas still had another two months before they reached maturity so we weren't able to taste them. But the Ushvika Ladies Group were very happy when we arrived with their new oil press. Now they will be able to press their sunflower seeds making oil for their own use and hopefully have excess to sell and generate income.

Spring is the perfect time to give thanks for the beauty and wonder of creation and the season of rebirth and renewal that heralds a new summer season soon to come.

Happy Easter!

What Joy - Spring is Just Around the Corner!

2010-03-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

"Nothing is so beautiful as Spring - long and lovely and lush."

Gerald Manley Hopkins

What Joy I feel today for I know that spring is right around the corner. The sun is shining brightly the warmth of the sun toasting my face; the snow is melting off the rooftops with a gentle drip, drip, drip; and even though I have only seen one or two chickadees at my feeders, I heard the chatter of birds in the trees. As much as I love the thought of the impending spring, I also don't very much like this time of year, for as the snow melts a dirty world appears as winter's refuse bubbles to the surface with the melting snows and all the sand laid down to ease our winter walking tracks into our homes. But I take heart that it is only for a month or two and then - Spring!

Today we are busy with our final packing as we leave shortly for Kenya and our trip back to Wongonyi Village. We are excited to see all our family and friends again - to see the changes that have taken place in the village, thanks to the support of all of our donors to The Ronnie Fund. As we leave winter here, we arrive to an African summer and the rainy season. I'm looking forward to seeing a lushness we didn't see the last time we visited in August (Africa's winter) and we are anxious to try the bananas, the first harvest from the new banana plantation.

We return just in time for the Region VII meeting of the Garden Writers Association at Canada Blooms. The picture above taken last year gives us all a breath of fresh air as we know that tulips and daffodils will be blooming in a couple of months in our own gardens. So celebrate spring and don't forget to order your seeds now, if you haven't already.

Orchids - Simple, striking and so many images

2010-02-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

"If nature ever showed her playfulness in the formation of plants, this is visible in the most striking way among orchids . . . [their flowers] take the form of little birds, of lizards, of insects. They look like a man, a woman, sometimes like an austere, sinister fighter, sometimes like a clown who excites our laughter. They represent the image of a lazy tortoise, a melancholy toad, an agile, ever chattering monkey. Nature has formed orchid flowers in such a way that unless they make us laugh, they surely excite our greatest admiration. The causes of their marvellous variety are (at least in my opinion) hidden by nature under a sacred veil."

From 'Exoticarum Plantarum Centauria Prima' (1678) by Jacob Breyne

I always find it interesting to see how different people describe flowers, how a simple bloom can conjure up so many wonderful images. A flower is not just a flower you see. I love the delicate beauty of orchids hanging on the stem as if floating in air. This orchid featured above is a wild orchid found along the roadsides in Malaysia. During our garden writers trip to Malaysia in 2007, I think our guide and driver thought this group of women were out of their minds. For as we drove along the highway, someone spotted the delicate blooms on the hillsides. "Stop the van" we cried. Our driver pulled over and we all jumped out and scrambled over the barrier and up the steep hills to photograph this natural beauty while the two men simply shook their heads. Oh what a garden writers and photographers will do to get an up close and personal look at nature in all her glory.

Where have all the birds gone?

2010-02-10T10:32:00.000-08:00

"A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song."

Chinese Proverb

Today as I look on out a white world - sky, ground and even those white flakes that keep showering down on us I noticed an absence of birds at the feeders outside my window. All of a sudden I realized that I have not seen birds at the feeders for a couple of weeks now. And no birds means no songs or that chitter chatter of the little chickadees, a real absence of natural life.

Winter is usually a time of when I can look out the window and be entertained by the chickadees and yellow finches as they cover the hanging sock finch feeder, jockeying for the best position. Joyfully they flit between the grape arbour and the feeder, filling up on nutritious niger seed. But sadly lately there has been nothing. No sparrows, no chickadees, no yellow finches. And next door at my neighbours - no pigeons, no mourning doves, no blue jays. Where have all the birds gone?

And then at the norticultural meeting last week, many other residents where also complaining that there feeders were also absent of birds, causing us all great concern. Someone mentioned about the canary in the mine example and wondered if this was a symbol of our future and the effects of global warming.

I truly hope that as winter melts into spring, our birds will return bringing joy and entertainment to our lives and embibing that essential life force into the garden.

Florida Oranges - Nature's Sunny Fruit

2010-01-22T14:03:00.000-08:00

Honeybell Tangelos being packed for shipment.

Perfect goodness - Florida oranges

Today as the sun was shining brightly in a clear azure blue sky, I was reminded of that old saying, "A day without orange juice is like a day without sunshine."

And that got me reminiscing about my trip last February to Polk County, Florida in the interior of the state. Although Florida was experiencing a bit of cold weather that weekend, it could not dampen the spirits of a group of garden and travel writers as we experienced the wonderful hospitality central Florida has to offer - beautiful gardens, antique airplanes, conservation areas, great food and even a dude ranch, and of course, delicious, sweet citrus fruit.

Although we can't grow citrus fruits here in Canada, it was so interesting to learn about the various aspects of the citrus industry from growers to industry specialists researching methods to keep the citrus crops free from pests, from processors to restaurants and food companies turning the orange orbs into tasty and delectable treats. Not to mention growers more than happy to ship fresh picked produce direct to your door. Nor did I realize that there were so many different kinds of citrus varieties. One of the most delicious, and only available for a limited time in January is the Honeybell Tangelo - sweet and juicy, a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine. The growers at Lang Sun Country Groves say "they are so juicy some folks eat them in the bathtub."

If you're looking to bring a little Florida sunshine into your day, you should try this delicious recipe for Honeybell Cake from Lang Sun Country Groves, it's guaranteed to brighten your day.

1 package of lemon cake mix

1 3 oz. package of orange gelatin

1/2 cup canola oil

1 Tablespoon grated Honeybell zest

3/4 cup Honeybell Tangelo juice

4 eggs

1 recipe Honeybell glaze

2 cups confectioners sugar thinned to a glaze consistency with Honeybell juice

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch fluted tube pan. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, gelatin, oil, zest, juice and eggs beating on low speed with an electric mixer to combine. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Using a knife or skewer, punch holes in cake. Pour warm honeybell glaze over cake. When glaze has soaked in and cake has cooled completely, remove cake from pan, sit down and enjoy this sweet treat.

All this talk about sunny citrus and that delicious Honeybell cake, I think I'll go a bake one right now.

The Seed Catalogues Are Here!

2010-01-12T18:04:00.000-08:00

" Snowy winter, a plentiful harvest."

As you can see from my last post it has been a very snowy winter in our part of the country. So if the proverb above is correct, I'll be looking forward to a plentiful harvest both in the blooms like this bounty of roses as well as in the veggie garden.

Each day it seems there is another seed catalogue bursting forth from my mailbox. And I can't wait to peruse the offerings looking for something new to try, easpecially in the veg department. I've been reading the book "Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard." I love cooking and one of my favourite cuisines is Chinese. I once worked with a Chinese girl who took me under her wing, introducing me to all sorts of Chinese food products not available in your local supermarkets and then showed me how to prepare them. Several times a year I make a pilgrimage to Toronto to Chinatown and load up on sauces, unusual vegetables and other culinary treats that are staples in Chinese cooking, so this book has been very interesting in learning the more unique veggies I can add to my backyard garden.

Since Asian foods have become more mainstream in recent years, more seed purveyors are offering these "new to us" varieties. So I look forward in the next couple of days to taking time out with a cup of steaming green tea and the new seed catalogues, making my list and garden plan for the upcoming season (that is if our snow ever melts). And then as the proverb says, with a little tender loving care, I'll be looking forward to a plentiful harvest. This is the perfect time to be making your seed selections, before you know it spring will be here.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!!!

2009-12-11T12:47:00.000-08:00

" Oh, the weather outside is frightful

But the fire is so delightful,

And since we've no place to go,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

Wow, how appropriate those words are today. For the past three days it has been snowing non-stop here in Bracebridge as you can see from the pictures. The kids have had three days of "school snow days" as the buses haven't been on the road (and I'll tell you they are going stir crazy being holed up here in the house). As I write this looking out the window onto my garden, the snow is now waist high, the bird houses look cute with these high top hats on. It is simply incredible - the snow just doesn't stop and now they have declared Bracebridge as a snow emergency area. Even the snowplows are nowhere to be seen. Everyone is hunkering down in their homes, just as the song says - we have no place to go!

So much for the three lilacs we got last week at the Royal Botanic Garden. We didn't get them in the ground before the snow started, so now they sit inside the doorway and as you can see from the photos, there is no way they are going in the ground now. Winter is definitely here, as garden work has ceased and it is time to sit beside the glowing fire and get caught up on reading all the great garden books I received over the year but just didn't get around to really reading. We might as well enjoy it while we can for as soon as it does stop snowing, we'll all be busy shovelling out and cleaning off roofs. And for those of you outside the snowbelt, if you are looking for a white Christmas - come on up to Bracebridge, you won't be disappointed.

Well, no worries about it not being a white Christmas this year!

Colchicums - Autumn's Splendour

2009-11-11T12:21:00.000-08:00

"September mild, October gold,
Are followed by November cold."

Unknown

Well, it's hard to believe that it is almost the middle of November and the sun is shining brightly and the weather (for mid-November) is unseasonably warm. And when almost everything else in my garden has been touched by frost, my autumn crocus, like little soldiers, are still blooming brightly. What a cheerful patch they make here and there in the beds.

Now one small patch looks great in the spring when the foliage emerges in a spot where nothing else is growing. But once the hydrangea blooms the location is covered over and when the crocus blooms in all its autumn splendour, the blooms are hidden away. And every fall when this happens I tell myself I am going to move the bulbs so I'll truly be able to appreciate their colourful blooms the following year. In summer you get busy with other garden tasks and the foliage dies back and you can't remember where the bulbs are located. So you plan on waiting until the flowers bloom, but you know what happens, you get busy and time slips away or the weather turns suddenly and the ground freezes menacingly refusing to release the bulbs, and so another year goes by.

But today it is bright and warm and I'm determined to at least mark the spot where the bulbs are blooming. So armed with a few golf tees, I'll mark the spot now. Next spring I'll enjoy the foliage flush before the hydrangea puts on its growth spurt. Then as soon as the foliage dies back, I'll dig the bulbs and transfer them to a more visually accessible part of the garden.

Well, that the plan anyway. Gardeners always need to have dreams and plans, it's the implementation that doesn't always proceed as intended, but then again that's one of the trials, tribulations and yes, even joys of gardening.

So now we'll wait for November's cold and the December snows to follow. If you haven't already finished all your garden tasks, you'd better get busy for winter is on the way!

Tips for Planting Spring Blooming Bulbs

2009-10-27T11:40:00.001-07:00

"Clean and round,

Heavy and sound,

Inside every bulb a flower is found."

Old Poem

I don't know how it happens but each autumn time magically slips by for me and before I know it, it's November and I still have garden chores to complete before the snow falls - like planting bulbs. And of course, this autumn is no different even when I promised myself I would be proactive. But between family events, attending the GWA symposium and having other commitments on those sunny warm days, the days I am free to get the chores done - it is miserable, cold and pouring down rain. So here sits my bowl full of bulbs still waiting to be planted and again today the weather has not co-operated but I did hear that the sun is to shine tomorrow afternoon.

Planting spring blooming bulbs in the fall is important so that you can be greeted with colour after 5 to 6 months of winter's white. There is just something magically about seeing the bulbs burst forth as the snow begins to melt brightening up the spring landscape. Here are just a few tips to ensure your bulbs bloom successfully next spring:

1. Make sure the soil has good drainage - sandy loam is best. Bulbs dislike damp soils that may be waterlogged come spring as your bulbs will rot and all your hard work will be for naught.

2. Bulbs look best when clustered together in mass plantings as opposed to planting one here and one there. This is especially important for the small bulbs like Muscari and Squill.

3. Your bulbs will benefit from a little bone meal, bulb booster, or compost mixed into the soil at the bottom of the planting hole.

4. Remember to plant your bulbs at a depth of 2 to 3 times the diameter of the bulb with the roots down and the growing tip up. For any bulbs in which you cannot determine the root end, plant them on their side and the stem will find its way up to the soil surface.

5. Once your bulbs bloom next spring, leave the foliage to die back naturally before cutting back. This will alow the plant to divert energy back into the bulb so it can bloom for you the next year. This goes for naturalized plants in lawns too - let the foliage die down before mowing.

6. If you are blessed with an abundance of squirrels as I am you may have trouble keeping your bulbs in the ground. Some say that squirrels dislike Daffodils - so plant more of these or you may want to try one of the commercial squirrel repellent products.

Take heart, if the ground is not yet frozen and there are still a few weeks in which your bulbs can set some roots you still have time to plant a few spring blooming bulbs. You may wonder as your fingers are freezing setting the bulbs but you will be visually and spiritually rewarded next spring.

Happy planting!

Ten Ways to Celebrate Autumn

2009-09-19T18:43:00.001-07:00

One of the many fruit and veggie stands in the Niagara region of Ontario offering fresh picked produce ready to be enjoyed.

"There is a harmony in Autumn, and a lustre in its sky, which thru' the Summer is not heard."

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Just the other day my son Jeremy said to me, "Mom, I think autumn is my favourite time of the year." Although I love all the seasons, I think I have to agree with him - the hills ablaze with colour, the mellow yellow of the setting sun, the chill of autumn evenings, the smell of woodsmoke in the air. Even with the shortening daylight hours, a warm Indian summer can be just perfect for gardening and family activities. Here are ten way to celebrate the fall season:

1. Visit a cranberry marsh - I'm lucky to live in an area with not one but two cranberry marshes (Johnston's and Iroquois Growers) plus my friend Sharon who lives in Hoquiam, Washington is also a cranberry grower. These tiny tart ruby berries are full of anti-oxidants and a symbol of autumn.

2. Decorate your home inside with big bouquets of sunflowers - a truly seasonal bloom that not only brings a ray of sunshine to your interior decor (they don't call then 'sunny sunflowers' for nothing) but also for me evoke a feeling of Provence.

3. Enjoy the warm weather by finishing all the garden chores you have been putting off. Winter weather is just around the corner. Cut back your perennials and protect tender ones with some mulch.

4. A great autumn family activity is raking the fallen leaves. When my children were young we would rake the leaves into big piles, their reward to jump into the piles before we would bag them for curbside compost collection. Now I have a mulching mower and use the mulched leaves to protect my garden beds and add to my compost.

5. Spend some quality family time planting spring blooming bulbs (tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and squill). Check out the variety at your local garden center or purchase your bulbs through one of the many specialty bulb suppliers (my favourites are Breck's of Holland and Vesey's) You'll be rewarded next spring when the snow melts.

6. Plan a day trip to a pick-your-own farm to purchase pumpkins and squash. My children still love searching the fields to select just the right pumpkin to carve for Halloween. I love trying all the different squash turning them into tasty treats like warm squash soup, mashed squash and even pumpkin muffins, fritters and cheesecake.

7. Spend a day making pickles or sauces. Visit a local farmer's market and load up on fresh veggies and tomatoes. A rainy autumn day is perfect for filling the house with the delicious aromas of garden produce being prepared now to be enjoyed in the depths of winter.

8. Clean out your potting shed. Clean and oil your garden tools so they will be ready to use next spring. Take all your unused fertilizer and chemical pesticides (if you have them) to your local landfill site on Hazardous Waste day. Do not dump them down the sewer as they will end up in your local water system.

9. Decorate your porch with an autumnal seasonal display. Purchase a bale of hay or straw, add a few cornstalks, a scarecrow (you can pick one up at the dollar store if you don't want to create your own), a pot of mums in an old milk can, aloong with some pumpkins and squash. Be creative, you are only limited by your imagination.

10. Finally, celebrate all the joys of the autumn season by inviting a few friends over for a seasonal dinner. It doesn't need to be lavish or elaborate. Fresh seasonal produce from farm or market stands, simply prepared, along with local cheese, breads and wines while watching the setting sun with good friends is the perfect ending to a great gardening season.

Indian Summer - The Best Fall has to Offer

2009-09-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

"Who loves a garden still his Eden keep.
Perennial pleasures plants, and wholesome harvest reaps."

Amos Bronson Alcott

It's hard to believe that the kids go back to school tomorrow and just when summer has finally made its appearance. The past week has been beautiful, warm sunny days turning hot by late afternoon with not a bit of rain. Where has summer gone?

As the annuals begin to fade, their life cycle drawing to a close and hit by this sudden burst of heat and no rain, the colour show begins up above in the trees. Here and there a tree is bright with reds and yellows, fall is just around the corner. Yesterday I watched closely as a flock of starlings descended into the trees between our yard and our neighbours scouring the bushes for berries and the feeders for seeds. But I was fearful that they might attack my great crop of grapes. This year I pruned by grapes back hard and have been rewarded with lots of bunches of grapes. But the sunless, wet weather in July has meant that the grapes are behind schedule and I'm not sure that they will get ripe before frost comes (as I had such great hope for grape jelly this fall, so we will have to see).

The garden centres are full of mums and asters now, time to replace those ailing annuals with the rich tapestry of fall flowers. I can't wait for pumpkins and squashes to appear so we can decorate for autumn glory, perhaps we are to be blessed with Indian Summer. The beauty of Echinacea (above) Iare still blooming in the fall garden and the seedheads provide food for overwintering birds.

Trading Garden for Cottage - The Nature of Nature

2009-08-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

"A spell lies on the Garden. Summer sits. With her finger on her lips as if she heard the steps of Autumn echo on the hill."

Getrude Huntington McGiffert, writer

After a hectic July of garden projects, chores and weeding, all in preparation for the garden tour, it was time to take a much needed break from the garden and so we ventured over to Haliburton for our week at the family cottage. It was here that I traded my garden tools and wheelbarrow in for a canoe and paddle. Up early one morning, as the mist began to rise off the still, calm surface of the lake, I slipped the canoe into the water and paddled on. From out on the lake I was able to view the shoreline and contemplate the beauty of nature.

The garden, although of nature, is a contrived setting, no matter how natural and informal we try to make it. Although we may select native plants and add rocks and other natural elements, we can never really make it appear as though it occurred naturally. From out on the water, looking back on the shore I saw nature in all its glory - trees that sprouted from fallen seeds, the understory plans of shrubs and small flowering plalnts co-existing happily. Along the shoreline, the sedges and bulrushes provide nesting areas for ducks and camauflauge for the great blue heron, standing still as a statue, amongst the cattails, hoping perhaps that I wouldn't notice him.

It's nearing the end of August and already the trees are just beginning to turn, the odd one giving hint that autumn will soon be upon us. It is in the fall that we are truly able to distinguish the great mix of our boreal forest, the warm colours of the changing deciduous in tone of yellow, orange, reds and burgundies, contrast to the cool shades of the coniferous trees creating a rich tapestry of nature. Sometimes in gardening I think we strive too hard to make things looks natural when all we really need to do is let nature take over and do its own thing. After all, the world existed before we did.

For me, Rudbeckia (above) are the perfect fall flower - bright and cheerful.

Cottage Gardens - Richness of Plant Diversity

2009-08-27T18:05:00.000-07:00

"In a small cottage garden where space is at a premium, everything must earn its keep, which is why cottage gardens have always grown plants that not only look good, but are also good to eat."

Jackie Bennett, "Cottage Gardener"

I was thinking how true the above statement is and how long cottage gardens have been living by this philosophy. The cottage garden has been around for as long as there have been rural working families, but there was little written about cottage gardening prior to 1750. It appears that "cottager" may have referred to a worker, be they a farm worker, gardener, dairyman or country craftsman, on a large estate in England.

The medieval cottage garden consisted of a yard that was home to animals as well as being separated into sections used for growing vegetables and corn, the crops being rotated annually. Not only providing some recreational activity, the humble cottage garden plot had to pay its way as a sustainable economy.

The cottage garden was a mixture of vegetables, fruits, shrubs, flowers, bulbs, herbs and soft fruits. Over the years the cottagers started to collect specimens of fruits shrubs from hedgerows in the countryside and transplant them near their homes to facilitate the harvest. The style was not planned but evolved over time, with vegetables not separated from flower beds but rather planted among the blooms. The nectar-rich flowers attracted bees, which produced honey, the only sweetener prior to the discovery of sugar cane. Aromatic herbs were grown for culinary and medicinal properties, the fruits and vegetables provided necessary sustenance for both man and beast.

My own "cottage" garden reflects Jackie's comments above, for living in the town of Bracebridge my small garden plot must satisfy all my gardening desires - for water, flowers, vegetables, fruits, herbs, shrubs and a biodiversity of wildlife. I love knowing that I am growing my own food while being surrounded by floral beauty. With a little careful planning you can have the cottage garden of your dreams.

Garden Tour Mania

2009-08-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

"The first object of a seat is invitation. Its position should be such that it should attract, whether because it offers rest at the end of a long walk, or because it is so placed that its surroundings may give rise to pleasant contemplation."

G.A. Jellicoe, "Garden Decoration and Ornament" (1934)

Well, its been two weeks since the garden tour and we have had a few moments to rest, relax and actually enjoy our garden. A few friends have been over for dinner as summer finally has blown in our way with some warm, dry weather.

Some would ask what in heavens name would possess someone to agree to be on a garden tour. First there is all that weeding and preparing and then having people walking (or some would say tramping through your private sanctuary). Welll, you see my husband, the hole digger and structure builder happens to be a procrastinator. He talks a lot about the things he is going to do or build but he seems to take his time in actually bringing his ideas to fruition. But give him a deadline (like saying, "honey guess what I've agreed to be on the garden tour), and suddenly you can see those projects actually taking shape and being accomplished.

Take for example the greenhouse he started last year. The cold weather came and the greenhouse had to be tarped over, so now the final windows are being installed and the gingerbread is on the top but he still has to fill in a couple of spaces and side the outside. He also talked about moving the fence to enlarge the garden and create a new seating area - mission accomplished as you can see in the photos above. Creating a waterfall into the big pond was also a motive for moving the fence and we collected so rocks but that project might acutally have to be put on the list for next year unless we get a long and warm Indian summer.

As for people visiting our garden, we love sharing our private sanctuary with others. I think it is the fact that when others enter the space they tell us how calming it is, how wonderful it is to hear the sound of water from the three water features as you wander around the garden. So as long as there are garden tours and we have projects to accomplish, we'll continue to participate and share our love of gardening with others of like mind.

Two Garden Show-stoppers

2009-08-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

"A garden that is finished is dead. A garden should be in a constant state of fluid change, expansion and experiment, adventure, above all it should be an inquisitive, loving but self-critical journey on the part of the owner."

H.E. Bates, "A Love of Flowers"

Today was beautiful, sunny and hot - a real change from last Saturday, the day of the Bracebridge garden tour. Then it was cool, and overcast with only a little drizzle once or twice. Thankfully the real downpour waited until 5:00 p.m. to let loose. It went well and everyone loved the peacefulness of the garden. And as the quote above states, this garden was in a state of change and expansion the very week before the tour. We bumped out a portion of our fence to reclaim a little used parking space and created a new seating area. The other change that we had anticipated completing but didn't quite get to was an new waterfall into our large pond, but that is a job for another day.

One of the show-stoppers on the tour was the "Pretty Much Picasso" Petunia from Proven Winners shown above. Everyone was drawn to the green edging on the beautiful purple blooms. But those who loved it will have to wait until next spring to purchase this stunning beauty as it will be available in spring 2010.

The other plant that garnered a lot of attention was my Queen of the Prairie shown in the top photo. This tall perennial with the frothy pink blooms might better be called "Cotton Candy" for when in full bloom it looks just like the favourite fall fair treat. So many people thought it was Astilbe.

The garden is looking great and we have been enjoying many evenings inviting friends for dinner to share our restful space. And we plan on inviting more folks to come and enjoy. One of our friends said after she had spent the evening, "It's just like being at a cottage or in the country. It's hard to believe you're in downtown Bracebridge." And that truly is the beauty of a garden, sharing it with others.

Well, a strong wind is blowing in the clouds, the temperature is dropping significantly and it looks like a storm may be on the way, but the plants need the rain. So be happy and enjoy your garden and don't forget to share it with others, you'll be glad you did.

5 Tips for Taking Garden Tours

2009-07-19T19:17:00.000-07:00

"A garden never looks perfect; something is always dying, something about to bloom."

Nigel Nicolson (son of Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicholson) 1993

Anyone who has shown their garden on a garden tour has uttered these very same words. The garden is never quite perfect no matter how hard you try to make it so. The gardener just has to relax and let nature unfold as it will, and they know that other gardeners will understand when you relate how you have been fighting with the quirrels to keep the plants in the containers. Or how you find your radishes all over the backyard, yanked out of the veggie garden, tasted and then spit out so you can't even enjoy them. And then the days you had planned to spend getting the garden absolutely perfect are gone or rather rained out by a deluge of rain. Relax, nature has it's own plans. So now we are on the week count-down to garden tour day. We have the hosts tour on Thursday night.

Those who will be out touring our gardens are sure to find lots to inspire them. When touring gardens you should keep these 5 tips in mind:

1. Remember you are touring someone's private sanctuary, so be respectful and don't step in the garden beds to check out a new plant and don't take any cuttings when the home owner isn't watching. Instead ask the gardener if you can purchase a cutting or have a piece next time they are dividing their perennials. Gardeners are a generous group and usually happy to share plants.

2. If you are taking pictures, ask first. Most gardeners are pleased to show off their gardens an happy to have you take photos. And iof you are using a tripod, don't put it in the beds.

3. Use the gardens for inspiration - look for new plant and colour combinations or a nifty new garden art idea you can recreate at home. Like the Pot Person I photographed in a Montreal garden.

4. Ask questions, the gardener is always eager to share their knowledge and swap tips and ideas, whether it is about new plants you see or a new technique that may improve your landscape.

5. Remember to thank your host. Gardeners go to a lot of work to make their garden available to the public and volunteer a day of their time, so tell them you appreciate it.

And lastly, if the garden has a guest book, please sign it. This is our third time participating in the Bracebridge Garden Tour and we love to see where people have come from to go on the tour. Then go back home and add a new idea or two you picked up on the tour in your own garden.

Happy Touring!!!

The Beauty of Raindrops

2009-07-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

I remember that old saying from my childhood "Rain, rain go away, come again another day."

Well this past week we've had rain everyday.

So much so that I haven't been able to get out in the garden to work and enjoy. My peonies are done, bent over to the ground, the petals soggy and brown under the week's rain. Yet rain isn't all that bad. For one thing I love the sound of rain as it falls to earth, there is something soothing about that pitter pat, the second thing is the beauty of raindrops on flowers, I simply love to photograph raindrops on roses and on foliage like this Lady's Mantle which captures the drops like shining diamonds. The final thing is that the plants love the moisture, spurning on growth.

Today the sun was shining and as I toured the garden I was amazed at the lushness of growth. My garden is almost a jungle. As my friend Barbara commented in her blog on the stage of her garden versus last year, I am sure that mine is well ahead of last year in actual growth. My Hostas are huge, the Nannyberry has seemed to sprout overnight, the Ninebark stems are arching out and over the Queen of the Prairie. In the veggie garden, the tomatoes are doing well, the potatoes have sprouted, the beans are well established and we've even had a few radishes already.

I've been continuing to weed and mulch, the garden tour is just three weeks away but I think we will be ready. Peter, my tools and project guy, has just started clearing the corner around our big pond to build a waterfall. He is using a stryofoam cooler as the water reservoir which will be hidden with rocks and I plan on planting some grasses among the rocks as this is a full sun location now. I hope it looks as good as I imagine it will and the best part will be the sound of the water as it cascades and tumbles over the rocks. I'll post a photo when it's finished.

But as I sit here this evening musing on the past week, the sky is clouding over again and my husband has just told me that rain is yet again in tomorrow's forecast. So much for garden work, I guess I'll just have to be content taking a break and enjoying the sound of raindrops and the beauty they bring.

The Contained Garden - 5 Tips for Great Containers

2009-06-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

"Into your garden you can walk
And with each plalnt and flower talk;
View all their glories, from each one
Raise some rare mediation.
Recount their natures, tell which are
Vertuous like you, as well as fair"

John Rea, 'Flora, Ceres and Pomona', 1665

I've just spsent the afternoon in the garden weeding in preparation of the upcoming garden tour a month away. The garden look beautiful this morning. Yesterday it rained all day, that gentle soaking rain that the plants just love. This morning the garden looked as if sprinkled with diamond dust as the raindrops dripping off the plants shimmered in the newly rising sun - a simply beautiful sight. The purple spikes of the regal Lupines are now fading but in the past two days the bursting of the Poppies has taken center stage and now the Peonies are starting to unfurl. I love that the garden is an ever changing palette, when one perennial's life span is over there is another waiting in the wings to take its place.

The kitchen garden is coming to life as the beans, potatoes, varieties of lettuce and radish are pushing through the soil. The tomatoes are flowering giving promise of the heirloom varieties we will soon be enjoying (I can hardly wait). We have already been enjoying the delicious herbs adding culinary freshness to salads and other dishes.

And this year I've been trying my hand more at the contained garden. With limited space in my raised beds, I've been planting crops in pots and so far with good success. The pepper plants already have tiny peppers being formed. My tomato surrounded at the base with herbs is thriving but my other tomato with lettuce surrounding it has suffered at the paws of the squirrels and chippies but I'll try sowing the lettuce seeds. In the greenhouse I've got pots of tomatoes, potatoes and Swiss Chard. As well I have numerous pots and hanginig baskets bursting with colourful blooms like the container in the photo above which I took at Terra Nova Nursery in Oregon. Here are a few tips to help you with your contained gardens:

1. Think outside the pot - let your creative juices flow in terms of plant material and colours.

2. Consider the container - it can also bring colour to the garden and be a real focal point.

3. Don't be afraid of using perennials in your containers. If you live in cold climate like I do, simply heel in your plants in the garden in the fall and then you can reuse them next spring.

4. Group together those containers that have the same watering requirements, it will make your watering work easier.

5. Add embellishments to your containers, hidden gems that draw people into your arrangements. Canadian garden designer Thomas Hobbs is a genius at this by including glass balls, shells, and unique items in his containers. Check out his books 'The Jewel Box Garden' and 'Shocking Beauty'.

The Start of the Summer Garden Tours

2009-06-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

"A garden is preeminently a place to indulge individual taste ... let me say that the best general rule that I can devise for garden-making is: Put all the beauty and delight-someness you can into your garden, get all the beauty and delight you can out of your garden, ..."

John Sedding, English garden writer of last century

It's hard to believe that its aleady June and the start of the summer garden tours. Yesterday we had the pleasure of a sneak peek of the upcoming "Through the Garden Gate, Beyond the Bridle Path" garden tour taking place on June 20-21, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Toronto. This is the Toronto Botanical Gardens 22nd garden tour. It was a lovely day as we toured four of the fourteen gardens selected ranging from a Japanese garden, sleek modern gardens, a sculpture garden showcasing a stunning Chihuly glass sculpture among many others. The garden tour is a fundraiser for the Toronto Botanical Gardens and is made possible through the efforts of over 100 volunteers. We toured an interesting sculpture garden that covered three town lots with a fabulous Chihuly glass sculpture; a modern garden complete with lap pool and fantastic outdoor kitchen and entertaining area; a large formal garden complete with stunning outdoor gazebo with fireplace, tennis courts and large pool and looked so established we could hardly believe it was only two years old; and finally a smaller more intimate garden with a beautiful pool and dining area, tennis court and a more informal garden area. All in all a great day and just think, on Father's Day weekend we can go back and see the other ten gardens. Why not purchase a couple of tickets ($40.00 per person for the public and $35.00 for TBG members) - a great Father's Day gift for your resident gardener!

Tips When Going on a Garden Tour

1. Be respectful, you are visiting someone's home and garden. Don't pick the flowers and don't walk in the flower beds. It is also polite to ask if photos are permitted.

2. Gardens come in many different sizes and styles. You might not always like one style but remember that this is someone's private sanctuary and appreciate it for what it is.

3. You might be overwhelmed by the grandeur of some gardens but remember to look carefully at the different elements that make up each garden space, be it a sculptural element or an interesting plant combination - it's these small things you can take back to your own garden.

4. And don't hesitate to ask questions, most gardeners and designers love to speak about their gardens.

5. Finally, remember to stop and smell the roses. Enjoy the day and as Paul Zammitt says "Don't forget to stop and get some ice cream!"

To purchase tickets online for this fabulous garden tour go to www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca

A large container at one of the gardens on yesterday's tour.

And now I'd better get busy tidying my own beds as our garden is one of nine featured on the Bracebridge garden tour on July 25th.

Happy Touring

Soft Showers bring Beautiful Flowers

2009-05-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

"It was the sixth of May,

And May had painted with her soft showers

A garden full of leaves and flowers.

And man's hand had arrayed it with such craft

There never was a garden of such price

But if it were the very Paradise."

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) from The Canterbury Tales

Today was one of those special spring days - overcast but with a light gentle rain that persisted throughout the day nourishing the earth. I love these kinds of days, the rain falls softly, not a hard pounding rain that bounces off the ground and runs quickly away but rather soft and gentle soaking into the turf and gardens. You can almost see the plants absorbing the moisture, standing taller, looking stronger.

Even though the sky is darker, the colours of the plants are more luminous. The many shades of the emerging leaves become brighter, more saturated in colour. One is amazed at how many different shades of green there really are in the colour palette. One of my favourite things to do after a rain, is to grab my camera and head outside to photograph raindrops still clinging to the blooms. Lady's Mantle is a great plant for it collects rain and dewdrops in the centre of the leaf. And any flower that drips with raindrops catches my eye for they are like jewels adorning the blooms.

And not to mention the fresh, clean smell that lingers in the air, the earth refreshed, nourished and ready to shine in the next day's sunshine. It's a good thing I was able to plant my veggie seeds yesterday in anticipation of today's rain. I look forward with anticipation to the fresh produce soon to come and be enjoyed in my culinary creations. So embrace the rain and the renewed life force it brings.

The Mistress of Mulch

2009-05-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

"Here remember, that you never take in hand or begin the weeding of your beds, before the earth be made soft, through the store of rain, falling a day or two before."

Thomad Hyll, ("The Gardener's Labyrinth 1590)

My husband fondly refers to me in his articles as "the resident gardener" but this week I've renamed myself "The Mistress of Mulch". It's a pretty descriptive name and I think you get the picture. After two years of being away for most of the summer touring other people's gardens and judging for Communities in Bloom my gardens have suffered from neglect and the proliferation of goutweed is the telling tale.

So with an upcoming 90th birthday party for my mother-in-law and her sisters this month and then the invitation to be included in the garden tour in July, I've been out in the garden every sunny day, busily weeding, weeding and doing more weeding. At first I felt overwhelmed but I began to tackle one small bed or area after another and the goutweed is slowly disappearing (only temporarily I fear) and as I complete each little area, I cover the freshly weeded soil with a layer of natural cedar mulch. There is something very satisfying about seeing the hostas surrounded by a skirt of mulch.

But with so many garden beds, I have only just begun and already I've gone through 9 bags of mulch. But I just keeping reminding myself how nice it will all look once I'm finished and my spirits are already lifting when I look out from the bedroom window to see the completed beds. It has just started to rain and they predict more tomorrow, so I will get a day's rest to recharge for more weeding. So this summer I shall happily wear the crown "The Mistress of Mulch".

But I'll go now and put my morning glory and peas seeds to soak so I can pot them up tomorrow. A gardener's work is never done!

Spring Showers bring May Flowers

2009-05-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

"On Early Morning
Peach blossom after rain
Is deeper red;
The willow fresher green;
Twittering overhead;
And fallen petals lie wind-blown
Unswept upon the courtyard stone."

Translated from the Chinese by Helen Waddell

This Chinese poem resonated with me yesterday as it rained constantly the entire day. Not that I was unhappy as I love the sound of the rain as it falls upon the earth. I also love, as the poem states, the willow fresher green, for all the world seems greener after a spring shower and there is a certain clean aroma to the earth following a rain. You can almost see the flowers perk up with the added moisture.

Yesterday I also heard a cardinal sing and when I looked up there it was, red and regal in our cedar tree. I felt even more joyful when the female cardinal swooped in to meet its mate. I really hope they set up house in one of the nearby trees for we don't get many cardinals in our neck of the woods, lots of blue jays but cardinals are a rare sighting. I was also surprised to walk out of the garden gate and see a bird's nest in a maple sapling. I haven't seen any birds actually building the nest but it wasn't there a couple of days ago. I'll just have to keep my eyes open.

But not all is rosy at Rosewood (the name we call our house) for Friday our daughter Martha exclaimed that a weird creature had taken up residence under our front porch. We kept watching and yesterday afternoon out popped a groundhog, an unusual critter for a town garden. As much as I love wildlife in the garden, this creature will need to find a new home. He's already dug a few holes in our lawn, so tomorrow Peter will make a trip to the rental store to see if he can get a live trap so we can catch the critter and relocate him to a new home in the country. I really don't want to have him munching on all the tasty delights my garden might offer. The chippies and squirrels are wildlife enough.

I love spring - the tulips and daffodils are in bloom, the hellebores are in flower along with the pulmonaria and the trees and shrubs are beginning to bud and leaf out. As the new tree leaves are forming the sky seems to be bright with lime green colour and the returning birds are twittering overhead. Everything seems alive.

So I leave you with this thought by Margaret Cropper

"Far beyond hope the Spring is kind again,
Lovely beyond the longing of my eyes."

5 Tips for a Spring Garden Tune-up

2009-04-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

"With tumbled hair of swarms of bees,
And flower-robes dancing in the breeze,
With sweet, unsteady lotus-glances,
Intoxicated, Spring advances."

from a Sanskrit poem

It's cool, damp, dark and drizzly today (what my husband likes to call a 'Winnie-the-Pooh blustery day') and a friend even mentioned we might be receiving the "S" word ( snow!!!). This rain at least should eliminate the few pockets of snow we still have remaining, so it's time to tune-up the garden for the season ahead.

1. Clean up all winter's debris. We had lots of wind storms over the winter so have to deal with lots of downed branches.

2. Cut back and clean up any vegetative matter you left standing last fall. If the matter is healthy put it in the compost, if diseased dispose of in the garbage.

3. Prune any shrubs and flowering plants like roses and grapes that suffered winter kill and also require a new hairdo (a little shaping for looks and control).

4. Check your compost bin - give it a turn to reactivate it if your fall compost isn't quite finished.

5. Get bang for your buck by planting seeds - now's the time to start planting outdoors your cool weather crops like lettuce and greens, peas and sweet peas.

Remember not to work in the garden until its dry or you risk compacting the soil structure preventing oxygen from reaching the plant's roots.

A pleasant surprise for me the other day as I worked doing garden clean-up was seeing the flash of gold in one of our ponds. The goldfish we put in the pond last summer had survived the winter and are ready to provide us with wildlife pleasures again this summer. It was a meditative day and I was happy for the return of birdsong and the lengthening days - more time to spend in the garden. The daffodils are up now and just about to burst forth in bloom - when they do, it will bring to cheer to these necessary April shower days that promise May flowers. Spring truly is here!

World of White - What Happened!

2009-04-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

"All beaut-iful the march of days
as seasons come and go;
The hand that shaped the rose
hath wrought the crystal of the snow;
Hath sent the hoary frost of heaven,
the flowing waters sealed,
And laid a silent loveliness
on hill and wood and field."

Frances W. Wile (1878-1939)
from "All Beautiful the March of Days"

Well, last Thursday I said that spring had finally arrived, the snow was melting and the tulips pushing through the damp soil. But I think I was a little premature. Because over the past two days, winter has not wanted to lose its grip on us. Constant snow and the gardens are once again covered, not truly ready to accept spring's warmth, they have pulled the covers back over their heads. Having packed away the winter boots, I had to pull them out once again to wander through the 6 inches of snow.

Outside my window the birds huddle in the trees to keep warm against the howling winds, shaping the snow into architectural drifts. Nature does have a way of keeping us in suspense. So to bring some warmth into the spirit, I turned to my photos of my recent trip to Florida's Polk County. My new friends, Gorgia Turner and Katy Martin of the Polk County Visitors Bureau warmly showed us the beauty that abounds in central Florida. For me one the the highlights was our visit to Historic Bok Sanctuary, a stunning estate complete with bell tower and natural parklike gardens. For me one of the most interesting items was the beautiful neo-Gothic and art deco Singing carillon bell tower pictured above. As a member of a handbell choir, I was thrilled when we were allowed special consideration to see the inside of the tower. Travelling up in a very tiny elevator, we reached the level of the 60 carillon bells and the view out over the surrounding orange groves was magnificent, as was our guides description of how the carillon bells were played. Handbells are a simpler version of the ancient tradition of changing ringing in church steeples, that then was replaced by carillon bells. A camera in the bell tower, allows visitors to the gardens to watch the carillonneur play during concert times.

Designated as a National Historic Landmark, Bok Tower Gardens provides a continuous array of musical and artistic events throughout the year. Located on Iron Mountain, the highest point on the Florida penninsula the Tower stands as a sentinel. On the ground, visitors can enjoy strolling through the 128 acres of gardens designed by the renowned Frederick Law Olmstead Jr. The gardens were a gift to the Americvan people by the Dutch immigrant and humanitarian Edward W. Bok in the 1920's. Mr. Bok was a world peace advocate, Pulitizer-Prizewinning author and editor of Ladies Home Journal. The gardens bear his grandmother's motto "Make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it." Mr. Bok did just that in offering this natural site to the world. Next time you are in Florida take time to visit one of America's finest historic gardens, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

For more information on events, concerts, art exhibits and seasonal bloom times check out their website at http://www.boktowergardens.org/.

Spring is Finally Here!

2009-04-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

"Those who look at sea or sky or wood see beauty that no art can show; but among the things made by man nothing is prettier than an English cottage garden."
Willaim Robinson, 'The English Flower Garden'

William Robinson was the great English garden designer known as the originator of the herbaceous border and this photo brought to mind the season soon to come. The sunshine today, that is to be followed by April showers tonight, will certainly be bringing these summer flowers. Already I have hope for the beauty soon to come as I noticed my neighbours crocus blooming just the other day and I see my tulips pushing through the still cool soil. We still have pockets of snow here in the shady corners of the yard but soil is being exposed to the warming rays of the sun.

And inside my tiny tomato seeds are beginning to germinate and I can hardly wait to bite into a vine-ripened red tomato bursting with delicious flavour. I love to eat seasonally so I savour each fruit and vegetable as it comes into maturity, gorging for the weeks when it is at its best and most flavourful and then waiting for its return next season. Tonight I think I'll start some more seeds to get a jump on the planting season and hopefully when they have germinated my new greenhouse will be completed. My husband started it last fall using recycled windows from a local business but winter's early arrival forced him to curtail its completion. But upcoming holidays mean it will be finished just in time for me to start more plants indoors and then move them to the greenhouse prior to our plant out date of June 1st. If only it would get a few degrees warmer!

Winters Grip

2009-03-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

It's mid March, a week ago we had a couple of warm days evocative of spring - the birds were singing, the snow was melting, dripping off the roofs, puddling on the sidewalks and then wham! Overnight the temperature dropped causing flash freezing, the roads became as slick as a skating rink and the next day we were back in winter's grip with blowing snow causing whiteouts and temperatures so cold one dared not venture out of doors.

It has been a long and cold winter here in central Ontario and I for one will be glad when spring finally decides to come. Until then I will have to continue to dream of spring and nature's re-emergence. Just looking at floral photos like this fuchsia give me hope that spring truly is just around the corner.

"Whether we look, or whether we listen,
We hear life murmur, or see it glisten;
Every clod feels a stir of might,
An instinct within it that reaches and towers,
And groping blindly above it for light,
Climbs to a soul in grass and flowers;
The flush of life may well be seen
Thrilling back over hills and valleys."

James Russell Lowell (1819-1891)
from "The Vision of Sir Launfal"

Book Review - "My Natural History" by Liz Primeau

2009-02-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

"The garden is not the place for control freaks and perfectionists, and yet I know that in may callow youth I tried to make mine conform. I used to wish for the time when it would be finished, when it would reach the perfection I envisioned. Now I know it's going to be different every year, and I will have had less to do with how it looks than I'd hoped, beyond setting out the basic plan and guiding and maintaining the plants."

Liz Primeau

With the temperature outside dipping below -20º C, venturing outdoors results in nipped fingers and toes. So I opted for staying indoors and cozying up to the fireplace with a hot cup of tea and a good book. I do like winter for the opportunity it affords to get caught up on my garden reading. And so I settled down to read “My Natural History, The Evolution of a Gardener” by Liz Primeau, a fellow garden writer.

I enjoyed this chronology of Liz’s life and the role gardening has played in helping her to deal with the challenges life serves each one of us. The way in which digging in the soil, nuturing plants can act to nurture the soul and create a sanctuary of peaceful feelings. I can certainly relate to many of the gardening experiences Liz recounted such as the tomatillos that reseeded wantonly (who hasn’t planted something they later wished they hadn’t although it seemed like a good idea at the time). Liz’s tales of her battles with squirrels and raccoons had me chuckling as I too have a yard full of black squirrels who’s presence have me alternating between loving their antics and hating them digging my bulbs and last fall we too waged war to eradicate five raccoons from their happy home in our eaves.

Finally, as Liz and I are of the same vintage her “Six Stages of Gardening” hit home with me, and I’m sure others. When you’ve been gardening for a while, your concept of the garden matures and develops over time but is something that you must learn and experience. As Liz said, “…these stages echo the stages in our lives, from the desire for immediate gratification in our youth to the deeper and mellower pleasures of maturity.”

I found Liz’s memoir to be entertaining recap of her life’s connection to the garden and gardening sprinkled with garden history and floral references. Perfect reading for a wintry afternoon.

Liz Primeau’s book is available through Greystonebooks at www.greystonebooks.com

The Tranquility of the Chinese Garden

2009-02-19T10:53:00.001-08:00

"So I will build my altar in the fields,

And the blue sky my fretted dome shall be,

And the sweet fragrance that the wild flower yields

Shall be the incense I will yeild to Thee."

S.T. Coleridge

It's one of those 'cloudy bright' days as my husband would say, the sun just barely shining through a film of gauzy clouds. The snow returned overnight, the gusty winds creating dramatic drifts of architectural sculptures and as I look out the window, our squirrels scamper in and out, over and under the drifts. It's been a long, cold winter and for some reason today I just began to dream about warmth and the return of the green landscape full of blooms and wildlife.

I was thinking about the garden and the cycles of life, remembering my trip last fall to the Chinese Garden in the heart of Portland, Oregon. Amid the hustle and bustle of downtown, shrouded by stone walls was an oasis of beauty and tranquility. I have now visited several Chinese gardens around the world and in each I find a special beauty in the simplicity of the plantings and the emphasis on the natural beauty of rock and water. And in this simplicity there comes a calm, a peacefulness that transcends time. Perhaps because Chinese gardens even today model those of the ancient past, a symbol of longevity and stability in an ever changing world. And yet as my reflective photo above shows the juxtaposition with the modern world of today. Sometimes I feel like the renowned author and illustrator Tash Tudor, who passed away last year, rooted in the past, straddling the abyss and yet being called to the future. But life as the seasons of the garden moves on and so must we. So today I will just enjoy the beauty and rest that has presented itself and continue to dream patiently about what is to come, remembering the ancient wisdom of this old proverb:

"Patience is a flower that grows not in everyone's garden."

The Essence of a Cottage Garden

2009-01-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

Roses are the epitome of cottage gardening.

"What is the secret of the cottage garden's charm? Cottage gardeners are good to their plots, and the in the course of years they make them fertile ... But there is something more and it is the absence of any pretentious "plan", which lets the flowers tell their story to the heart."

William Robinson

I love this quote by William Robinson for it truly expresses the essence of the cottage garden. As I sit here watching big fluffy flakes of snow softly drift down to blanket by gardens I dream about my cottage garden sleeping quietly under its cozy quilt of white. Not only do I live in cottage country but I have always been drawn to the relaxed nature of a cottage garden. Perhaps that is why I have so many pictures of quaint English cottage gardens.

As Robinson says, the cottage garden lacks any prententious plan and although I do tell novice gardeners it is best to start out with a plan, my cottage garden has simply evolved over time. I guess my plan has always been in my head and not dedicated to paper. It is a loving collection of mostly common plants telling their story to the heart, since many of the plants came from friends gardens. I received them as gifts of love and when I walk around my garden and view the flowers I am instantly reminded of the relationships that I have with the gift giver or the occasion for which the plant was given.

I am not a plant collector but instead I love a variety of flowers, herbs, veggies and foliage that make up the style of a cottage garden. For me, a garden has to be not only pretty but productive. Aromas, textures, flavours and colours all combine in a delightful mix that is pleasing to the eye in an informal way. Each garden is a unique reflection of the gardener that created it and serves as a sanctuary, providing a restful respite for our daily cares.

Tips on Preparing for a New Garden Season

2008-12-27T12:34:00.000-08:00

Winter in cottage country - the view from Huckleberry Rock in beautiful Muskoka.

Many years ago I developed a penned correspondence with a woman from the outskirts of New Orleans, Louisiana. When I wrote her about putting my gardens to bed, she wrote back saying, "You mean you don't garden all year round." Well, I had to explain to her that in the area I live, cottage country in central Ontario, come December our gardens are hidden under a blanket of white snow, enjoying a most welcome rest from the summer of heavy blooms. It is during this time that both plants and gardeners take a much needed break - rejuvenating themselves for the new garden season that is just around the corner.

While the garden sleeps, the gardener, even in a restful state, needs to be preparing for the new season so that no time is wasted when the good weather comes. If you haven't already started a list, now is the time. I like to start by listing the jobs I didn't get to last season - like digging up and rejuvenating the clump of Siberian iris that has developed a whole in the centre of the clump. What about that part sun/part shade lover that you planted in an area that's a little too shady. And don't forget jobs from the potting shed. I was a little too busy this fall to get my tools are cleaned and sharpened (that will jump to the top of the list when I can get access to the potting shed) along with a good cleaning and organizing of the shed (it seems just quite a few items were just shoved in at the last minute when the weather turned nasty instead of being returned to their rightful place).

If you've never kept a garden journal, it's never too late to start. A journal will help you remember all those tasks you want to do. You can also start planning your garden and keep track of weather conditions during the gardening season. If veggie gardening is your passion, a journal will also help you keep track of crop rotations. Remember to pair your written journal with a photo journal. It is a great help in reminding you what your summer garden looks like when it is covered in snow.

If you are considering changing your garden style or adding some new plant material, time to check out some garden books and seed catalogues. Garden books can provide you with inspiration and ideas if your garden is in need of a makeover. The seed and bulb catalogues can show you all the new plant varieties on offer. Come January you'll want to start ordering your seeds, especially if you plan on starting your plants indoors.

As I look out my window on the three feet of snow that is now covering my garden beds, I know that my plants are enjoying a well deserved, as am I, but for me it is a time to recharge my gardening spirit with my favouorite books dreaming of the new gardening season soon to be upon us.

"I love snow, and all the forms

Of the radiant frost;"

Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

' Rarely, Comest Thou'

Perennials left standing capture the snow in fanciful patterns.