How quickly the summer is passing.. already near the end of July. Lots of rain this summer … happy happy plants.

The green peas this year are a bumper crop. Sadie, Coco and I are enjoying much in-garden eating.

The clematis along our fence is spreading beautifully. Purple flowers tumble down.

The hostas growing under our Spruce tree are flowering like they have never done before.

The day-lilies are finally putting on a show.

Little green tomatoes adorn the plants along the far side of my garden.

Green peppers are already edible.

As the end of June fast approaches, my garden is finally taking hold.

The veggie patch, with its good start and then stall, is now displaying real growth. Soon the lettuce, swiss chard, and peas will be ready for the pickin’.

The pea patch is small but looked forward to with much anticipation. These pods are meant for in-garden snacking only. And not just by me. Coco and Sadie love nothing more than chowing down on a few fresh pea pods. Once the season begins.. I am unable to enter the garden without them sticking their noses through the rungs of the lattice-like wooden fence, clamoring for their crisp little green treat.

My little lilac bush is in its glory right now. We planted this little bush so many years ago that I have forgotten what kind it is. I only remember that it is some kind of miniature and the word “French” keeps popping into my mind. The blossoms arrive later in the season than the more common purple lilacs and the colour is more pinkish. This year it has put on the most fantastic display. My entire yard is filled with its fragrance.

In our front we have a Scotch Pine that was planted by my husband the first summer we were in our house. It has done very well and now dominates the front yard. Nothing much will grow under its branches but these hostas seem to thrive in the pine cone bed.

Then there is the rose bush beside our front door. This too found its home soon after we did. It is a lovely Mordon pink rose (again.. can’t remember its correct title). In early summer it is absolutely full of the most beautiful pink roses. The sad part is that by late summer something attacks the leaves (not sure if it is a mold or fungus or what) leaving them tattered and lifeless. Twice I have dug deep with my shovel to get rid of this bush. Twice .. like the proverbial cat.. it has come back. I have finally come to accept it as being permanent. I enjoy its beauty will it flourishes and am coming to terms with its tattered look come the fall. There is probably some symbolism there.. but haven’t delved into it to deeply as yet.

I think one of my favourite flowers has come to be the African Daisy. I just love its happy delicate flowers, the best part being that they bloom all summer and into the fall.

No ramble about my garden would be complete without mention of my two gardening buds. The joy is always doubled when it is shared.

It is raining AGAIN today.. enough already. Mind you.. the rain did help my seeds get a nice start. Everything is now up.. even my cucumbers. But.. if it continues.. they will all be washed away. We need some sunshine.

Our little Amur Choke Cherry sapling was bent right over (and stayed over) after a wind storm. I now have it supported upright by tying it to a bamboo pull. Hope the little guy is ok.

I was out in my garden early today. The skies were threatening and I so wanted to get my tomato seedlings in the ground before the rains came.

Six wee tomato plants now line the far wall of my vegetable patch.

And in other vegetable patch news… my seeds are almost all sprouting.. peas, swiss chard, lettuce, beats. Still no sign of any sprouts in my cucumber patch.. but they were planted a little later.

Over all.. it is looking good.

The leaf buds are finally popping.. green is the colour of the day.

We had our first big thunderstorm of the season last night followed by a much needed rain. This morning, much to my delight, I noticed the first wee sprouts in my garden in the beet patch.

Yesterday, May 18, I planted my seeds in the veggie garden. I planted peas, lettuce (two types), green onions, Swiss chard, beets and also scattered seeds over my spot for flowers. Added some poppy seeds to the batch just because I love them so much. It is still too cold at night to plant seedlings.. but I had better visit the garden center soon.. or none will be left for the pickings.

The first green sprouts of spring.

from my Daylily patch

the first to show hope.. the Iris patch

Dreaming of Spring

Roland did a wonderful job of rototilling my vegetable garden. This year I added sheep manure and peat moss to the mix. Now it is officially tucked in for the winter.

Surprisingly my Cosmos and my Clematis are still blooming. Gotta love that.

My day lilies and irises have been cut back. The remnants of my large yellow lilies look so beautiful in their fall colours.. they still stand.

I finally transplanted the Veronica Speedwell (‘Sunny Border Blue’). The day lilies were crowding it out.. so it now resides not far from the Iris. Hopefully it will over winter well. I believe it was one of the first perennials I planted in our yard many many years ago. When I bought it I was told that it was the perennially of the year (1993).

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