I can’t believe we’ve lived here for 18 years and I’m finally getting around to planting a dedicated strawberry bed. I did try strawberries in the back when we first moved, but the only mammals that got to enjoy them were the chipmunks. I even tried covering the plants with an elaborate chicken wire cage… Read more »
Redoing the Bird Sanctuary Garden Patio
It never ceases to amaze me how much a garden evolves over time. When we first moved here in 2004, our gardens were pretty bare, with just a few small evergreens and a lot of ground cover. Bit by bit, I started adding different features and creating separate garden spaces. One of my favourites was… Read more »
Garden & Landscape Bucket List for 2024
My garden landscape has evolved over the years. When I first started, I focused on designing a garden with shrubs and trees, thinking woody plants would be low maintenance for my big yard. I worked hard to add trees and shrubs that bloomed at different times during the season or offered interesting foliage. I supplemented… Read more »
Finally! The Greenhouse Patio and Beds Are In
I installed my Hartley greenhouse in November 2021 but had to wait until the summer of 2023 to complete the landscaping around the greenhouse. Part of this was taking the time to think through what I wanted, part was finding someone to build what I wanted to achieve. One of my challenges was to marry… Read more »
Back With A Fresh Start, And A New Fence
I’ve been away from garden blogging for a while. Having returned to work this past winter my energies were focused elsewhere and that meant taking a break from gardening and garden blogging. Perhaps that’s healthy. I’m now ready to start a new spring with a different viewpoint. My goals are different — it’s more about… Read more »
Wind-proof Umbrella Stand
Living in the country has its unique challenges and one of them is wind. Even on a rather normal summer day, gusty breezes come up quickly, making it almost impossible to maintain an umbrella in our wide open pool area. We’ve tried several approaches — bigger stands, rocks on top of the stand, bungee cords… Read more »
What A Difference A Year Makes
I knew we were having a late start this year but was not aware of just how different until I started looking through some pictures from last spring. Last year tulips were out, serviceberries were blooming and everything was flush with green growth by today’s date. This year, not so much. Even the lawn was… Read more »
What a Change
It’s been a busy summer what with putting in the new pool, a new garage and landscaping around the new areas. In addition, I took the opportunity to widen some other gardens while I was at it. View of Garden House and Pool In August after the landscaping is in. The new landscaping is virtually… Read more »
Our New Garage is Taking Shape
I’m please to say the construction of our new garage – barn is proceeding nicely. We’ve had good weather this week and it looks like they will have all the framing finished. You can really see the building taking shape. The only downside is the huge spot of compacted dirt on top of the lawn… Read more »
Construction Has Begin
Despite the rain and cold, construction has finally begun on our second garage. This is step one in our plans for this summer which include building a second garage for my tractor and all the garden equipment I seem to accumulate as well as putting in a pool. While I’m not looking forward to repairing… Read more »