Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Around the Garden
















I am so enjoying our garden and yard these days. My walk around the garden each morning is filled with little surprises, seeds popping up, leaves growing from seedlings, flowers blooming and bees and butterflies fluttering about. These are good days in the garden, very good days.

We are harvesting morning, noon and night, greens for smoothies and salads, herbs to add flavour to meals, and flowers here and there to bring a little nature inside. The weather has been cooperating giving us a little rain at least once a week, and so far the bugs are not causing too many issues. The lovely little cabbage worm has made an appearance, but so far I am staying on top of it, and the red squirrel stole a few ripe strawberries from the chicken coop planter. We are now keeping him out with some chicken wire, and you can bet I will be keeping a close eye on my strawberry bed.

We planted a sunflower house on the weekend, a few more flower seeds here and there and the final rows of carrots and beets. Over the next few days there will be some weeding done, and a little thinning, but other than that, you will find me walking around the garden, cup of tea in hand, soaking up the beauty of food growing and flowers blooming.

How are things around your garden?

26 comments:

  1. Awesome garden, it's so tidy and beautiful and calm looking! There's nothing better than eating fresh homegrown xx

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    1. Thank you. I like calm :) I so agree with you...going out to get fresh food from meals is the best!

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  2. Squirrels are sneaking little things, glad your strawberries are protected. I have been keeping an eye on my peaches and pears, so far so good.

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    1. They certainly are :) Hope they leave your peaches and pears alone.

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  3. We finally bought our tomatoes, cucs, and basil along with some flowers. My husband planted most of them last night, and now we wait! Your garden is slowly producing-yay!

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    1. Yay for getting some food in the ground. Enjoy!

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  4. Beautiful gardens Kim! Your lettuces and greens are to die for.

    We are in the midst of a 50/50 failure/success start to the year. The bean, squash, cucs and lentils are doing wonderfully. I have a feeling the first runner bean plant will reach the teepee today! Our peas are doing well, so are our herbs and tomatoes... although we did lose a few this year. I may have to run to a nursery this week-end to pick up a few plants to fill in the gaps. Oh, and our potatoes have EXPLODED! :-)

    Unfortunately though, one of our beds has been completely (and I mean completely) taken over by very aggressive oxalis. They have swallowed up all our greens an Brussels sprouts. They have been climbing over our radishes and have stunted our beets. So we are gonna to just sacrifice the bed and black tarp it to kill the weeds. Then, we will refill for a fall planting of greens. Thank goodness for the farmer's market!!!

    have a great week xo

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    1. Thanks Yanic! Funny how some things do really well, and others fizzle, eh? Sorry about the greens, radishes and beets, not fun. But like you said at least we have local farmers ready to share their goodness with us.

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  5. The gardens are coming along nicely. I love how you use your property to create such a great space to grow food and flowers. Our gardens are growing so quickly. We have been enjoying greens every week and I have a few cabbages that will be ready shortly. I just love summer and enjoying the fruits of our labor. Happy Gardening!

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    1. Thanks Kathleen, that is nice of you to say. It has been a long work in progress to get it this far, and I don't think it will ever be "done". Enjoy your time in the garden and all the goodness it provides for you.

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  6. Your beans already look wonderful. So many lovely flowers I can't wait to see them all! :)

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    1. Thank you KC! I am really enjoying the flowers this year, more so than other years, think it might be time to plant a few more :)

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  7. I really love your little garden updates. They continue to inspire me to get out there and enjoy ours. Thanks for sharing its progress.

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  8. Kim, your garden is looking gorgeous. I decided this morning that I'll be planting sunflowers right along one side of our little house hard. They will be outside our bedroom windows so they'll be lovely to see every morning. I've never grown poppies before, but I think they will be happening this year too. The colours on yours are amazing. I also love the little fences you've put around your gardens. Everything looks wonderful. Great job my friend. xxoo

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    1. Thank you Julie. Yay for sunflowers, that will be just lovely to look out and see every morning. I love the poppies. We have three patches of them, and they always amaze me with their beauty.

      Ah, the fences, yes those are to keep the chickens out. They thought the straw mulch was far game to scratch in. Not :)

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  9. I tell you what, after seeing your yard covered in so much snow this winter.....your garden isn't missing the opportunity to grown and flourish. It's warm, there's rain and everything is taking advantage of it. Something to be said for that. :)

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    1. It is pretty amazing isn't it? I was actually looking back at some winter photos the other night and it is such a drastic change. Mother Nature is pretty darn awesome!

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  10. It looks so well managed! Although, I guess that is how mine looks in the beginning of every planting season :-) Well done!

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    1. Thank you. And yes, at the beginning of the season it all looks neat and tidy.

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  11. Your garlic looks like it a fared much better than ours did this winter! Everything looks great! Yay for fresh greens!! :)

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    1. It did, surprisingly. I have to admit I was worried about it after our very harsh winter. Thank you, and yes on the fresh greens...we are loving them.

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  12. those brightly colored flowers!! Oh my, they are beautiful!!

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  13. Your garden is so beautiful, and it's a good thing we don't live close or I would be on your door step everyday with a basket in hand asking for some of those flowers. Wow, that poppy is just gorgeous! I think it might be time for some more flowers in our yard. Good luck with your little squirrel friend. Be well.

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    1. Thank you. You would be more than welcome to stop in for flowers, heck I would even bring you a vase full :) That was the first one, since then another five have blossomed and I have counted another 12 to come. Exciting!

      The little squirrel or chipmunk is outsmarting us at the moment, but we are working on it.

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