Thursday, June 25, 2015

Herb Drying


    R. set up the herb dryer he got for my birthday from Lee Valley.  I suspect it will look like a cat hammock to Bea and Loulou.  This morning, I picked some sage, apple mint, and lemon balm to try in it.  Smells divine!








Wednesday, June 24, 2015

The Housecoat Portfolio


    I was out early this morning, madly dashing around, taking pictures of vegetables in my housecoat.  I am confident the neighbours are used to this by now.

    Behind the house - R. built a cat enclosure so Bea and Loulou could spend some time outside.  Bea, the more adventurous and curious of the two, escaped twice, so the enclosure had to be fortified!  This space looks cluttered and messy.  I try not to dwell on the wabi-sabi nature of our property, lest I lose my marbles.  The cats enjoy their space, and the neighbour's cat (Butters) is eager to get inside to join (or take over) the party.



Lou spotted a bird.




Mostly volunteer potatoes in the corner, pansies in the round white container, yarrow in the rectangular white container, red onions and Asian long beans in the raised bed.




Front step - savoury mint and dahlias, sage in the upper right-hand corner.





Butters photo-bombing the Pineapple Sage.  We discovered this sage at the Peavey Mart greenhouse a few days ago.  It smells SO good!






North garden - companion planting experiment, lettuce and carrots. 





We mulched with grass clippings yesterday.




"Stop walking, pay attention to meeeeeee!"






Raised bed - celery, borage, Royal Burgundy Beans.





"Hi!"




Raised bed - zucchini, not sure what variety.




"Weed inspection complete!"




The hayfield - I mean, the raspberry patch.  In desperate need of weeding and mulching.  Up there among my least favourite jobs.





The ferocious and elusive Feral Potato...!

Actually, R. just stuck some extra seed potatoes in the empty compost bin.  They seem to like it in there.





Raised bed of greens (and a few garlic) - Red Russian kale, Lacinato kale, nasturtiums, Red Chard, borage, and whatever else I planted in there.





Sage (planted last summer) gone to flower.




Strawberries.  Mwua haa haa haa!





At the top of the picture, the beet bed.  At the bottom, lemon balm, orange mint, mesclun mix (greens), and Frisee endive.




From the top down:  potatoes, Top Crop beans, parsley, Chioggia beets, Giant Southern Mustard greens.




Gelber Englischer Custard squash




Side of the house - tomatoes, peppers, a few red onions.








More tomatoes, some feverfew, the cat enclosure, Loulou, and the Spectre of Death.




Plant room window ledge - white and orange begonias, pink petunias, and pansies.




Bea on the edge of a water barrel, convinced she can still find an escape route.




Green peppers (plant bought at the greenhouse, so it feels like cheating!)  That's the tip of a green onion in the middle.




Lemon balm




Whirligig zinnias




Yarrow



Tomato in a "crater".




North and South gardens







Two Turtle Doves


    One afternoon about a week ago, I looked out the window to see what I thought were two pale pigeons strolling up and down the walkway, eating insects.  When one of them turned around to face me, I realized they were doves!  It is unusual for them to be seen in this region.  R. has lived here 45 years and had never seen them.  I am not sure if they were Mourning Doves (also called Turtle Doves), or Ring-Necked Doves.  In any case, they lingered here together for about 10 minutes before flying away.

(Click pictures to enlarge them.)









Thursday, June 18, 2015

Strawberries and Butter(s)


North garden (cucumbers, tomatoes, jalapenos, an eggplant, string beans, dry bush beans, nasturtiums, marigolds, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower)





South Garden (potatoes, string beans, beets, parsley, spinach, chard, mustard greens)





Strawberries






Pea patch





Our neighbour's kitty, Butters, helping out.







Dry bush beans




Raised bed with red onions and carrots.  Looking good except for the "dead zone" in the middle that I have reseeded three times!




Marigold




Lone pansy in the garden.





Apple mint in the foreground, two dahlias in the background.





Sage (foreground) and a dahlia.