Finally...
Day Lilies are just peeking through out on the south berm...
Crocuses are about a half inch up on the south berm...
Red Wing Blackbirds are back...
The car park has a big mud hole....
Ah... Spring is coming.
We'll winter is still with us. My back and leg is mending and I'm ready for Spring.
Here's a video for this journal:
Misha and I walked around the yard today. Well she walked I sort of limped, but that hopefully will be fixed on Monday. My new doctor tells me that all will be fine by spring to get me back into the yard and doing things. In the mean time we proped up the Solstice Tree in the near leaf bed supported by the tomato stakes that are still standing like sentinels. It made me feel much better to get it standing up from where it was laying since we bouught it back before all my back problems started. We still intend to get it set up on the terrace soon filled with treats for the birds. It would be good to think that I'll be able to do some clearing in the woods of wind downed trees... But let's think positively!
What started this all (remember) was that cold frame. Well to today when I looked in through the glass there was green stuff growing! So it works anyway. Now to plant something we can eat I there...
Way too much happened this month...from health problems, to car problems, to not getting anything much done in the yard... Including putting up the Solstice Tree out on the terrace... Maybe the birds won't mind if it gets done for New Year's Day... I'm feeling pretty bummed out right now but the year is almost new so it'll be alright... Back home tomorrow and hopefully to good health to me and all of you too...
We had Parsnips from Joey's garden patch as part of our Thanksgiving feast!
Mostly for me to feel well enough to get out there but it is also the weather and lack of daylight when I get home from work.
But with all the brush piled up back there by the Fire Swirl (once it dries out that is) maybe I could work out there by a blazing fire!
It is an interesting time to just walk the paths around the yard and think. Like what it means when things that are important to you keep popping up at different times during your life. Like Findhorn. A consciously created community that I first discovered through a book I came upon while in college. The Magic Garden of Findhorn effected me greatly. And here in my new job while building a sponsorship plan for online content by The Garden Goddess, here in the sample article was Findhorn again. I wanted to go there back in the 70's but I chose a different but wonderful life path. Maybe it's time to go... Maybe that time is past... Maybe it's just a normal feeling as Autumn changes to Winter as I walk the paths around the yard.
PS: Maybe, probably, it is still the concept that lures me to Findhorn. Not something found in my independent artist soul.
Last week I almost finished the cold frame. Before I messed up my back. Just painting and getting the soil ready for planting now. Hopefully Joey will do the planting. Let me tell you though that sliding door is really heavy.
The slider is hinged into place (oh, my aching back!).
Cutting the walls.
The back wall is in.
Al the wall are on up... I still have to paint it... Joey still needs to plant... but it's ready.
What happened?
A great Blackberry crop...
Glazing out on the terrace for our "Imaging Bartholomew's Cobble exhibition...
Playing with Abby...
and picking Apples....
Abby picking Zucchini...
On the path with Abby... (off on a walk)
Joey's Dad gave her her Great Grandfather's cider grinder and press. We are making cider from the Apple trees in the yard... and Pear Cider... and Pear Bandy... Right now about eight gallons are aging* in the pantry... (oh, and we made Pear Jelly as well)... The press basket was missing so we came up with the contraption you see below... (it worked great!)
*Will be bottled as: Jablonski Hard, Perry Hard, Yellow Jacket (LOL) and Pear Brandy.
The Compost box...
Opening a path through the hedgerow to the field so we can walk Misha there without crossing the road...
Then Autumn came... View down the path on the east side looking north...
A few notes:
- Removed a Wild Rose bush in front next to the Forsythia to make the path to the front yard opening better.
- Trimmed back more of Sarah's Pussywillow Tree.
- Trimmed back the Fragmighty and got the edge back to the west border where I transplanted Day Lilies this Spring.
Next year:
- Try growing "TANGLE" garden in back south east corner of woods. See "Anathem" a novel by Neal Stephenson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anathem)
- Plant Pokeweed to get purple dye along south border, woods and field.
- Try a building a circle frame that Tall Daisies grow up in on southwest berm near terrace.
- More ferns under Pussywillow tree.
- Purple Loosestrife to the west of the woods path near the wood ring.
(just a start)
Oh and this winter after all the yard maintenance and cold frame is finished I'll be clearing a bit of woods to see if we can build a 20 x 30 foot studio building out there someday...
Back from Cape Breton... The zucchini is hugh. We have been eating it with our string beans now for a week... Very wet... Replanted the squash and pumpkins now for the third time... Need to cut the back and the east side... If it will stop raining...
Since June 14, 2009 a *LOT* has happened in the *yard*.
The garden is growing finally after a rainy start and slugs eating all the Basil, squash and other things.
Joey and I staked the tomatoes today (well we started) and I ate a orange almost ripe cherry tomato...
I have a lot of photos to post (soon)...
The grape vine are doing well and we have the best crop of Blackberries EVER! (photo to come)
I trimmed under Sarah's Pussy Willow tree yesterday to help the ferns spread... cut out all the wild roses and the bushes...
More later...
The first Day Lily was in bloom today.
I pulled vines and growth that I don't want out of the Day Lilies in the berms. I had a talk with them and told them, the vines that is, that they can grow on the rest of the berm but not in with the Day Lilies. The Ants and I have the same agreement. They stay outside and I don't burn them out and relocate them into the woods. That's working so far.
The slugs ate some of our squash so Joey is out to get them. Looks like Oatmeal makes them swell up and burst! Beer drowns them. She's going to try the Oatmeal first. Why waste good beer:) She planted some Watermellon in the vacant hills. We'll see how they do...
The Butternut and Spaghetti Squash planted on May 30th...
The Pumpkins planted on May 30th...
Also the Cucumber and Zucchini seeds planted on May 30th...
The Wild Roses started blooming as well...
As I trim around the yard I can see that it is going to be a great year for Shasta type Daisies. We already have some in bloom and dozens of others are getting ready to pop...
Buttercups in bloom under the Fairy Tree...
Joey is going to create a pumpkin finniel for the top of the Spire...
Still appearing...
Beautiful fragrance...
Butternut and Spaghetti Squash...
Mounds with manure compost...
Wild Concord grape vine in northeast corner under Apple tree being trained to a fence...
