The Secret (or not-so-secret) Garden

Take thy plastic spade,
It is thy pencil; take thy seeds, thy plants,
They are thy colours.
~William Mason, The English Garden, 1782

Here in Calgary, we just finished the first true week of spring. There is hope in the air and a spring in our step. This morning I spent some time looking at the garden and seeing what I should do with it. First, I looked at my koi pond. This feature is a big unknown to me but I figured out how to get the pump/filter going again. I skimmed the surface for excessive algae and pulled the winterized plants up from the bottom of the pond. It appears all eight of the koi survived winter. I trimmed the plants around the pond so the dead plants won't rot in the water. But the truth is I don't know what I am doing. I hope the pump clears up the water because it is very murky.

the murky water of the koi pond

A mosaic tile under the dead leaves

 I see signs of life around the garden. I started poking in the garage/shed at the back of the yard. There is no electricity in the garage so I haven't really had a chance to explore. Maybe next weekend...there are old doors and beautiful windows. It looks like there are rolls of canvas and all sorts of treasures. I can't wait. 

Are these strawberry leaves???

I think my compost will go here

A different view of my backyard from the garage

My front yard still needs some melting action

My dear friend Claire and I plan to cut back the garden on the last weekend of April so I may have a better idea about my plant inventory after all that fun. I also signed up for a membership in the Calgary Horticultural Society.  I am just waiting for my member card to get some discounts at local greenhouses. 


My dad is coming to visit this week. I did give him a list of inside tasks/fixes but it is supposed to be beautiful this week so perhaps a trim of the apple and cherry trees are in order!?!

My next task is to draw my garden plan, buy some patio furniture and create the path through the garden so it is not so muddy. Thank goodness for my star boots in this spring muck.

 One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides.  

~W.E. Johns