Oh how the garden grows

Here are some shots of the garden...with being away for work and the rain, I really haven't been able to do much. The pond is much clearer though...I can actually see the fish. One compost bin is in place; it is amazing how full it already is.

The hollyhocks are taking over the garden but perhaps it will be delightful...I will just wait and see.

I love the greens...all the different shades of it.

HOLLYHOCKS GALORE

My attempt at a vegetable garden...no signs of life besides hollyhocks everywhere

One of my three cherry trees

Welcome to the garden, CB (Compost bin)

Rhubarb all over...at last count I have 6 plants of it

Some bulb plant...no flowers yet

Fern...ground cover. The fronds are about to unfurl.

I love the wooden rain barrels

Tried my "green thumb at herbs and tomatoes in the planters.

A view of the backyard...its even more green and lush now after the rain. It changes every day.

quick update

No pictures this week as the weekend seemed to zip by and honestly, I forgot to take any pictures. Also, a surprise visit with a dear friend shifted house work to another day. I didn't have a chance to do much besides more garden clean up. The front yard is done now.

I planted spinach, peas, onions and carrots. Zucchini goes in after the final frost which will probably be after the May long weekend. The garden is really greening up and this week is supposed to be warm 

Small electrical issue...the GFCI outlet in the bathroom has failed. The test and reset buttons seem not to function and since the outlet is connected to the light switch which means no lights in the loo. But before I call an electrician, I want to go buy a new vanity mirror that has a light attached so I can hit two birds with one stone. The electrician can fix the outlet and install the new light.

This week, I hope to buy the compost bins and perhaps patio chairs and table...we will see. I can feel spring!

Suddenly it's spring

Well, maybe.

On Saturday, my dear friend Claire came over and helped Jake and me cut down the garden. Payment of her advice and help will be in harvest goods. I may have been a wee ambitious and cut down more than I should have but oh, well, I am learning.

I forgot to take a before picture on Saturday morning but this will give you an idea of what we had to tackle

There is lots of green stuff already poking through the ground. No idea what it is but I guess time will tell. Lots of bulbs so they may be irises? And Jake found the compost pile from the previous owner in the middle of the raspberry bushes?? We think they just dumped it before they moved...all the more nutritious soil for us. But he did cut some of the bushes back to get to the rich soil. We were not sad though because those pesky raspberry bushes are enemy #1 in my backyard. Random shoots were scattered all over the yard and their roots are vicious. Jake and I dug some trenches and placed boards in them to help stop the spread of the roots at least a bit.

But it felt so good at the end of the weekend to see the fresh "slate". Here are a few shots of the work.

The two piles of waste...one will be for food/kitchen waste and the other for garden waste. Just need to go buy the compost bins now.

We found a random stepping stone on the garden path...interesting!

This will be my vegetable patch if spring and summer ever arrive.

The backyard post work...the bumble bee windmill is from Jake as a joke but I am growing fond of it!

Some flowers growing...no idea what they are

Another plant with promise...identity unknown

Claire created the plot for a vegetable garden so I hope to get the spinach, peas and a few other veggies in the ground soon. Using a seasoned gardener like Claire is so helpful with just practical know-how... so glad she came to help.

Then to top off the day, we invited friends over for the 1st BBQ of the year; still too cool to enjoy it outside but fun nonetheless!

My posse - Claire, Lynn and Punam

I also went to the fish store because the pond was getting murkier with more algae. Here's hoping the products purchased do their magic. Here's the pond in its current state...you can kinda see the orange blurs of the koi. Oh, the trials of a "pet" owner.