Ridiculous Inconsistency

Okay, #fail! Completely. I have not updated at all this summer. It isn't as though I haven't been busy but rather there is nothing really blog worthy.

My garden had a great summer and I am learning more each day. For example, the previous owners called it a natural garden with native plants but that seems to mean weeds. And not the good kind...the invasive and spread by deep roots kind. So for the last month, I have been turning the soil to eradicate some of the weeds so I can actually find out what perinnials are in the garden. In total, I pulled more than 18 bags of weeds. It was ridiculous but now I know what is in the garden and can plan for summer 2013 accordingly. I even measured my garden space...just call me Martha Stewart. Now all I need is a hot gardener to do the weeding next year so I can just enjoy the garden sipping wine in the sunshine.

Everywhere you see bare dirt in the above pictures was once covered in weeds. Unbelievable! I am slowly "taming" the jungle that is my garden.

In addition to the crazy weeding adventure, my hollyhocks developed a rust fungus and my raspberries also appear to be fighting something...perhaps a fungus (online wasn't much help - but fungus is as close as it gets). As much as I want to have organic/natural garden, there really wasn't an organic option that would truly rid the plants of this fungi. So I battled it with a fungus spray.

I am pleased to report that the rust fungus is almost gone on the hollyhocks but the raspberries are still suffering.

In other news, my apple tree is still battling on despite the fireblight and I was able to harvest a bucket of apples. They are quite good and I just made a pie today out of them.

My raised vegetable garden also produced some great food. Beets, carrots, potatoes and lots of greens. The peas and beans were mediocre and the onions/leeks are still growing. My zucchini was a failure producing only two zucchini in total. I thought zucchini was like a weed here...I guess not. My herbs also grew well.

 

Now my tomatoes are having a stellar year. The cherry ones are turning red and I am harvesting a handful each week. My roma ones are nice and big and GREEN still. I will have to harvest them this week due to frost potential.

Well, summer is officially over as per the date on the calendar but it is still getting to mid-20's during the day so hopefully it will continue for a while long. As pretty as the autumn colors are, I just love summer most of all and am always a wee bit sad when the season changes. Enjoy the remaining warm days while you can.

i made this

Feeling really proud of myself right now. Considering I have never used a power saw before in my life, I managed to make a raised vegetable garden bed out of the copious amounts of scrap wood hanging out in my garage/treasure bin.
Yes, I made this...watch out world, this could be the beginning of something amazing.

a lovely week off

I think I may have been more excited about this upcoming week off than my trip to Paris in April...and I was pretty thrilled about that break. Sometimes it is just nice to take a stay-cation where you can mark a bunch of things of the to-do list or just revel in the fact there is no big rush to be anywhere. During this week, I hope to complete a number of the garden to-do's, take in an afternoon at the spa (hello hot stone massage therapy), clean the front porch, finish up some sewing projects and read a couple of books (Half Blood Blues and Imagine).

But realizing that I haven't updated my blog since April...it is time to give a bit of a quick update.

I have decided to try my hand at square foot gardening this year. It requires some great soil, a raised bed and planning. I downloaded a great app that helps you plan. The app is from Mother Earth News and provides all sorts of great gardening advice with your growing zone in mind. I hope to have everything planted by the end of the week.

Above is a screen shot of my garden plan in the works...I am still moving things around and it will probably change depending on how well my plants acclimatize and adjust to the new veg garden...the seeds are popping up quite nicely in the sun room but real life in the Calgary weather is the true test.

some of my seedlings...

The other sign of summer is the arrival of local tomatoes at the Farmers Market. I particularly enjoy the tomatoes from Gull Valley greenhouses in central Alberta. Yum and no pesticides! And with those lovely tomatoes, I make my (er, Jamie Oliver's) Mothership Tomato Salad. I think I blog about this recipe every summer but it is so good and simple and delicious and fabulous. It may be my all time favorite food...but the trick is to have the farmers market tomatoes that have great flavour.

Step 1: enjoy how pretty the tomatoes are

Step 2: cut up, salt and let it sit

 

Step 3: Add oil, vinegar, seasoning

Step 4: Enjoy

Now for a present day shot of the gardening...I will share what it will look like at the end of this week after some to-do's are done. During the summer, I will post progress pics so you can see how the jungle garden grows. 

Long view of the garden.

Will add these patio lights to above my deck and patio...can't wait. I hope it looks as good in real life as it does in my mind

a new path? testing it out

Some annuals (and some new perennials) I bought for the garden

 Now for the reveal of the other side of the studio/guest room. I finally finished the floor and organized my studio. It is now a space I want to spend time in. The guest room greeted its first official guest this past week. I am thrilled with the look although there are still some major things I will eventually do like walls, ceilings, etc...but who needs those right now!

Looking into the studio from the guest bed area

Looking back to the guest room from the studio

Another wider shot of the studio

 Okay, I gotta run. My rhubarb raspberry blueberry crisp is almost done. Just trying to clear out the freezer of last year's fruit to make space for the upcoming harvest. My rhubarb is almost ready for picking. Yummo! Enjoy the Victoria Day long weekend! Hope it is relaxing.

Garden Inspirations

My week in Paris in mid-April ramped up my yearning to get gardening.

Luxembourg Gardens

Another Parisian garden

Thank goodness the weather is cooperating since I returned. Thinking back on garden clean-up last year, the difference is incredible. I cut down/cleaned up on the last weekend in April both years. This year, there is so much growth mostly due to the mild winter and a very warm spring. It makes me want to plant the vegetable garden but I know Calgary is a fickle city and the weather may change on a dime. It may still snow and freeze so I will wait until after the May long weekend to add annuals and vegetables. Digging in dirt is good for the soul and I spent 4 hours last weekend on the garden and another 6 this weekend. I figure it probably needs another 5 hours before it is ready for the season. These pictures show the difference between the 2 years.

Last year

This year...although the pictures don't do it justice...there is tons of green

This year too

Waiting for the May Long is not without its rewards since I can start many plants indoors. I picked up some seeds this weekend.

I have so many plans for this garden. Last year, I basically left the yard to see what happen and to find out what was in it. While I still don't know what most of the plants are, I really hope to make it my own this year. I am taking the week off after the May long weekend to really whip the space into shape. And since I am a notorious list maker, here is a list of my plans:

- Transplant Lilac to dirt by fence - Done
- Drain fish pond - Done
- Build raised vegetable bed in space next to raspberry patch: Need to measure, buy wood, learn how to build it. Hope to use some of the wood in the garage to keep the rustic look
- Order a tree to go into the hole where the pond was: Narrowed it down to 3 choices: Chokecherry Schubert, Apple: September Ruby or Crabapple Thunderchild.
- Order big bag of dirt to fill in rest of hole
- Order washed rock for path and landscaping needs
- Line main garden path with big rocks - Partially Done
- Use flat stones to make path throughout the back garden
- Transplant some of the rhubarb to make it more accessible- Done
- Transplant Saskatoon bushes to place behind willow feature - Done
- Transplant Hydrangea to dirt by fence - Done
- Create a keyhole in the raspberry patch for easier access to fruit
- Clean up front & back yard - Done (6-7 bags of leaves & 1 massive pile of limbs, stems, wood-y items)
- Keep noxious weed that took over yard last year out of the garden - in progress
- Trim front cherry trees - Done
- Move twigs/branches/stems pile to east side of the garage (not in compost)
- Turn compost - in progress
- Check compost dirt - Done and it is beautiful. I plan to add it to the garden once bed is made
- Move grate to west side of raspberry patch
- Bury a large board on north side of raspberry patch to prevent roots from spreading
- Measure backyard
- Take bottles in garage to bottle depot
- Clean up garage - in progress
- Clean gutters
- Pull up dandelions
- Create firepit and bench area for awesome summer nights - see picture below
- Set up water garden in bucket to save the pond plants - in progress
- Maintain wooden water barrels
- Clean front porch
- String lights on laundry line
- Extend patio with bricks
- Pull up grass (weed-like) that is spreading across the garden like wildfire
- Mow front grass
- Water trees (winter did not have much snow)
- Figure out how to make the patio more cute/inviting

Remember when it looked like this last year:

Okay, about the firepit idea...it has floated around in my mind for a while now and a chance conversation with my neighbour yesterday confirmed my plans. He was asking how I was changing up the garden this year and I mentioned that I was thinking about the firepit space. Next thing I know he has offered to give me one. He has a small one they don't use and he wouldn't even let me pay for it. I am so lucky to have them as neighbours. On a side note, they are actually temporarily moving to Edmonton for work but have rented out their house to another great couple...so win for me on both accounts. Here is a picture of my new firepit (or stove?). Can't wait to get the yard in shape and have wine by the fire. Who is coming over?

Isn't it cute?

In other news, I am finding so much information about the previous owners of my house. I have all the names and professions of the people who lived here from 1912-1953. I plan to attend a session about how to research your house that the Calgary Public Library is holding in a couple weeks. And with all sorts of centennial celebrations in Calgary this year, there is also a Century Homes initiative. Check it out here.  I think I am going to participate...sounds like fun. Okay, maybe it just sounds like fun for me! I am just a bit in love with my house!

The somewhat underwhelming reveal

A quick post before I leave on my trip to Paris with my sisters and mom...I did finish the floor of my guest room. Actually, I finished half of the floor because my furniture was sitting on the other side. That is why this is an underwhelming reveal. And the fact I need to still add baseboards, hardware, pictures and curtains before I feel it is done. Ok, the room is only halfway done. Aren't you impressed?
But I thought I would share my before and after shots to demonstrate that it looks a lot better than it did.

BEFORE: The hallway at the bottom of the basement stairs

BEFORE: The guest room/art studio

BEFORE: The half of the guest room I haven't done due to the piles of furniture

AFTER: The hallway at the bottom of the basement stairs

AFTER: The new guest room

AFTER

AFTER

AFTER

STILL TO BE DONE: Angle 1

STILL TO BE DONE: Angle 2.

 The area that still needs to be done has no walls and is quite a bit smaller than the completed area. I will probably set up my art/sewing stuff in the "still-to-done" area so guests don't have to sleep in the part of the room with no walls and ceilings. I am nice like that.

So who's going to come visit me?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gardening: Cheaper than therapy & you get tomatoes

And spring is definitely in the air. My airplane reading has lots to do with gardening plans...stay tuned. Happy Easter everyone!

RIP

It appears my koi fish did not survive winter. I thought I wintered the pond as the former owners showed me but as the pond is melting in this spring weather, I see some death and fish carcasses in the ice floe. It is not pretty and subsequently, there are no pictures for this post.

Now, if only someone can come and discard of the fish remains from the pond so I don't have to do it, all would be fine. I highly doubt that wish will come to reality so I may have to clean it up myself...before I leave on my holidays next week so the other animals (cats, crows, magpies, bears, etc) don't make the matter worse. I am joking about the bears...come on, I live in the inner city. But this just shows that I am really not good with animals. I tried. I am baffled on how the fish survived such a cold winter last year but died this year. Mysterious!

So after a moment of silence in remembrance of the fish, I know there is a silver lining...I may just fill in the pond and extend my patio. Because at the end of the day, the pond is really a lot of work and maintenance and cost and a mosquito attractor!! Actually, I may just plant a nice tree in there. The hole is already dug and it would provide great shade in years to come for my patio...oh things work out well sometimes.

Too bad about the fish though!