Back to cold again..........

The garden is coming on nicely now, but it's got cold again. I fear for the plants I have in now. I dare not get the annuals just yet. The beginning of the season is the end of May and it looks like this year that'll be about it too. Other years I have had everything in by now. I am enjoying time on Pinterest getting ideas, writing them down and hoping for the best. I did get the garage/shed sorted out and found my lost box of garden stuff just in time. Now I should know where everything is. I really want to go to the garden center and get more stuff but I daren't. There is so much left to do. The back is done for now until I catch up out front and that's a big job. I want to dig up all the ferns and plant them out back but it's too overwhelming right now. First I must weed before anything else. So today I got cracking at that chore......


Well I am 1/2 way now out front. With luck the rest tomorrow.
I did end up going to the garden center today. For the side I got two Boston Fern at 12/99ea

I have them on Shephers hooks in that entrance.
I got some ornamental grasses. I found this Japanese one, red and green. It's a Perennial so I do hope it comes up.

I really like the Lime green ones and so got a couple more of those to go in darker places. I also got a couple of Hosta and a couple of other things for the shade garden in the back.

I did get a couple of annuals for some colour but I really don't like to spend money on things that don't last.


The back shade garden has always been Hosta's but I have read that several other things like shade so I am experimenting this year. I bought some Ferns to see how they do, I also bought an Astilbe and a couple of other things. The Trillium like it as do some other wild flowers but they are over and done so quickly. When I get a chance I will transplant some of the Ferns from the front and Violets and Forget-me-nots. They can grow or not, up to them. I need to get them out of other gardens anyway.

I have bought Dairy Doo and Potting soil to help replenish things. What was the veggie garden last year is now plants and Herbs. It didn't have enough sun for the vegetables. I keep trying to fill up the gardens so I can stop buying stuff but it never seems to work. Some things just take over and others just do not flourish. My Hosta never get big unless they are in pots. Has to be the soil and too much shade.

I have seen a couple of Butterfly this year already and that's hopeful as I really didn't see many at all last year. I have put out plenty of water dishes. I put marbles in some so that Bees and Butterfly can use them. The birds have several Bird Baths now as well. The big fountain doesn't hold water anymore so this year I will put flowers in it. The side garden I made last year for veggies will go into flowers this year. I give up on growing Vegetables. Its too expensive. My Rhubarb did come up though and that will stay. I put two rose bushes in that I got for 5 dollars each so I hope they grow. Should be just enough sun for those. I noticed all my roses from last year have sprouts on then so at least they did survive the Winter.



I am really loving finding ideas on Pinterest for garden decorations. Rustic things. I need to finish the fence this year and have a plough, an old chair and the wheelbarrow in the back. I will finish that off once the fence is in. Maybe some yard sales will yield some more treasures this year. I would love some old wheels to put up by the fences out back. I love old boxes and Milk churns, that sort of thing. When the some comes out I will take pictures of how everything is right now. I have an abundance of treasures in the garage and now I can see what I am doing maybe I can come up with more good ideas. Too cold today though So I will sew instead. I need to get that out of the way so I can paint some garden signs. I have collected wood to do that. As well as some stone/pebble art. So many ideas, so little time. I need another pair of hands.
This is my little area I sit and paint when it gets hot

The birds are enjoying the bird baths I have all around now.






Things will look much better when things begin to bloom. Meanwhile, look what I found in the back garden.

More in a few days. Rain tomorrow.

spring catch up...............

The garden looks so bare and horrible this time of year. We got a good soaking rain last night. It made the leaves begin to show up.

The fern I bought yesterday

That will be planted at the back in my shade/wildflower garden. I am going to take out some ferns from out front and see if they will like it back there. I don't want them out front. some I will plant under the pine trees. I am also going to try Violets back there. Last year I had some in a pot and those did fine. Trouble is right now I can't see where the Hosta are. So I can't really do that until they show up. I am determined to fill that garden up this year with things I already have. Then just a few Perennials. Here are the guys I bought plus some that I over wintered.

This is my work area and the next job is to spread the dairy doo and top soil. It will be my potting area.

This spot does not do well because a certain little poodle sits there in the shade. SO I put in a stepping stone for her.

I also put in another poodle path out back. The corner that Gerry stripped nekid now has 5 shrubs but they will take ages to grow. I think meanwhile I will get another piece of trellis and make it more private. The wood chips are down in all the back areas that need it so just the front to do now.


Getting some ornaments out but have lost a whole box. Won't find that till Christmas unless I go through all the boxes before then. Ah well, a nice surprise when I find them.


My thrift store find (the bowl) turned into a bird bath. I have water dishes placed throughout the garden



Come summer the birds and beasts need baths and water to play in.The Bees and Butterfly love the shallow ones.
Out the front and side there is so much to do. I bought two roses for the side because they were only 5 dollars each

I put Isodes bears out the side on my stone garden. Loads of Petoskey Stones there



Years ago my friend Susan bought me a carved bear who is out there somewhere. The Forsythia survived Gerry's prune and I was able to stop him cutting that one out

I am trying to make the side a garden after being a playground for little boys with trucks. I got two roses to put in and will think of something else.I will put flowers in the fountain because it won't hold water.

The front side is a mess and will look better once the grass/weeds are pulled. Lots of weeding and transplanting to do. I will put Jasons bird bath there.

The front looks neglected and baron. Justin and Carrie sent me bird bath. I wanted one and could not wangle that into my budget. Then Jason called and bought one as well but different (see above). That should arrive soon and will go on the side there near the fence.



Primroses come up every year but without more they are sort of lonely. The Daffodils don't even have buds. I hope the dairy doo help everyone out there. I find it strange that they can grow wild in abundance but mine just die.
Probably need to transplant them over to a more sunny spot. I don't know. Anyway as you see there is so much to do it's not even funny.

Is it Spring Yet?...........

It seemed pretty warm today, had to be in the 40s. We saw a Robin the other day. We tried to go for a walk down by Kids Creek but still too much snow. That's where we saw the Robin though, enough grass showing for his little beady eye to spot worms. I just can't wait to get back to walking. Although I will at least be walking Cooper to school.

So anyway, the snow is melting in my garden and now we can see patches of dirt and grass and all the mess that now needs to be cleaned up. Yeuk.

When you remember the snow was over the gate last week, it's quite a significant thaw.

The Poodles are loving being able to get out and yap at everyone.


As you see we didn't get much cleaned up in the Fall and so I need to get out and remedy that. I will start now so that I can just do a little at a time and not kill myself.

Bodi can't get down the steps at the moment without help so she sits and watches life go by from the deck. We will be putting in a handicap ramp for her this year.

Boots goes out every chance she gets but doesn't stay long, still too cold for her.

I try to keep Bessie inside. She lays on the bird feeder.
I went to check the pond, that needs some work for sure but both of the fish are there. They have to be about 5 years old now, if not more. There were 4, then a baby, and now just two. So sad.

I must get all those leaves out. There was a net over the pond but Gerry took it off. So now there are a lot of leaves in there. Can you see the Hosta popping up in the next picture? I just can't wait to get to the garden centers.

The driveway is all ice. That will have to be a priority, cleaning that mess up. Gerry is working for a couple of weeks so it will have to me lucky ol me.Never mind, it's outside work and must get done before it gets hot.