Gardening – Page 7

Yard work and a bad back do not mix

March 28, 2009 by Tricia

Chris and I took advantage of the beautiful day here in Toronto and went outside for several hours to tidy up the garden.

My mind was into the work, but my body wasn’t! I’m certainly not made of Ferrari parts – not anymore anyway! LOL Nope! I just found out I have a slipped disk in my back which explains the back pain I’ve been having for over a year now. Naturally, twisting, bending and standing and sitting in odd positions while cleaning out the garden beds did absolutely nothing for my back except cause more pain!

So now I’m lying on the couch watching TV with a heating pad on my back. Oh yes, I’m also full of Advil and Tylenol. None of it seems to be helping at the moment … maybe a good rest will relax my back … maybe!

The backyard does look beautiful now though! All the dead leaves, dead foliage and most of the dead branches on the rose bushes are gone. I didn’t “technically” prune the roses – just cut off the obviously dead branches. It’s still too early to do a real pruning …. or is it?

I mean .. I was totally surprised at how many plants were coming up when we uncovered them! Not just the usually suspects like crocus, daffodils, tulips and hyacinth no … my Hollyhocks, Phlox, honeysuckle vines, and many of my clematis have leaf buds on them. I swear my garden is at least two weeks ahead of it’s self if not a full month ahead!

Now that the back garden is all cleaned up and the sun can get at the tender shoots poking their heads out of the ground I’m sure that everything will really start to shoot up! In just few days (if the weather holds) I’m sure there will be a lot more green in my garden!

The grass is already starting to green up too. On Monday evening we raked the front and back yards as well as started cleaning up the garden beds and the grass was dead looking – not a hint of green. But just 6 days of above freezing temps and a tiny bit of rain later and it now has quite a bit of green.

Now if only my back could make such a quick turn around as our awakening garden is!

Oh BTW did you participate in Earth Hour? We had a candle light dinner after expending all that energy outdoors! What did you do during earth hour?

I’m Ffffreezing … Brrrr

March 23, 2009 by Tricia

Just before 7 pm this evening Chris came up with a great idea … or so we thought at the time. I’d just noticed that some of my purple crocus’ were coming up in the garden and Chris suggested I go outside and take some pictures of them since it was still quite light out.

He also said that he’d rake the lawn (like I suggested on Saturday when it was warmer out!).

Unfortunately .. it didn’t end up just being a photo taking and raking 15 minute outing … it never is when we go outside and visit the garden …

We both went outside, I took a few pictures and Chris started raking. Next thing I know I’ve got my pruners in my hand and I’m bent over one of my garden beds clearing out leaves, using the pruners to cut off dead foliage and generally tidying up the garden. Chris also got into clearing leaves out of some of the garden beds too.

Then when I said I was cold … maybe it was about 8 pm and pretty much full dark by then, we abandoned the backyard where there’s still a lot of work to do, and went to the front to at least rake the lawn.

The only problem with going to the front of the house is we end up talking to our neighbors. I finally met the new Lab/boxer mix puppy that our new neighbors got about two weeks ago (CUTE) and we talked to other neighbors too. By the time the neighbors disappeared and our still partially frozen front lawn was raked it was about 8:30.

My fingers are numb and I’ve got the shivers … Do you know how cold it is out right now? It’s -1 C (30.8 F) … no wonder I’m freezing! Brrrr!

Do you ever get carried away like that when you’re doing something … even if it’s really cold or much too hot outside?

Spring – It’s here, it’s here!

March 22, 2009 by Tricia

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Can you tell that I’m happy that Spring has finally arrived? Ok, so it’s felt like Spring here pretty much since mid-February with the exception of a few very cold days here and there, but now it’s actually starting to look like Spring outdoors.

I just spotted my first crocus in my lawn earlier today. That, to me, is always my first true sign that Spring has truly arrived.

I used to have snowdrops in my garden as well, but they’ve either died out or they are blooming under the leaves that cover my garden beds. LOL However I do know that there are Snowdrops blooming in the area because my husband spotted some earlier today while out walking the dog.

My chives are also up and several of my other plants appear to be coming back to life as they are greening up and developing leaf buds.

Hmmm … I wonder if Raccoons like chives? I’ve spotted a raccoon in our backyard several times over the last week (the back yard security light goes on whenever there’s movement out there), and the raccoon is always near the Chives and where the first crocus has come up whenever I see it. Of course I scare it out of the yard … but I wonder if it’s nibbled on the chives?

I guess it won’t be long now before flowers like these tiny irises, hyacinth, muscari, tulips and other plants start to make an appearance!

I think I might do a little yardwork today if I can get this pesky high fever I have to go down.

A few more weeks and my garden will come alive with flowers

March 8, 2009 by Tricia

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Ok Spring I’m ready and waiting for you … where are you? Oh sure, we’ve had a taste of Spring this week with above normal temperatures, but true Spring is still a bit away. I’m tired of waiting!

Oh well … at least it won’t be all that long before I start to see beauties like these lovely purple fringed tulips coming up in my garden …

Aren’t they gorgeous? These are truly one of my favorite tulips that I grow.

Another spring beauty is the Chionodoxa. They produce lovely small flowers and each year the bulbs seem to spread beneath the soil so the clumps of Chionodoxa that I grow get larger and larger.

I have pink, blue, white and purple Chionodoxa in both the front and back flower beds. If I didn’t grow so many other lovely flowers I’d almost be happy enough to have these fill my flower beds each spring.

Speaking of Spring … for those of you in North America – remember it’s day light savings time! So don’t forget to set your clocks an hour ahead or else you might end up being late for work on Monday! Oh and it’s also a great time to check your fire alarm batteries!

One of my favorite Spring flowers

March 1, 2009 by Tricia

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We still have about a month to go before Spring will finally be here, and given the weather we’ve had the last two days it might feel like a long wait! With the windchill factored in it’s currently -16 Celsius or only 3.2 F! Brrrr

Since Spring will soon be here and I’m trying my best to ignore the cold I thought I’d show you one of my favorite spring flowers. Now I think most people think of tulips when they think of Spring. I do too, but for me … Peonies are probably my favorite Spring flowers! Too bad I have to wait until late Spring -almost summer before mine will bloom!

Here’s a lovely almost white Peony called Peony Pecher:

This peony produces large double petaled blooms each June. They are just a little smaller than a bread plate oh and the smell … they have that lovely light peony scent. I just adore these flowers!

Last year I planted three new peony plants in my garden. One is in the front flower bed and two are in my planted boulevard – so if they survived the winter I’ll have 6 peony plants in total! Hopefully I’ll also have an abundance of flowers!

Do you grow Peonies?

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Yard work and a bad back do not mix

I’m Ffffreezing … Brrrr

Spring – It’s here, it’s here!

A few more weeks and my garden will come alive with flowers

One of my favorite Spring flowers

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