tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1965840617738515422024-03-13T22:50:58.445-06:00Gardening with Latitude~ Reviving a Forgotten Garden at the 53rd Parallel ~Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-52514742465776727322016-12-24T13:44:00.003-07:002020-01-03T10:41:42.821-07:00And so the garden sleeps....
To all my fellow gardeners, I wish you all the joy and blessings of the season as we dream of greener days ahead.
For those of you who are on Instagram, you can see what I'm up to at @lifewithlatitude.
Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-17126398999185088712016-01-07T13:57:00.002-07:002016-01-07T13:57:59.601-07:00Here comes the sun...and it's alright...The solstice has passed and we turn again towards the light. So thankful. My daydreams are filled with visions from seed and plant catalogues. I bet yours are too!
My lovely hubs gave me three hydroponically grown white hyacinths for Christmas. Better than Faberge eggs, I say. They are from a local grower and were ready for indoor forcing. Well, this morning I got up in the dark to a glimpse Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-68397553791368120712015-12-23T20:22:00.001-07:002015-12-23T20:22:28.154-07:00it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Merry Christmas to all, and remember, seed catalogues are coming!
Sherry
Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-81881151758519129592015-07-30T21:02:00.000-06:002015-07-30T21:02:08.311-06:00But does it come in pink?Yes, my girly-girl side must be asserting itself. Maybe it comes from being the only female in the house?(My husband's idea of a bright colour is navy blue and my son loves orange! What's a girl to do??) Whatever the cause, I'm going soft on pink.
I bought a pink rose once on impulse and every year I said I was going to dig it up because it simply did NOT go with my white floral palette, Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-55730743598614291452015-06-29T22:35:00.000-06:002015-06-29T22:35:27.005-06:00When the rain is warm and soft
We finally had relief from the heat wave today. The morning started with a crack of thunder amid some odd curling clouds, and then settled into a slow, light, warm rain--much needed, I must add.
A little rain has never stopped a girl from enjoying her garden. So, of course, after my son went to sleep this evening I wandered out amid the rain drops to enjoy the roses.
There is Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-36949186477177094142015-06-07T06:11:00.001-06:002015-06-07T06:55:16.748-06:00When Night Shimmers"If a June night could talk, it would probably boast that it invented romance.”~Bern Williams
it's that time of year, here at latitude 53, as we approach the shortest night of the year, when it doesn't really get completely dark at night. I find that in June I barely sleep.
I think I just don't want to miss anything--the birdsong, the lilac perfume on the air, the soft, fresh green of new Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-7058586110712648512015-04-09T14:38:00.001-06:002015-04-09T14:38:54.161-06:00Signs, signs, everywhere are signs...We have double-digit days and nights above zero on the way according to the weather station. We are at least two weeks ahead of last year so I feel like this is a real treat. The crows landed in our 'hood yesterday and the robins are already here. A crocus even opened on our front lawn this morning!
Gardening in the Great White North is an exercise in patience and fortitude. Luckily, I did get Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-70197007010844535892015-03-11T12:53:00.000-06:002015-03-11T12:53:03.403-06:00AnticipationSome people looks for signs of the apocalypse, gardeners look for signs of spring. And that's why we rock.
Last fall--a late, beautiful fall--we went a little crazy planting bulbs. The spring before was very late and the few bulbs we did have were the only thing that sustained me. To ensure my sanity this year, I really stocked up last September.
What keeps me dreaming...
Now, wonders Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-80643024210258512422014-08-01T21:49:00.002-06:002014-08-01T21:55:40.825-06:00The Sweet In BetwwenAfter a July of storms and heat waves, this first evening of the August long weekend has come in soft with an apricot sky. We've been sitting outside for hours, appreciating our long days of northern light.
Of course I had to get up take pictures...to deadhead...to clip...to tie up...to rotate pots.... But finally, glass of wine in hand, I have settled to pretend this is going to last Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-90412676278907230772014-06-22T20:26:00.000-06:002014-06-24T00:02:54.480-06:00And now they're gone...
At last, I get to enjoy being out in my garden listening to the birds.
We were really pleased with the work the landscapers did, and they were very pleasant guys. But we are glad they are gone. :)
My south facing bed is about 2 - 4 ft deeper. And that can only mean one thing--plant shopping!!!
I did get one little treat for a shady corner of the patio, and that is this sweet Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-19123364028990598172014-06-06T13:01:00.000-06:002014-06-06T13:01:20.580-06:00The landscapers are here, the landscapers are here!My beloved garden is torn to bits right now, but all in a good cause (I hope!)
The moving and expansion of our cobblestone patio has the garden looking like a construction site, not the place of peace and tranquility I generally strive for. But I must say, so far, these strapping men are moving at an amazing clip. As I see the precision and care in their work, I can feel excitement Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-6470181748990880082014-05-06T17:32:00.000-06:002014-05-06T17:32:15.117-06:00It's raining...It's snowing....
...At least my garden's growing!
Yes, the weather is terrible (-5c tonight!), but my garden is showing signs of life nonetheless. I am so grateful for all the bulbs we planted last fall. Most of them are still little green stems--brave souls--and determined.
Most exciting for me, however, is that teeny deep red spot in the bottom right photo. That, my friends, is one of the five hellebores I Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-1357645764513778212014-03-31T10:25:00.000-06:002014-03-31T10:26:01.805-06:00I am where Spring livesSpring break finally arrived & we packed up our little family and flew west to where Spring lives. I know you understand why I had to touch green, even for a little while, before I go back to our "SPRinter" season.
Wish me soft days.
Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-48610314773014660842014-03-18T23:31:00.001-06:002014-03-18T23:35:19.236-06:00Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes!Saw something green emerging from the soil on the edge of a west facing garden bed today (not mine!), but thrilling just the same!
Although freezing temperatures are still ahead, spring is closer than she appears. I've already seen my first robin and a friend saw a Canada goose. Surely signs that warming is just around the corner here in the GWN. Two more days, people, then it's official!
Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-16915285462727885432014-01-04T15:19:00.001-07:002014-01-04T15:19:53.649-07:00Do you hear what I hear?
Happy New Year Gardeners! Are you, like me, turning your thoughts to the coming season?
Last year was a big one in the garden for us. I realize I went offline as the going got hectic but I did peek in on you all. :) In a nutshell, I'll give you the good news, bad news & more good news.
First, some very good: We removed all the gravel from our front garden, scraped down the Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-44422478056850678282013-06-04T11:47:00.000-06:002013-06-04T11:57:11.490-06:00My new garden boyfriend
There’s a new man in my garden and he is a little fierce looking, don’t cha think? I mean, all that long hair and what about those teeth? I’m okay with it though. Because, really, he is quite the pussycat.
Since he appears to be sticking around we have named him Lionel (after a favourite character in the show As Time Goes By.) I have a bit of a crush on him actually. He is the strong, Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-11852050387256166872013-05-20T22:49:00.004-06:002013-05-20T22:49:56.243-06:00The plant that makes you go 'Awwww'I know the Internet is full of cute kittens and giggling babies doing adorable things, but really, is there anything cuter than muscari? I think not.
We planted 30 bulbs of the 'magic carpet' mix last fall in our flurry of last minute bulb planting and now these little guys are popping up in the cutest bunches.
They are a mix of white, blues and combos of various blues and/or whites Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-37726756318704073232013-04-27T11:36:00.000-06:002013-04-27T11:36:50.191-06:00And then there was life...After the longest winter I can remember there is life emerging in the garden.
We went on a flurry of bulb planting last fall and our efforts have been rewarded with these tiny jewels, galanthus.
I'm sure I looked like a mad woman on my stomach, in my slippers, wiggling through the wet mulch, but so worth getting close up to these beauties.
At least I didn't start singing Hallelujah...Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-25324815989097843472013-01-05T20:06:00.000-07:002013-01-05T20:06:41.825-07:00Dream a Little Dream of Green...Are all you GWN gardeners yearning for a little green? Is the only green on your thumbs from the ink of seed catalogs? I've been perusing garden photos from the last year and dreaming of the colour green. In doing so, I came across these greenest of photos, the Japanese Garden at the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia. We were there at the end of March last year and spent a misty (Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-13536781439978746162012-12-27T14:19:00.000-07:002012-12-27T14:19:24.621-07:00Bliss in the days of reposeWe are loving these days after the grand excitement of Christmas. The secrets of new toys are being discovered, the piano is being played several times a day, cheeses and chutneys are making a regular appearance on the snack tray, and we are all falling a little more in love--with life and with each other.
I've always thought the week between Christmas and New Year's feels like suspended time -Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-2241162098715671142012-12-24T17:07:00.001-07:002012-12-24T17:15:00.248-07:00Love and Joy to You AllWishing you all a wonderful holiday season and many blessings in the New Year!
Your knee-deep in snow gardener,
Sherry
Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-71677847297820664032012-11-07T17:25:00.001-07:002012-11-07T17:58:32.301-07:00The first hush
“It's quiet now. So quiet that I can almost hear other people's dreams.”
― Gayle Forman, If I Stay
Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-69021289032643920922012-07-10T19:46:00.001-06:002012-07-10T23:16:05.214-06:00A Jewel Among the JewelsTo beat the heat we were having dinner on our patio when our flamboyant guest arrived.
He landed on our outdoor chandelier and commenced washing his face--a very tidy guest at that. I managed to get this photo of him with my camera phone.
Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-17996124443114756062012-07-02T00:12:00.000-06:002012-07-02T00:12:35.787-06:00Happy Canada Day!My new (and first) red rose, Cuthbert Grant, opened this morning before it started to pour outside.
This photo (taken, edited & posted with my phone) doesn't really capture the gorgeous cherry red velvet of the rose, however, it does give you some idea of the shape.
Now that the rain has briefly stopped it's back to gardening for this girl! xo
cu
Rosa 'Cuthbert Grant'
Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-51725144727318585542012-06-24T16:23:00.001-06:002012-06-24T16:30:54.074-06:00One Ringy Dingy...Two Ringy Dingys...Time to stop and smell the roses. Literally. Life has been going at top speed with a major career change and that secret season called "soccer."
Who knew that Under Sixes needed to play two nights a week? Not me--or Coach Daddy. :)
I am trying an experiment here with this post. I am actually phoning it in.
Really. I took the photos with my phone, edited them, and am now sitting in the rain in Northern Beauty Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com12