tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1965840617738515422012-01-30T00:44:01.460-07:00~ Reviving a Forgotten Garden at the 53rd Parallel ~The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.comBlogger1101100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-82831169196903638292012-01-30T00:44:00.000-07:002012-01-30T00:44:01.478-07:00

 This has been a luxurious, soft winter (except for one frigid week that, fingers crossed, didn't do my garden in). I have spent a lot of time on the trails in and around my beloved ravine that borders my neighbourhood. I usually have my phone with me, so I've been taking some pics with it. (The quality isn't great but I do have fun playing with them in the various apps that allow me to texturize

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-20289808762265792332011-12-30T01:09:00.000-07:002011-12-31T12:40:00.116-07:00

For love, for love, we toil.   Our gardens are a curious mix of labour and art. And let's not forget the dreaming. It all starts with the dreaming. While our gardening styles may differ wildly, as do the conditions under which we toil, we are all creatures consumed by imagination. I like that. That is our art. The labour is our act of creation. Looking back over the past year, it's interesting

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-10312934040669945722011-12-19T23:09:00.004-07:002011-12-20T08:15:13.052-07:00

Hello! Yes, the garden is quiet here in the GWN, but life is bustling as we get ready for the festive season. After a hectic autumn at work (new assignment, new colleagues, lots of travel), I finally skidded in to the holidays. And I am soooo happy to be here! I thought I might be frazzled and stressed, but somehow I'm not. I could feel the stress creeping in during the last week of work (so

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-24053807948708267442011-11-14T21:35:00.005-07:002011-11-14T21:40:54.408-07:00

Is it fairy dust? Is it a silver frosting to remind us of the beauty and strength of simple form? Is it a soft carpet that muffles us and makes the world hushed and new? Or is it something that the twitterers on the #yegtraffic feed curse and howl at? It can be all of that. We can love it or hate it, but remember, here in the Great White North, it is here to stay - for a few months yet.

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-72246395597869814892011-11-06T17:01:00.001-07:002011-11-06T22:03:16.565-07:00

It's that time of year. The light is contracting, all is in silhouette as we await the snow queen's arrival. Here in the Great White North, November is rarely cherished, or even welcomed. I think, however, we have to look into the heart of November and find the lessons in the month. What does November teach us? There may be wisdom in its silence.   For me, November is time to turn inwards and

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-30440123855537109432011-10-31T00:08:00.000-06:002011-10-31T00:08:35.059-06:00

We had so much fun carving pumpkins this year. My little guy absolutely loved it. So much so that we've had to go out and light the candles in them each evening before bedtime so that he can jump around and enjoy them. His is the little one in the middle, named "Happy Evil", his daddy's is "Happy" on the right and mine is "Saucy Evil Genius" to the left. ;-)   Will be taking my wee Captain Jack

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-42976931073233015032011-10-29T22:47:00.000-06:002011-10-29T22:47:47.918-06:00

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. ~Albert Camus Last weekend we tackled many of the tasks of putting a garden away. We took down the gazebo, stored the furniture, deep watered the trees, shrubs and perennials, chucked much material into the compost and stored away the pots. There is still compost to mound up and burlap screens to place, but they will come later.   First I

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-63389655499172228032011-10-16T22:53:00.003-06:002011-10-17T00:11:32.387-06:00

All things on earth point home in old October; sailors to sea, travellers to walls and fences, hunters to field and hollow and the long voice of the hounds, the lover to the love he has forsaken. ~Thomas Wolfe There's something about October that compels us to seek out the touchstones of home, whatever they might be and whatever home might signify. For me, it is turning deeper towards my truer

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-39374861426411153782011-09-24T23:14:00.000-06:002011-09-24T23:14:25.789-06:00

September has been a beauty this year. With a flush in her cheeks and with a twinkle in her eye, she has begun casting her golden light over the land. I've remembered all that I love about this brilliant month. It is such a fleeting and magical time (and not just because my birthday is in this month!). Really, that deal summer made with winter, the one where winter agreed to her turning to gold

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-70564001019505716472011-08-21T22:53:00.000-06:002011-08-21T22:53:46.098-06:00

I am feeling the bittersweet ache of late summer when cool evenings begin to brush alongside warm days. Too soon, my heart calls out, I need more time in the garden. Time to sit, to soak, to pretend it will always be like this. A star of my late summer garden is the hosta, 'Royal Standard'. I have a pair of them framing a collection of white astilbe and goatsbeard, fronted with some rose daphne

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-34024256463141624342011-08-07T21:55:00.000-06:002011-08-07T21:55:55.235-06:00

Just a quiet photo to capture that perfect zenith of the garden before it turns to gold. I do love the richness of August - back lane raspberries, dragonflies humming, the first blush on the apple trees that hang over the fences. A fresh flush of flowers on my Morden Snow Beauty. Only this time it is not alone. Behind it is a Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' and the Spirea japonica 'Shirobana

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-53034822331141337802011-07-29T22:44:00.002-06:002011-07-31T20:03:36.841-06:00

...a ramp was lowered and four little green men started wheeling plants down. They saw me in the window, one touched the side of his nose and winked at me before they silently rose up and zipped away. Okay, it didn't quite go like that, but the plants did arrive! Trees, shrubs and perennials - the bones of the garden. Honestly, it did seem a little surreal. I've been working on my dream list

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-14246500572365904402011-07-05T21:42:00.001-06:002011-07-05T22:42:12.408-06:00

Here I go again, swooning for a silvery lavender rose. A couple years ago it was the gorgeous hybrid tea 'Sterling Silver'. These silvery phantoms have haunted me ever since I saw a pale rose shimmering in someone's front garden in Victoria, BC. I was smitten and have remained so since. I tried to overwinter the Sterling Silver to no avail. I shook it off and swore my obsession was satisfied and

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-81579073045802223172011-06-30T23:24:00.000-06:002011-06-30T23:24:20.177-06:00

Happy Canada Day! In honour of our red and white Canada flag, here is a one of my favourite Canadian whites, the Morden Snowbeauty rose. This sweet rose was bred here in Canada as part of the Parkland series at the Morden Research Station in Manitoba. This is year three for this shrub rose for me and it just keeps getting better. It is tough with practically no winter dieback, the leaves are

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-47576878960375862742011-06-29T22:58:00.000-06:002011-06-29T22:58:09.826-06:00

This is a post about rainbows and wishes. Just shoot me now. Really, does it get any sappier? I fink nottle. Stop reading now if you can't bear it. I warned you. It was a dark and stormy supper hour... ;) And then the west sky broke open and light streaked through to the east. We had a gorgeous rainbow - a double rainbow. My four-year-old boy jumped up and down on the front stoop, enchanted by

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-46315942976688314412011-06-20T13:02:00.005-06:002011-06-20T20:32:07.813-06:00

Anyone up for some gardening mystery fun? Is is raining where you are? Because it is raining so hard here I feel like it must be raining everywhere. :) What does a convalescing gardener do when her garden is turning to mush? She pores over her garden photo files. Of course! I found pics of a couple of mystery plants I have been wanting to ID and I thought this might be a good time to ask all

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-63879895964670805772011-06-13T22:54:00.021-06:002011-06-13T23:20:45.270-06:00

So, my busy life has come to a standstill. In June. A few weeks ago I finally got the call for a long awaited surgery. Nothing serious, but it does lay me up for a month. And that month is June. Yeah, so I won't be doing much. The good? It is June and I can go outside. In the garden. My husband set up our gazebo for me and I have an outdoor wicker chaise lounger with cushions. So I have been

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-41492005838225810092011-05-29T22:50:00.001-06:002011-05-29T23:05:23.930-06:00

These are the dappled green and gold days of evocative scents, delicate ephemerals, flower laden crabapple trees and awakening lilacs. At this time of year I wonder how I could ever have imagined any other time was my favourite time. No, this must be it. Right now, walking in the evening and breathing. Humming and softly giddy. My double flowering plum in holding onto its very last blossoms

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-77618514769731267372011-04-23T22:20:00.000-06:002011-04-23T22:20:20.836-06:00

What a week! First there was the joyous descent of the robins into our neighbourhood on Monday. I went for a walk at sunset, rabbits scampered, birds sang and darted from tree to tree visiting each other, the great owl hooted, the deer ran across the field, coyote howls rose up from the ravine, the rabbits nibbled the newly exposed grass. (Re-reading this paragraph, it sounds a little 'Snow White

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-34729157474707863632011-04-09T23:51:00.001-06:002011-04-22T22:03:56.183-06:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's getting kinda slushy around these parts. When I'm wandering the trails I try to stay on the trodden path because the snow there is packed down and there is less possibility I will sink through to my knees. I can see the deer tracks really well in this damp snow and I know I am not that far behind them. [These narcissus taken May 2010 in neighbour's front garden. Aren't

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-8925637025418715132011-03-22T00:03:00.002-06:002011-03-22T08:29:34.338-06:00

“With rushing winds and gloomy skies The dark and stubborn Winter dies: Far-off, unseen, Spring faintly cries, Bidding her earliest child arise; March!” ~ Bayard Taylor Spring's voice is still faint here, but the rise in birdsong in the neighbourhood acts as an advance party. I slipped away a couple weeks ago to an inspiration garden at a local garden centre. It was just the tonic I needed.

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-49241289020743616852011-01-30T15:45:00.001-07:002011-01-30T15:48:10.171-07:00

What do you do when January seems like it has lasted five months already and your garden is under several feet of snow and the city keeps promising the plows will come and the wind chill is straight out of Mordor? You get creative. You play. You get goofy even. (Goofy not being a stretch for me, say some). I am dancing to salsa music. Actually I should say working out to it because, really, I

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-68169785757556640772011-01-08T18:06:00.002-07:002011-01-08T18:40:33.493-07:00

Snow day! We are having what the weather personalities call a "weather system". All scheduled activities cancelled today. Nothing to do but bake little baby cinnamon rolls for all, and, of course, to dream. Now, what does one dream of when the temperature is plummeting and one's garden looks like this? This. Dear Summer, I have the fondest memories of our time together last year. Thinking

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-86951113174127650742010-12-31T16:48:00.000-07:002010-12-31T16:48:45.235-07:00

Hello! I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas. Life over the holidays has been very sweet here. Too much food, lots of reading, and most especially, wonderful, rich lazy days playing with my little son. This is his first year that he has really been privy to the thrills of it all. Hugs and kisses punctuate the hours. My heart is full of the mystery and joy of love expanding my soul.

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-82455298490080959132010-12-23T22:48:00.000-07:002010-12-23T22:48:49.166-07:00

[Park around the corner] I wish you all the best Christmas ever. I hope you enjoy the peace and joy of the season with those you love. May Santa find you and leave you something particularly perfect for your inner gardener!

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-56606675151946828832010-12-20T11:20:00.003-07:002010-12-20T21:11:32.528-07:00

First, there were the days of garden dreaming. Looking out the window that was really too high to see anything when one was sitting down, as one tends to be in the house. There was a new baby to be nourished, cuddled and hopefully put to bed occasionally, hardwood to be installed, walls to be painted, baseboards to be put in place and upgrades to hideous light fixtures to consider. Of course,

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-70372298812706538072010-11-24T23:42:00.008-07:002010-11-25T00:03:52.312-07:00

You caught me off guard when I was making us breakfast in my little attic kitchen so small your tall cotton-shirted self filled all the negative space I could hardly see my blue pottery behind you as you folded yourself into the opening by the dropleaf table pushed up against my lace curtains and asked me to marry you I said yes and got teary and you swivelled out to the hall and dug through your

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-35702008831694371782010-10-17T22:06:00.015-06:002010-10-17T23:24:07.558-06:00

What matters isn't being applauded when you arrive - for that is common - but being missed when you leave. ~ Baltasar GracianAutumn is closing, only remnants remain of the glory and gold of September. Many of us here in the north are closing our garden gates, stacking our pots in the shed and putting the chairs and tables away. But not here at Latitude. The landscapers have just arrived.Yes, more

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-23440975812403444632010-09-26T21:42:00.035-06:002010-09-27T15:08:23.662-06:00

In these brilliant golden days with the light leaning sideways as it lists away, our inner selves seem to rise up to respond to the shifting of the earth. The natural world is very busy this time of year; birds are rising and flocking, squirrels are gathering and storing, and trees are changing colour. Profound changes; all necessary for survival.September seems to urge us toward awareness of the

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-57136959488368210162010-09-18T22:21:00.029-06:002010-09-18T23:12:35.650-06:00

I think I first fell in love with the love. It wasn’t the house we eventually purchased that made me fall in love with our neighbourhood. It was the modest bungalow down the street.When my son was about two months old I began attending a postnatal physiotherapy class for moms whose backs were still sore from childbirth. It was about then I was realizing my son came with loads of “stuff” and our

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-1084992381518561932010-09-12T22:06:00.035-06:002010-09-12T22:56:04.108-06:00

It's enough to make a proper flower blush!My Morden Snowbeauty is in week two of its second flush. I couldn't be more pleased with this lovely beauty.The pale pink buds are opening this time a little pinker than the first pure white flush and it is really rather enchanting.My annual pelargoniums will bloom right into the fall if last year is any indication.And are a welcome counterpoint to all

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-14696849993037372752010-09-06T23:01:00.012-06:002010-09-06T23:36:35.797-06:00

“Your eyes are sleepy, beautiful boy. It’s time to close them and go to sleep.”“No, Mommy, my nose is sleepy. It goes up and my eyes go down.” ~ conversation at bedtime with my little son earlier this week.Late summer and my nodding Annabelle hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle') adds a dreamy element to the garden. We tucked it in

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-53450105721880904012010-08-22T21:21:00.009-06:002010-08-22T21:41:45.116-06:00

"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis GrizzardWe are back from holidays and - surprise! - my Tumbler tomato put out a few ripened beauties. They had no chance before because my toddler could not wait for them to turn red. I don't blame him. He did stare patiently at them and they, in return, did nothing. So he had to pick them green as

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-20250181360662687592010-07-29T21:25:00.023-06:002010-07-29T22:25:48.608-06:00

You know how in the movie Shaun of the Dead they have to run really fast from hiding spot to hiding spot on their way to the pub to escape the zombies? And how along the way they have to keep whacking zombies with shovels and stuff to slow them down? Well, that was me trying to get some pics of my Astilbe.The mosquitos are crazy for blood here tonight so I could only take a few quick snaps

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-84936362515910329112010-07-19T21:56:00.018-06:002010-07-19T22:24:28.122-06:00

You were a soft, gentle blue with a hint a lavender. I was instantly smitten and decided to build you a homethat showcased your beautyand complemented your complexionAnd then I had to go away for week. While I was gone, you...changedI hardly recognized you upon my return. You didn't seem like the same flower, you were...Pink!Now, my dear, one of us is blue, and it's not you.

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-12241612194349141942010-06-27T23:10:00.018-06:002010-06-27T23:41:26.671-06:00

There's a glow in my garden these days. You can really notice it in the evenings It's not the showiest bloom on the block Her beauty is more sublimeAnd elegant in her simplicity Her scent is fresh with a hint of citrusAnd she seems to like it here.My Morden Snowbeauty, purchased last year, is a real asset to the garden. She came through our winter with no extra protection and narry a problem. Her

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-70384793348528666322010-06-20T15:44:00.025-06:002010-06-20T16:45:14.745-06:00

One of the great thrills of June is Mother Nature’s elegant hand at carpeting the world with flowers. She really thinks gardeners are quite clever with their studied designs and drifting borders, but she chuckles to herself because she knows we are really just learning from her. Walking in the woods is my way of visiting her garden and acknowledging the Master Gardener of us all.Her paths are

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-45385666633705974552010-06-13T16:12:00.021-06:002010-06-13T17:49:39.073-06:00

I found I could say thingswith colour and shapes that I couldn't say any other way-things I had no words for.~Georgia O'Keeffe, ArtistIt is warm and sunny and the late afternoon light is dappled through the stand of spruce bordering the west side of the garden. I have a terrible cold and my thoughts are running, I suspect, out my nose. ;) Now I am off to to lay under the umbrella in my garden

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-32519276854689514732010-06-01T21:14:00.034-06:002010-06-01T22:45:36.196-06:00

How can it be June! These days are supposed to meander along, not do cartwheels down the hill with pigtails flying! Given that I haven’t had time to do a proper post and most of the photos I have taken over the last couple of weeks are already out of date, I thought I would just post a few of the highlights.I have been super busy (started a new job I love!), have been out in the garden battling

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-68253720193981043262010-05-16T00:09:00.022-06:002010-05-16T09:32:18.307-06:00

"I thought that spring must last forevermoreFor I was young and loved,and it was May."~ Vera Brittain, May MorningOh why does my Prunus triloba ‘Multiplex’ (double flowering plum) have to bloom its head off this year, of all years? For the last two Mays we’ve been here it has put out a half dozen blooms at best. A sweet but paltry offering, and rather fleeting. Worse yet, it was planted by the

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-70961781898900112412010-05-05T19:32:00.000-06:002010-05-05T21:39:03.480-06:00

Yes, I've got a little something on the side. ;-)It's the path between the house and fence as you enter through the garden gate. On the left is the fence (that we put in two years ago) so all plantings on that side will be in northfacing shade. The right side is the house with a man door from the garage and a very ugly white cement block chimney that narrows the path for a few feet. Last year,

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-68408678173128257882010-04-28T21:25:00.014-06:002010-04-28T22:01:09.920-06:00

It’s raining, it’s pouringThe old man is snoringBumped his head on the top of the beadAnd couldn't get up in the morning[blurry pic of Heuchera 'Plum Royale' gleaming in evening rain] Yes! We have rain and I am so happy to see it. As I look at the fragile, hopeful chartreuse blush of the trees, I am chanting, “Please rain, please rain”. The trees in our city are terribly drought-stressed, the

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-29311460115582790512010-04-14T16:06:00.018-06:002010-04-14T16:36:59.164-06:00

All the honking of late should have warned me...the party was on!I went out to the garden for some peace, but the festive signs were even evident there. Something is stirring things up!Some residents even had a "glow" on. Now what could they be up to?I think everyone is getting just a little flighty these days!And, I am sure I have even heard a robin singing just out of sight. Could it be? Has

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-75788184527090999242010-04-04T22:27:00.012-06:002010-04-05T09:43:45.206-06:00

There is a certain wistfulness to the season right now. Spring is nudging her shoulder against the trees and and beaming down on the soil. Easter, no matter how your recognize it, really encompasses that spirit of renewal and hope for a new season, better and brighter than the last. That's why we plan, we plant and we delight in seeing our gardens come to life once again.Hope your Easter was

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-27762464576307319362010-03-21T22:43:00.000-06:002010-03-21T21:26:17.302-06:00

As mentioned last post, I did go to a local garden centre last weekend to see their annual installation of an "inspiration garden". I took my crappo camera - my nickname for it, not the brand name!:-) so I wouldn't look like a spy from another garden centre (I worry about these things). Well, going there was as good as a dip in a jacuzzi - muscles relaxed, a smile hovered on my lips and I just

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-24586035381537931392010-03-16T21:38:00.017-06:002010-03-16T22:33:51.527-06:00

And no, I’m not referring to that strange man who wooed me back in the day… ;-)I’m taking a photography course right now to get more out of my DSLR. So I just had to post my favourite photo from my most excellent weekend.Ugly photo, you say? Well yes, yes it is – but it is of a bald eagle I spotted on Saturday! So that makes it a winner in my books. Sometimes the substance outweighs the style. I

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-44865817172402702732010-03-07T22:05:00.012-07:002010-03-07T22:46:42.270-07:00

This has been a glorious week of sunshine and melting. The earth is stirring.The sap has begun running in my white spruce trees along the back of the property. If you click on this one you can see the reflection of the blue sky in the droplet.The birds are loving it (and when I went down to the river today it was opening up and two geese were honking - they're baaaack!)Last year's wild purple

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-90281320220856130332010-02-27T17:22:00.039-07:002010-02-27T19:56:44.873-07:00

Clayton, a Northern gardener (and genius with Clematis!) over at A Prairie Journal in Saskatchewan, has invited me to share 10 Things that Make Me Happy. Well, I couldn’t be happier to join in! This is really the time of year to turn towards the joy and light that spring brings. And I do feel its imminent arrival. As this is a gardening blog, I shall of course include among my 10 items those

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-15071718437365151182010-02-16T21:21:00.023-07:002010-02-16T22:11:51.154-07:00

My wee toddler (almost three!) has a new saying. When he sees a bird he says, “There’s a bird. She’s wishing – she’s wishing on the sky.”I think he may have gotten this idea from the enchanting picture book he so loves, Starlight Sailor, which plays off of the old poem, “Starlight, starbright, first star I see tonight…”Well, I think the birds must have something going on with that wishing on the

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-78484286780902216392010-02-13T11:51:00.003-07:002010-02-13T19:42:34.004-07:00

i carry your heart with me (i carry it inmy heart) i am never without it (anywherei go you go, my dear; and whatever is doneby only me is your doing, my darling)i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i wantno world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)and you are whatever a moon has always meantand whatever a sun will always sing is youhere is the deepest secret nobody knows(here is

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-77166401079156720822010-02-04T22:15:00.002-07:002010-02-04T22:50:21.498-07:00

I believe a leaf of grass is no less than thejourney-work of the stars.~ Walt Whitman[Wild grasses on a summer morning alongside the ravine. Click on picture to make it bigger, and then breathe.]Don't you just miss the simple beauties, like a green field, right about now? Well, take heart friends (especially those of you in northern climes), the sky is brightening, the world is softening, Spring

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-20181595057874301242010-01-31T14:23:00.017-07:002010-01-31T14:50:01.299-07:00

I met an old man at dawn in the woods. He held a coffee cup and rested against a tree.As I stopped, I saw his coffee had ice crystals laced across the top and there was a tattoo of a dragon etched on his arm.He told me the raven that lives on the hill by my place brought him the shiny yellow mug. His hair was very whiteand his nose was getting long.Chickadees hopped across his shoulder. He smiled

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-41898412458743626812010-01-24T09:24:00.007-07:002010-01-24T19:06:41.754-07:00

Last night was a winter night full of mystery, magic and myth. Perhaps I shouldn't have been in the woods after dark, or perhaps this was a journey meant for me.I met Baba Yaga in the woods last night, and escaped with my life.It was the bridge, hung on either side with chandeliers, at the edge of the forest that drew me in.The chandeliers tinkled with revolving layers of brass keys. Keys to what

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-33392764027054868002010-01-16T16:45:00.037-07:002010-01-16T18:08:19.177-07:00

These photos capture the emergence of the first blooms on my little vase of paperwhites.This was a new experiment for me and so much simpler than I imagined.They grew so fast I thought if I sat there long enough I might even see them begin to unfurl.I was mesmerized by those long, elegant stems of purest spring greenand the cheerful little white flowers won me over.They opened with such graceand

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-374956991922460132010-01-09T15:13:00.018-07:002010-01-16T17:44:41.290-07:00

[a gift from my Dad to help me start my garden]There are no soft words for this. I can’t make it easier to say or to hear. My Dad has unexpectedly passed away. In the last few days, we have all received and made those awful phone calls, the ones that come at unusual hours. The constellation that is my large, awkward and jumbled family is gathering from distant points on the map. We are trying to

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-68777226806734696712009-12-30T23:56:00.014-07:002009-12-31T00:34:27.408-07:00

Santa’s visit left our little toddler filled with wonder and delight. Always thoughtful, Santa also left this gardener a few pretty things.These little gems, some new books, some music, and Vicar of Dibley, Series III, are sustaining me during the holidays. Along with maple fudge and red wine – ahem, all in the name of getting rid of my cold, you understand.I am currently reading a book of

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-40491943276572263612009-12-23T15:09:00.000-07:002009-12-23T08:15:00.612-07:00

Thank you all for visiting my blog this first year of Gardening with Latitude. I've so enjoyed getting to know something of each of you through your comments. You have been very generous in your encouragement and support, and that has made this so much fun.I have especially enjoyed visiting your blogs and learning about your gardens and their creative, hardworking and witty gardeners. With your

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-60608404641362793272009-12-21T23:57:00.028-07:002009-12-22T01:17:54.392-07:00

It seems this is a powerful time of year for memories. Perhaps because it is the longest night of the year. Perhaps because when we gyre around again and touch the same touchstones, we are closer to the centre of ourselves than we are at other times of the year.It seems that when we open those boxes of old ornaments, when we dance the steps of the old rituals, we remember everything we tucked

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-39882602488724376472009-12-20T00:19:00.012-07:002009-12-20T00:46:23.229-07:00

Well, I confess, I always thought the little caps of snow that adorn mountain ash berries in winter make the berries look just like Christmas bells for the birds. Hey, birds need Christmas bells, too, right? ;-)

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-63588850256054590082009-12-12T09:29:00.010-07:002009-12-12T10:17:06.874-07:00

This morning I awoke to temperatures of -31 ºC (-23.8 ºF), and it is supposed to get colder. I will be snuggling into my faux fur throw today and making my hot Ovaltine cocoa drink (the secret is the allspice!), eating stinky cheeses and listening to Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas CD. [photo taken November 22, 2009, when winter was merely frosty] I wasn't going to leave the house at all

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-59720617575201875922009-12-06T17:02:00.003-07:002009-12-06T17:24:05.191-07:00

Off to the garden centre today to pick up greens for an urn. I couldn't resist this giant green bow. And then I found this equally over-sized frosted pewter magnolia blossom. I decided they would go together perfectly in my urn. Um, yeah no. So I popped them in the lattice by the garden gate. For some reason, this spot just seemed to work for for my frothy little concoction. It felt, at the last

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-51037634300507961702009-11-28T13:02:00.013-07:002009-11-28T15:34:50.979-07:00

Now, I don't know anything about orchids, but when I was at the Muttart Conservatory with my Dad a couple of weeks ago I spied these beauties shimmering in a little nook.These exotic blooms are surely princesses visiting from a faraway landHere for a mysterious floral ballWhere they will dance with a swish of silk to the rise of cellosand dazzle their suitorsbefore slipping away at midnightwith a

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-42392673826943823072009-11-22T21:17:00.025-07:002009-11-23T22:54:19.047-07:00

Arts and Awards! The two go together like wine and cheese so consider this an exclusive invitation to my “Gala” (almost "Giller!") post.First, have some complimentary champagne and let us look at the artI recently purchased this little painting from UK artist and illustrator, Karen Davis, who has a most magical blog, Moonlight and Hares. I have always admired her creations so when she posted this

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-76097638793658516462009-11-21T13:02:00.017-07:002009-11-21T23:15:02.774-07:00

This is a quick post to declare "There is snow!”So, of course, I had to rush outside this morning with my camera before it melted away.Why does the snow today make me happy?Well, it is rather beautiful.And it does take me back to a day, eight years ago, when the snow fell outside an old clinker brick churchlike soft, lazy feathers, as we kissed and hugged our friends and family. Yes, eight years

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-13753620072760036332009-11-14T14:06:00.018-07:002009-11-14T22:16:01.161-07:00

I think you will agree the bombast is completely justified here.I took photos today of subjects that have never before been taken - with this camera - although, I admit, that may have something to do with the fact that hubby got me the camera just this past September.No matter. Prepare to be astounded... Ahem.Yes, as I headed into the ravine this morning for my weekend walk I saw something very

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-41546576010691335872009-11-07T22:58:00.015-07:002009-11-07T23:43:07.779-07:00

Last Sunday was the putting to bed of the garden. I found myself approaching this ritual with a mix of melancholy and tenderness. I haven’t had this garden very long and it’s barely a garden, really, there is so much still to do, but I have fallen sweetly in love with it.Of course, there was the thrill of planting my first bulbs – a bright counterpoint to the quiet grey day.I deep watered in my

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-49514461652459449472009-11-03T21:31:00.014-07:002009-11-03T21:57:33.802-07:00

November 1 seems awfully late to be doing anything of the planting sort in the garden, but if you are going to try something new just do it, I say.And these do look rather lovely. I wasn’t planning to plant bulbs this year. I have never planted any before and wanted to wait until I get my tree plan sorted and some hardscaping installed before I planted much else. I was avoiding having to move

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-7943878869824400582009-11-01T12:13:00.048-07:002009-11-01T13:33:41.247-07:00

Halloween was quite thrilling this year. My little guy, at 2 1/2, is old enough to catch some of the magic of it, so we headed out to the country to the pumpkin festival held annually at Prairie Garden and Greenhouses.It was a spooky affair, to be sure. There we met this little piglet who sadly declared she lost half her nose when she wiped it. I think the stuffed animal she won made up for it,

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-59612988258968528822009-10-30T18:43:00.000-06:002009-10-30T20:13:42.041-06:00

Wishing bloggers everywhere a spooky thrill or two this Hallow'd eve!

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-19021588294681662032009-10-25T22:07:00.018-06:002009-10-25T22:36:48.137-06:00

Somebody whispered in my ear it was a good day to go pumpkin hunting. I couldn't deny any longer it was that time of the year... So we gathered the wee toddler up and headed out to a local garden centre for a stroll about to find the perfect pumpkin... or two.... Ok, maybe I got caught up in the exuberance of it all... So, yes, ok, we got five pumpkins and an assortment of gourds. They just

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-91839834410058943412009-10-18T16:31:00.057-06:002009-10-18T22:29:21.709-06:00

The freeze lifted yesterday, too late for my potted mums and asters. Only the flowering kale carries on. So I wandered out this morning looking for the remains of beauty.I was not disappointed as I found a few shimmering beauties in the soft morning light. If I were a bird I would be very reassured by all the berry goodness. The morning light revealed silver and gold.And even some liquid gold

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-32542431451998672072009-10-13T21:41:00.010-06:002009-10-13T22:01:58.132-06:00

It was a simple relationship, really.They met. They shared a meal. She smiled, he blushed. They danced. He led, she giggled. They settled down together and after breakfast he read the paper in one room and she painted watercolours in the other. The grandkids held a party on their 60th anniversary and everybody hugged and cried just a little. ~ The End ~

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-22968646925507279812009-10-07T21:52:00.041-06:002009-10-07T22:51:08.294-06:00

My two-and-a-half year old son’s favourite book lately is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. It's a charming story of a "very" hungry caterpillar that eats his way through the week and then builds a cocoon and transforms into a beautiful butterfly. It's a really fun book to read aloud and one that my little guy loves. We read it nearly every night and he puts his little fingers in the

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-15561007279563256082009-10-02T21:15:00.032-06:002009-10-03T08:07:55.985-06:00

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my hubby? Thoughtful man that he is, he got me a new camera (beginner DSLR) for my birthday a couple of weeks ago! Not that I didn't hint. Oh, I did hint...you know, musing aloud while reading camera ads in the paper, mentioning how I missed my old film SLR that tanked ages ago, sighing that I could never get a decent picture of our toddler because he had

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-39311762183983915112009-09-26T18:01:00.025-06:002009-09-26T20:33:13.897-06:00

The signs are there. I can't deny it. I've seen you looking for your suitcases. My tender flowers, nestled at the back entrance, I can see you are almost ready to go. Dear flowers, I am delighted to say, you have all been great summer guests. I hear from the weatherman that it's only a matter of days, or even hours. So as my toddler would say, "Bye bye flowers!" Please tell your relatives they

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-88485178195827127852009-09-21T23:06:00.026-06:002009-09-21T23:44:38.180-06:00

So, the Autumn Equinox will arrive within the day. No wonder I was feeling spooky on Sunday afternoon as I wandered, coffee in hand, through the garden centre. I thought maybe it was the slightly Klezmer-sounding flute music they were playing that got me to thinking about Tom Waits and that play I so love, Black Rider. Or maybe it was the stone water features all burbling away in the lean golden

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-34607449851216852982009-09-16T22:33:00.017-06:002009-09-16T23:04:27.045-06:00

Remember the hosta I bought, then froze, then kept potted for two months while the garden was renovated? Well, this sweet little thing, ‘Touch of Class’, has settled in nicely and has now decided to send up a bud. Now? Yes, now. Sept. 16 to be exact. I hope I get to see it bloom before this warm, sunny autumn takes a turn in the other direction. This is my first summer with this hosta so maybe

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-40771701055508085032009-09-07T13:45:00.017-06:002009-09-07T14:06:40.702-06:00

Need a jolt of September sunshine? Just fill your monitor with these sumptious flowers and your room will glow. Yesterday we took our little two-year-old to the butterfly house at the Devonian Gardens, a botanical garden just outside the city run by the University of Alberta. (Oh yes, he loved it, and I promise to share pictures!) On the way out he and his Daddy bought me this bouquet at the gift

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You know, I start to crave the robust colours of fall this time of year. I'm not normally a bright colours person, in my personal style (except perhaps red), home decor or plantings. However, September finds me staring and smiling at bright yellows and brilliant reds and purples. Maybe because I know this time of blazing colour is so fleeting or because there is just such a flamboyant farewell to

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-3916923981163123522009-08-31T22:39:00.016-06:002009-09-01T21:03:42.319-06:00

I bought this Thérèse Bugnet rose on Father's Day when I was supposed to be shopping for a rose for my Dad. It had finished blooming then and apparently bloomed a bit while I was on holiday but I hadn't seen much activity from it. I think it must have wanted to reassure me as it sent up a few blooms last week to let me know what next summer might look like. Okay, you have my attention, Thérèse.

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-81421972502523984892009-08-30T17:27:00.017-06:002009-08-30T18:05:11.926-06:00

Some of you have been out in your gardens and elsewhere capturing the changes Mother Nature is bringing as we approach the turn of the season.So I thought I would share with you some of the changes I have observed in my much loved ravine. I go for walks there just about every weekend morning and often bring my camera or binoculars (or both!).You saw the woodpeckers I observed in the back lane as

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-81918710528995709552009-08-27T22:28:00.005-06:002009-08-27T22:45:22.640-06:00

I was very excited to spot these three woodpeckers in the lane just behind my house early morning last weekend as I headed out for a walk. I managed to get this not-so-great photo of them before they started going their separate ways. My book, Birds of Alberta, tells me they are Pileated Woodpeckers. (click to enlarge)The book says they have a "maniacal call". Geez, I thought that sound was the

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-58252321778945557672009-08-25T22:08:00.005-06:002009-08-25T22:34:58.762-06:00

“Blue colour is everlastingly appointed by the Deity to be a source of delight” ~ John Ruskin The last of my neighbour's delphiniums in the back lane. They deserve their moment, don't you think?

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-71956406023580033502009-08-23T16:24:00.020-06:002009-08-23T17:09:21.658-06:00

To close out my little holiday, I wanted to show you the stop we made on the way home from our trip to Winnipeg.It was in the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. This city is really one of Canada’s hidden gems. Tucked down in prairie valley along the North Saskatchewan River, it is a verdant and luxuriously green oasis of tall trees, funky restaurants and lovely old buildings. I hadn’t been

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-54783550568544935612009-08-15T15:26:00.032-06:002009-08-15T16:39:05.593-06:00

During my very brief three days in Winnipeg visiting Hubby’s family, I did manage to spend my last afternoon with my dearest friend from our university days. We met in English Lit on the first day of classes and remained fast friends ever since.We dressed up a little and went for lunch at the fabulous Terrace Fifty Five Restaurant in the Pavilion at the gorgeous Assiniboine Park, a huge urban

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-80779752445521012692009-08-08T16:06:00.008-06:002009-08-08T16:50:17.838-06:00

We are back from our holiday. We spent a crazy four days driving and three days visiting. The ratio is all wrong, I know. We had initially planned to fly, but because we had to bring some extra stuff we decided to do a road trip. A test run, if you will, for future vacations with the wee one to spots such as our very favourite hidey spot, the enchanting Waterton Lakes.So we drove across the

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-74226589837210661842009-07-28T21:51:00.011-06:002009-07-29T23:25:37.958-06:00

Well, we are off this coming weekend on holidays for a bit so I wanted to leave you with best wishes for your gardens and a glimpse of my cheeriest plant.This Dicentra 'Candy Hearts' (Fern-leaf Bleedingheart) is a just a shot of good cheer in my garden. It is another one of my plants that has made it through the upheavals of our landscaping endeavours and yet it is thriving.I just love its

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-72041657846208392612009-07-19T23:07:00.012-06:002009-07-25T11:00:40.244-06:00

It’s nice to find a plant that brings back childhood memories. My mom used to keep one of these over the winter in our livingroom bay window. In the summer she would put it out on the front step. She called it a “Parlour Maple” and hers was a pinkish-coral colour. I always thought it was so pretty.So I was delighted to see this Abutilon ‘Chinese Lantern’ White and recognize it as the same plant.

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-40817885791928427022009-07-19T22:13:00.014-06:002009-07-21T18:55:10.178-06:00

It all started eight years ago when I was walking with Hubby in the gorgeous Victoria BC when we were still newlyweds. I spied a silvery lavender rose in someone’s fenced front yard and felt my breathe intake sharply. I was dazzled. Hubby finally pried me away from their gate, but the rose haunted me ever since.A few weeks ago at the nursery I saw the hybrid tea, the Rosa 'Sterling Silver'. My

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-29452810739046054902009-07-18T12:22:00.013-06:002009-07-28T09:27:10.580-06:00

A project I have been working on at work came to fruition on Friday. It involved five months of negotiations with six partners with varying agendas.It took all the professionalism I had to steer this one through. Sometimes, I couldn’t sleep at night, worrying that it would fall apart.After a few scary bumps late in the road it came together. All the important people were pleased. I was exhausted

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-47831116634384458982009-07-15T22:21:00.020-06:002009-07-15T23:04:39.715-06:00

"And now," cried Max, "let the wild rumpus start!"That thrilling line from Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” is the most festive declaration ever and it is my credo for my long-awaited reward for revamping a neglected garden – the chance to plant anew.Remember my darling Heuchera ‘Plum Royale’ that I bought before I had a garden, then froze it, then saved it? Well, it is safely tucked

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-76005162258884623462009-07-05T17:16:00.000-06:002009-07-05T18:36:27.253-06:00

We planted some Foxglove (Digitalis Purpurea 'Foxy') along the side of the house leading from the front of the house to the garden gate. It is a sheltered, south-facing location in dappled light from a neighbour’s nearby spruce tree.This was another neglected garden site, with just a lonely cedar; probably a Thuja occidentalis ‘Holmstrup’, and the ubiquitous gravel that was everywhere. There was

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-5679632169631805722009-06-28T23:47:00.000-06:002009-07-03T22:26:13.228-06:00

On our little field trip into the ravine the other evening, I managed to get a few pictures of some wildflowers and a flowering shrub along our trail. I looked them up in my handy guide book, Alberta Wayside Wildflowers by Linda Kershaw and published by Lone Pine Publishing (2003). Looking up the plants was kind of exciting as it was my first time using the book for reference rather than just

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-42956649188302311412009-06-28T14:03:00.000-06:002009-06-28T20:36:56.918-06:00

We went on a family walk in the nearby ravine Saturday evening. My little stream that was gushing enthusiastically in April has now quieted A drift of starry snow from the poplar trees floats down it now Hushing everything under its soft blanketNow, if fairie folk still walked these woods, I think this is what they would be stuffing their duvets with for a soft summer sleep, don't you?(My little

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-81935087385019325412009-06-25T23:28:00.000-06:002009-06-27T15:25:06.045-06:00

I mentioned in the last post that my Dad came for a overnight visit on Father’s Day weekend and – yes – there was a garden nursery involved!I took my Dad to Sal’s to get him a hardy rose for Father’s Day. Up against the front of his house (south-facing) he has the same tough old rugosa rose that has probably been there for twenty years or more, just blooming its heart out. You know the one, kinda

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-88719812467168855392009-06-25T21:28:00.000-06:002009-06-25T21:47:40.540-06:00

My Dad came for an overnight visit last weekend for Father’s Day and we had a fabulous time. (Yes, we ended up going to a nursery, but that’s another post!)He was very pleased to see that we took the plunge on bringing our garden to life. Last summer, our first summer here, when it was all gravel and concrete and clay (with no fence, even), he gave us some iris bulbs to get us started.I think he

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-43562312903070518942009-06-22T21:57:00.000-06:002009-06-22T23:36:10.499-06:00

The landscapers are gone now. They have left me with my new,empty garden. A green carpet in a room with with no adornment other than a wall of spruce.I do have a few treasures I saved from last summer when I just couldn't help myself and shopped at the end-of-season sales. Suprisingly, they all survived.So many ways to paint a blank canvas.There is much to do and much to decide. But right now, it

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-90756027210975767532009-06-14T15:38:00.000-06:002009-06-14T21:48:20.079-06:00

“A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.”About three weeks ago, I took the new camera from work home to practice with as part of my training. It is a Nikon D700 (that's all I can tell you about the techie stuff). It is a digital SLR and a whole lot more camera than my little point and click digital. I loved it! For one thing, it seems to work best if you actually

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-6932009424941376092009-06-11T21:35:00.000-06:002009-06-11T22:53:51.204-06:00

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it really, really did. And I couldn’t be more thrilled!The landscapers were here today! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Those of you who have followed this little blog from its hopeful beginnings of a wish for a backyard to garden in will understand what a big adventure is happening here. Then it was just snow and dreams (and a lot of gravel!). So this is Day One of

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196584061773851542.post-91217819123317685462009-06-04T21:25:00.000-06:002009-06-04T21:56:05.063-06:00

I won this lovely award from Ellie Mae’s Cottage Blog in Southeastern Massachusetts. Ellie Mae is cute little dog whose owner is a gardener and new blogger with a green thumb and a great sense of humour. I am very honoured that she chose this blog as one to share her award with.I feel a sense of kindred spirit with her as I am new to garden blogging, relatively new to gardening and am slowly

The Garden Ms. Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.com5