The things we do as grandmothers

 

 

on holiday outings together

 

First I’ll declare outright that I am a grandmother. Have been for awhile and our count is up to five. I don’t have to raise them or pay attention to their financial keep. But I can spend time with them and I enjoy being with them.

We bake cookies together, plant garden in season. We play, read and do puzzles together. Those things I like. And recently we had a cookie decorating session, with plenty of icing and add-on decorations.

 

Decorating Christmas cookies with all the trimmings

supervise their play

Enjoy the out of doors, even the shadows the sun makes in our paths

join in their make believe

When we dare to sit with our small grandchildren, we learn a little about what they’re thinking. When we engage with their play, they learn too.

We have no guarantee how much time we’ll have to enjoy these young ones and so it’s a good thing to build the relationships at an early stage. It builds trust too.

There’s no doubt that it takes energy to play with them, especially the smallest ones, but the time we spend together and the smiles make it worthwhile.

Looking after the garden we planted together

checking on the fairy garden and building the path for fairies

climbing into his car

I’m grateful that my grandchildren all live in the same city. It takes only minutes to get there. We get together for dinner, for play and special celebrations.

I look forward to spending time with them at Christmas, to see the delight on their faces as they open their gifts from us, for the hugs too. And today we will go to the older grandchildrens’ school for the holiday assembly. We sit back and watch them perform and then see their surprise when they see us on the way out. Blessed beyond measure.

 

 

 

 

All photos on this site, unless otherwise noted © C. Wilker

The garden produces

tomato blossoms

The plants are maturing and we’re beginning to reap the rewards. One day I went out and picked a cucumber. I sent a message to my daughter. E. will be happy to see cucumbers. “Can you bring the girls one day soon to see the garden?”

Several days later, they came, ready to see how it looked. Sure enough, there was another cucumber waiting to be picked. E loves cucumbers.

“You need to share that.”

And she agreed.

 

happy about the cucumber

 

Her sister, A., didn’t want to be in this picture. She wished for one of her own. Industriously, watering the strawberry plants, she got her wish.

 

 

giving the plants a drink

 

It was a good time of day to water, at early evening. We were having a hot dry spell with no rain so the plants were ready for a drink. We had to fill the small watering bucket again and again. Of course other plants got a drink too while the girls and their Mom were at our place.

The girls might have been surprised to see how the plants had grown. There were even the beginnings of tiny tomatoes. “I saw them, ” E. said. They both love the tiny tomatoes and will be happy to help pick, and eat, them when they’re big enough and ripe.

 

 

zucchinis starting to grow

We could have quite a lot of zucchinis growing, but no worries. Our family likes zucchini and my daughter, Laura, has one of those spiralizer machines that cuts the vegetable very thin.

 

mint in a pot

 

parsley

My parsley plant has seen better days. Here’s hoping I can find another plant to replace it, even this late in the summer. Our granddaughters, even the one with selective taste buds, like to pinch off a piece and eat it right there at the garden

This morning when I went out to take photos of the garden, I saw my neighbour in her yard. After a bit of conversation, I offered her a basil plant and so we got to talking about how to use it.

 

 

 

 

 

Our Garden Grows

I had some help again this year in planting our vegetable garden. You might say I’m training the next generation, engaging them while they’re eager to help me, but they’re also enjoying it.

At Easter, I bought both girls their own gardening tools, a set in blue and one in green, a shovel and little rake. The girls were excited about finally using their tools and liked digging the holes for the plants and pressing them in the soil very gently.

We planted tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, a neat specialty lettuce and herbs (basil). And we planted the morning glory seeds too.

 

Of course we posed after the work was done so we could show the results. And we watered the holes and put the plants in after, because it was such a hot afternoon.

The watering bucket is heavy when it’s full, but she’s strong.

 

 

After all that work, we need to sit under the umbrella and have a cold drink.

 

And we’re happy that all this work has been done.

 

Making time for a bit of fun. We love to blow bubbles together.

 

 

A mere few weeks later, with sunshine and rain, our plants and seeds are growing.

Morning glories need thinning. I think every seed sprouted.

 

Transplanted mint is doing well.

Zucchini has blossoms

 

Cucumber plants are doing well too. One little girl will be very happy about that.

 

 

And tomatoes are doing well too, growing straight and tall. One little plant needs setting in some pot yet.

 

Let’s see what a few more weeks of sunshine and rain (or watering) take the garden.

 

 

Garden is growing

That rain we had for an entire weekend really gave the gardens a boost. Seeds sprouted and plants grew taller.

The basil seedlings left over after I put in my raised garden were pretty small so I cut the bottoms out of plastic pots and put them over top to protect them from small animals. This basil plant is growing. Time to take off the pot.

zucchini plant is definitely growing

and the tomatoes too …

The herb pot by the front door is showing signs of filling out too

the portulaca is beginning to open as is the dianthus beside it.

I called last evening to let my grandchildren know that the seeds are sprouting and we have little plants above the ground.

And there’s even signs of the carrot tops coming too. By next post those will all be larger and easier to photograph.

Planter box is filling out too.

Until next post, happy gardening.

Time to Plant the Garden

Friday was the day, like “X marks the spot” on a calendar. The day, rather the evening, that my older two granddaughters would help me plant the garden. We had a conversation weeks ago about what we would plant and my daughter and I planned for an early evening when she could bring them.

They started out with a little picnic at our outdoor table, to eat their supper.  It was hard to sit and eat because they were so excited. I had everything we needed—plants and seeds, shovels. Our rain barrels had a lot of water in them, and the two watering cans were ready.

Like a true farmer’s daughter, I planned for crop rotation even in these two raised beds. And we had added compost that my husband and neighbour had gotten at the landfill site. With that all good stuff mixed in, the plant beds should be ready for growing good things. We’re hoping for rain, because the soil is very dry all around, but we’d like to get the planting done first, if  we can.

We decided to plant the tomatoes and other veggie plants first. Like busy little beavers, the girls ran back and forth from water barrel to the garden to water what we’d just put in the soil. The older of the two helped set the tomatoes in the ground and together we carefully put the soil around them.

We have tiny tomatoes, zucchini plants and lettuce the girls call “salad.” We planted basil and rosemary plants, and we had basil left over, some of which we planted in another spot. I put the cages on the tomatoes.

One asks, “What’s that?”

“Cages, for the tomatoes.” When they get big and full of tomatoes, so they don’t fall over.”

“Oh,” she says, puzzled. She doesn’t remember this step from last year.

Zucchini was next. We need to leave room for them to spread. Then the cucumber seeds in the back section of the box nearest the cedars. We need to leave room for cucumbers and zucchini to spread.

Then it was time to plant the seeds for carrots and beans. We made the row with a small shovel and I showed them the small brown carrot seeds. “Tiny, aren’t they?”

“Can I have some?”

“Me too!” the younger one said.

I put some seeds in their hands and showed them how to spread them in the row. They got it, more or less. We’ll have a lot of seeds in some parts of the row.

“We don’t need all the carrot seeds.” And they look at me, puzzled. “We need to save some room for the beans.”

The older of the two spreads soil gently over the carrot seeds, just as I showed her. I praise her and the younger one wants to do it too, so we save a spot for her to try.

“Next, the beans.” They crowd in to look. “See how these are bigger?” And of course they both want to plant. We have a row ready and they each get to have bean seeds to plant. The older and the younger plant their seeds, the older having a  bit more control and putting them in just right. I separate the seeds a bit farther that the younger one has planted and then we’re ready to cover them. They know what to do now and cover the seeds. Then they run to fill the water buckets again, giving the soil a good dousing.

While we’re planting, their Mom and their (grand) Papa are snapping pictures, asking us to say, “Fuzzy pickles” and the girls giggle and smile and we pose, just a little, and call out, “Fuzzy pickles.”

We have some basil left over and we decide with their mom that we can plant some in small pot for them to take along to the trailer when they go this week. They’ll keep it on the deck.

The girls are tired and it’s starting to show. With their Mom’s help, we put the netting over the garden beds and secure it.

“Why are we putting that on?”

“So the bunnies and birds don’t eat the veggies.”

The oldest, coming on 6, comes up with a solution. “You should make a scarecrow.” She has this satisfied look on her face. “Then the birds will go away.”

Her Papa says, “Not all of them. We want to hear them sing.”

“Oh,” and there’s a contemplative look on her face.

We give them hugs and see them off with the promise that they can come and see the garden when they return from their vacation. “Then maybe we’ll see some shoots above the ground,” meaning the seeds are growing. “And you can help water the garden too.”

They’ll remember to do that, along with the pot of basil they’re taking along.

Their Mom said on Facebook afterwards, “The girls had a blast.They are tired too. Evy is very excited to take “her” plant to the trailer.

Tired, just as their grandma, at the end of this day. But it was a good day and now the garden can grow.

Netting is secured and my husband gave the garden beds a good watering in case it doesn’t rain.

Follow our garden progress. I’ll update as there’s something to share. Hoping for lots of sunshine, enough rain and a bountiful garden this summer.

photos  © L. and C. Wilker

The yucca root grows deep

I wanted to do some planting tonight. I managed to put in a few new perennials, Euryopa Margarita, but not where I wanted to put them. As I dug, it became apparent that the Margarita would not work in that place until after I’d dug it out. So I put the margaritas in another place.

A small hand shovel wasn’t working so I got out a bigger shovel with the point on the bottom to really get in there.

Just a bit more than a week ago, you may recall from an earlier post, I decided to uproot the yucca plant since it was getting old and rather gnarly. I thought I might keep one small part of it, but tonight as I was digging around the old spot where the large yucca was, I discovered more of the root. As I dug deeper, there was more and more. It looked like chunks of dog poop, except harder. It went deeper and deeper and I dug up many chunks. The roots are tuberous and there were many tubes.

Finally I think I got to the bottom of the growing space where it’s been for longer than 9 years. It was already a good size when we settled in and started making the place our own. The gardens needed a lot of work and they got a lot of love in that time and the yucca that was there just kept on getting bigger and even bloomed for a few years. But I’d had enough of it looking scraggly and filling up that space.

I filled a 17-litre pail with the roots. In case you’re wondering how big a pail holds 17 litres, it’s the pail that holds driveway sealer—the tarry stuff you apply to the driveway to make it look shiny and new.

Now that the soil is soft and cleaned up (I think) in that place, I will decide on something different to plant in that place.

On our trip to the garden centre next week, my friend Doris and I will decide on something else to plant there for I’ve already found a home for the margarita amarilla.

A new plant will eventually sit next to the euonymus. A plant that loves a lot of sun and well drained soil and brings colour to my flower bed some part of the year. Maybe even annuals  for this year though I prefer to use perennials.

Tomorrow evening my granddaughters will help me plant the vegetable garden. Until then, may your garden grow well and the rain fall soft upon your fields.

A building project towards gardening

 

In March or early April,  a friend posted a link on facebook  that intrigued me. It took me to the Sunset website and Edible Gardening page where someone had posted photos of  raised garden beds for small spaces. A reader can order the plans to build the large bed shown.

On showing the page to my husband, we talked about this as an option, since our soil in our area of the city is largely sand. For the flowerbeds, we’ve gone with drought-tolerant plants and that has worked well for us, but garden plants are diffferent. While some may survive in sand, it doesn’t work for all plants, including those we especially wanted to grow, such as tomatoes and cucumbers.

We’ve struggled with the sandy soil, adding compost, but even that was not quite enough; the water drains away so fast. With a raised bed we could bring in soil and have something better to work with. My husband had the concept and wanted to come up with his own plan for the boxes. They will look alike but  will better suit our city lot with sloped backyard. He knows how to build, after all, and is precise in his measurements and so we agreed we would build a box… or two.

 

                                                                                                                                Plants ready for our garden plus some overgrowth of plants for sharing

 

My husband drew out his own plan, similar to the one on the website, and he priced out the supplies—lumber, screws, cover and netting— and estimated the overall cost. It caused him to sit back on his heels a bit but we felt we’d have better chances of successful gardening and so we went ahead. We went to our friendly neighbourhood building and supply store and loaded up all we needed on a cart then brought it all home and unloaded the lumber and supplies.

 

My husband making sure the board will fit. Peter, ready to lend a hand.

 

Once the pieces were cut to the right length, our patio became the assembly place. Fortunately we’ve had a string of good days, some of them cool but not rainy. A project like this can take hours of careful measuring and lining up. And of course a hand is welcomed now and then to hold things in place. I was out there as was our  next-door neighbour who was also interested in how the project would come together. Thanks, Peter, for your helping hand.

Then came Saturday, the day we moved the first  box into its place in the backyard. There were four of us in on that move. I took a corner and Peter and his wife helped too.

 

We had  to dig around the space where the box would sit so that there was no grass under the box and so that the box would fit in the slope. The area without grass has been our garden the past few years.

Our small granddaughters were excited to help plant the garden, but there was still work to be done to get it ready. Once the box was in its place and levelled, we still needed to add soil from the pile on the driveway that had been delivered two days prior. It’s a big undertaking. We chose 3 in 1 soil that had peat and compost added to it.

 

The box lowered into place and beginning to be filled. The ramp on the front is for running the wheelbarrow up to dump the  soil.

 

We appreciated the extra hands two daughters offered, one in helping her father to get the soil levelled and the other in managing the wheelbarrow loads. Thanks Sarah and Laura (shown). Our granddaughters each got a small shovel and a pail to fill so they could be part of the action.

 

The first box, filled and planted. We have plastic tubing and bird netting over the top and a cord currently wrapped around the base to keep the netting in place. My husband has another plan in mind, but for now it will keep out small animals and birds that might want to taste our seeds and plants.

 

…and a view from one end.

 

The second box is in place now and needs its soil added. More news another day as our garden grows.

Please share your garden stories and happy gardening!

 

 

 

 

Flowers in bloom–It’s really spring

It seems that once spring was ready that everything in my garden began to bloom, albeit in their usual order. I am always excited about spring, seeing new life emerge  from the ground after a long cold winter such as we’ve had. I didn’t order seeds early but we have decided to build raised garden beds for our tomatoes and vegetables this year. We’ve purchased the lumber and other supplies and my husband is outdoors getting organized to start that project. With an interruption to get a lawn mower running. But that mower is now ready and we got our lawn mowed to test it out. So now our son-in-law can go home and mow their own lawn.

 

First came the daffodils, then grape hyaciths which are still in bloom. The daffodil blossoms are nearly spent, but the stems remain green and vibrant yet. This is how they looked last week.

 

I love the combination of the purple hyacinths and the yellow daffodils together each spring.

 

 

Before the grass began growing and greening and the leaves emerging from trees, the cardinal still hanging around in our cedar trees dared to emerge.

 

 

                                                                                                                                        The robin venturing out in the bare yard in early April

 

And now the tulips too, some in pink and the rest in red and yellow. Vibrant even under the settting of the sun.

 

 

You can see the grape hyacinths still in bloom behind the tulips. Of course we had some narcissus and the aromatic white and purple hyacints in our garden. Pretty there, but I never bring those indoors.

 

And this bunch of white flowers and I cannot remember if they are carpet of snow or phlox, but they are a nice contrast to the colours.

The pasque flower  in the back bed must have died off or been uprooted by small animals. I missed its pretty purple blooms this spring, but then everything was late. But in that place is the bleeding heart that will soon have white blossoms.

Today as I was cleaning up the flowerbed and rousting stray grape hyacinths, I saw that the coreopsis has buds. I’ll get pictures of those when they bloom. They are tiny but a cheery yellow colour.

There’s still more work to be done in the yard and of course I must still plant the morning glory seeds harvested at the end of last season. The beds will soon show off more colour and some of it will remain over summer.

Our soil is a mix of sand and other soil types and so most plant species I use are drought  tolerant. The exception would be vegetables other than carrots and tomatoes, but that’s the reason we’re making the raised beds. In those beds, we will put soil more suited to garden plants. Then perhaps our growing season for food will be more successful.

Enjoy the weekend.

 

 

Unless otherwise noted, the photos on this blog are the property of C. Wilker

Saturday Snapshot–Gathering Good Things from the Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have  several pumpkins growing courtesy of seeds in the compost, instead of the cucumber seeds I planted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still some tomatoes ripening. You can see some leaves have started to turn brown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Results of my preserving efforts: relish, peaches, jam and pickled beets. I think of  the peaches as “bottled sunshine” when I open them in the winter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve picked more than a basket of tomatoes from our own plants. These and more went into the fruit relish. And we’ve enjoyed eating them as well. Yumm!

Saturday Snapshots hosted by At Home With Books. Go and see what other pictures are there and link up.

 

Photos by C. Wilker

Gardens Growing

After all the spring rain and cold, it seems we jumped headlong into summer, with heat and dry conditions. This is when I’m glad to have planted mostly drought tolerant plants. Gaillardia and coreopsis are in bloom now, with daisies, with tight-fisted buds, soon to open. One small bluebell has bloomed, tucked between the cotoneaster.

A friend and fellow editor has offered me bluebells, which I’m delighted about. The ones I have are few. Bluebells have such a delicate small flower.

I showed my 21-month-old granddaughter some of the flowers when she was visiting last evening.  I picked a tiny pink blossom from the scented geranium and a small white one from the snow in summer. She put them to her nose and then wriggled free.

“Mommy,” she said and hurried to show her mother, tiny flower in little fingers.

bluebell coming up through cotoneaster

gaillardia, as pretty as ever

scented geranium

lance-leaf coreopsis

daisies, soon to bloom

geranium and bacopa in planter

Orange tiger lilies will soon open and the sedum is spreading thick leaves. There’ll be more flowers coming soon—good for another update here.

The tomato plants are in a different place this year, as in crop rotation— I learned well from my father.  There are blossoms on the plants. Even the basil has grown enough to harvest some leaves. Alas my cucumber plants have been nibbled by some hungry small critter or bugs. Not bunnies, for we have a new fence around that space.  Whatever has been nibbling the cucumber plants ( 2 plants left of the original 6) also has cultured tastebuds and has nibbled off both basil and beans growing there. Maybe they’re hungry, as Tyler said, and will eat whatever they find.