When in the garden... growing season 2011

Grape Vine loaded with grapes

Thyme, lemon balm and organo

Borage

Sunflower Garden 2011

Vanilla Sunflower 2011

2011 has been filled with flowers and happy gardening adventures. Happy August to all.

When in the Garden... Creating with Birdhouse Gourds

Creating with Birdhouse Gourds


I've had some Birdhouse Gourds stored away for many years and finally brought them out to be turned into real Birdhouses. I researched a bit on how to prepare the gourds to be used for birdhouses and found some great links. Here are a few below:

Great Birdhouse Gourd instructions

Purchase Hard Shelled Birdhouse Gourd Seeds

More Great instructions

 

 Selecting a gourd

 Deep concentration

Cleaning out the inside of our gourds after drilling the holes

 A freshly painted birdhouse

 

A Mother's Day birdhouse gourd

 

 My birdhouse gourd 

I plan to drill holes in the bottom of each gourd to allow for drainage and holes at the top to allow for a hanger. I'm very excited to get this beautiful birdhouse out in the garden. I'll be sure to take pictures once it is finished.

Hope you have a creative day,

When in the garden

When in the Garden... Enjoy the moment

 

It appears that a relative of Mrs. Tittlemouse had taken up residence in my metal birdhouse. Looks like they left in a hurry. :)

My lilac has come to life. I am surprised to see a hint of colour on the buds. How wonderful! I wouldn't have noticed this had I not took this closeup.

 

Yellow Clematis. Such beauty awaits.

 

I found this wintergreen plant pulled out a day ago. There has been a groundhog camping out under my garden shed lately and I suppose he/she was responsible. Trouble is brewing, but we do so enjoy watching our new troublemaker.

My sweet woodruff is very slowing growing. It looks so delicate and dainty. I love it!

 

This chickadee nesting box was up in a tree behind our house until a hurricane knocked down the tree. Now it lives on my garden shed. I saw a chickadee checking it out last week. I crossed my fingers that they decided to go somewhere higher off the ground.

I've been enjoying the moments when I steal away to my garden, hope you get to as well.

Love When in the Garden

When in the garden... Harvest seeds from your prized plants.

Dill's giant pumpkin from 2010 growing season

The picture above shows my two little men with our Dill's Giant pumpkin (2010). The plant was raised from seed by our neighbour and I was very excited when she offered me the pumpkin plant because I hadn't started any of my own.


 I set to work making a bed for the plant. The seedling went in a pile of composted chicken manure from our backyard chickens. I chose a place next to the foundation of our house and in a great location to receive sun for most of the day.


Everyone in the family took their turns watering the heavy drinker throughout the growing season, but most of the watering was done by my oldest little man. He was very proud of this pumpkin.


At the end of the season, we weighed the pumpkin with our scale and determined it weighed approx. 115 lbs. The seeds were dried and saved, in hopes of giant pumpkins for 2011. We gave a few seeds to our neighbours as a thank-you and shared some with our family.  On the weekend, seeds harvested from last season were planted in pots in our greenhouse.  Hopefully, some of them will become party favors at my son's Farm birthday party in May.

Here is a picture from carving time. We made a huge jack-o-lantern with it.

With any luck and lots of compost (of course) we'll be saving seeds for next year!!!


Lots of plant love,


When in the garden

When in the garden...Don't forget to take pictures.

 

The simplest way to unwind from a busy day is to get up close and personal with our garden. Taking a camera into the garden helps soothe the soul and depart us from the worries and stresses of a busy life. Even if its only a brief visit, do it!

And don't be afraid to get down on your hands and knees with camera in tow. You'll get a bugs eye view of your special space and some beautiful pictures to prove it!

Hope you like these. They have all been edited with Picnik. Picnik is a photo editing, web based application that allows free use of their tools. Please excuse me as the same picture was edited many times.

 

My fave, soothing to the eyes.

Gentle and soothing.

A very organic birch bark picture

Added a 1960's  feel to this.

Share the garden love and you might just make someones day! 

Love,

When in the garden...