Thursday, February 18, 2010

Garden Thursday

The weather this week has been so warm it has me worrying about a March freeze or something. I mean, look at those nectarine buds! Pink! Full! Burgeoning! If a freeze comes along my plan of eating fresh nectarines while lolling on the lawn will come to naught. And if that happens I might be forced to use my Doctor Who In Your Pocket Talking Voice Keychain. It might not do anything but still. One can pretend.











The sorrel is out and tasting very lemony this time of year. I like spring sorrel: soft leaves, thin ribs, and no seed heads to continually pinch off. Sorrel makes for good soup and even better chopped fine over a salad. We like to roll it up around hummus.












This was such a VERDANTLY provocative shot I couldn't resist. And no, it's not all my yard. You can't see the chicken wire fencing I put up to remind Oliver the Idiot Lab about where his boundaries end and mine begin, but it's there. Trust me.

Here is a terracotta pot, upended to show how it's been 'forcing' the rhubarb. I learned this trick from a local gardener and it's a remarkably effective one, too. My one regret is that here I am typing this gem of information for you all while simultaneously remembering that I forgot to replace the terracotta pot afterwards. And here it is late at night. Cold weather is no doubt enveloping my tender rhubarb. Sigh. The perils of my life...











Dominic's purple sprouting broccoli is doing well. Even if it is surrounded by that dratted Bishop's Weed.









I know I always include shots of this plant, but it's so lovely I can't resist. Pulmonaria - lungwort. Beautiful blues this time of year.















These burst out of the ground while we were away. We came back to swathes of purple gems across the front lawn. Sometimes I think I am under the sea, because they open and close according to the sunlight that hits them. It's like living with glistening sea anemones.






My neighbour moved away and gave me these two large rocks. I've been coveting these rocks for the past 2 years, sneaking glances at them every time I walked past the side of the house where they lay, buried somewhat under piles of concrete and mud. Fortunately R. the Long Suffering and Super Strong pushed them up the hill to the front garden for me, because I sure wouldn't have been able to. Now they lounge with the cottage primroses and scented violets.


It only took close to 3 years but the Harry Lauder's Walking finally looks quite cool and atmospheric in the garden. Who says I'm not patient?

(Uh, RICHARD?)






That piece of wood, which looks strikingly like a narwhale, was carried in our very inadequate van from our summer place up island all the way down to this garden. It was tucked rather tightly in between the kids, who all voiced their displeasure at having to share such awkward quarters with a large log. No imagination, these kids. It's a narwhale, I told them. And here it is, before the summer blackberries envelopes it.



The garlic is looking robust. As is the tape around my crumbling compost bin. Why do compost bins never survive in my care? Why must I always resort to such ridiculous tactics in order to keep these things intact? It's mildly humiliating.

So there you have it: Garden Thursday around these parts.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I got to go out in sandals today and pull some weeds but I'm still envious of your flowers and broccoli. My mountain ash has beautiful buds on it but, like you, I'm afraid of a late cold snap so I've resisted the temptation to plant anything new. I've been trying to think of something that might survive the cold. Radishes maybe...

Heather said...

Oh, I just can't believe how springish it is at your place. The other day I was visiting Mary-Sue and she was showing me a plant in her garden with speckled leaves (not yet blooming) and trying to remember what it was called, she knew it started with a P. She said you had it and it was blooming at your house - one of your first blooms in the springtime. There we both were trying to recall every "P" name flower and neither of us could remember. Now I know - Pulmonaria.

sheila said...

Shelly, do you like broccoli? I planted that purple sprouting variety in October and it is pretty hardy.

Heather, it's the most amazing plant. It always starts out about 6" in diameter, then grows and grows and blooms and blooms until it's about 4' across, and billowing in blossoms. And such a pretty plant, too: speckled leaves & that blue!

Mary-Sue said...

Oh my! it FEELS like spring here, but it LOOKS like spring there! lovely lovely. yes. pulmonaria. yours is beautiful. it's one of my favourites too, given to me by my mum's best friend when she died. your garlic are fabulous!! mine are just poking up in a few spots... crocuses are little tiny green leaves poking through the lawn. aaaah. the promise of this time of year, hey? no. no late frost. no no no no no.

Anonymous said...

That is one awesome piece of wood Sheila! I love it! I would totally have brought it home as well (although it sounds like you need a roof rack on your van :-)

I hope your little rhubarb survived the night!