Another Passion - Gardening

It's winter here in Nova Scotia and it seems like spring is around the corner (or not depending on the hour of the day lately).  Let me tell you my gardening history so you can appreciate the irony of it all....

I grew up in Newfoundland, in a house on 11 acres of land.  My dad worked the land for a hobby and grew veggies up the wazoo!!  My step-mom had about an acre of flowers spread around, she tended them all.  Me?  No interest at all.  ZERO!

Fast forward some 20 years.  I live in a condo with a deck.  And suddenly.....

See that blue Rubbermaid bin in the lower left corner?  Compost bin!

Tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, strawberries, and flowers!

My poor Paul could barely get out to BBQ.... Yep, there was one there.

Fast forward 2 years (2009), again poor Paul comes home one day to...  Yup, we are selling and moving to a place I can garden.  He shrugs his shoulders and comes along for the ride (honestly - I am high maintenance so what can he do but ride the wave?)

We decide on a townhouse.  A new build.  And I have ideas.  Plenty of them.  First one is no front lawn.  Just flowers.  I am regarded as slightly mad, until I point out the logic of trying to schlep a mower from the front to the back when we are in a middle unit.  Suddenly I am a genius (please... I knew that all along)!

One year later....

Spring 2010

Now it is a work in progress and it was early spring (and the dead boxwood is gone and replaced with a lovely, lively one).  But I am loving every second.  It is a conversation piece on the street as passers by comment on it.  I hope it has inspired others in the area to dig up some of their lawn and plant colour!

Pasqueflower - Close Up

Pasqueflower

Spring Tulips

As for the back garden it is a real work in progress.  It will take me at least 5 years to bring my ideas to life.

This years projects are: water feature, additional plum tree, lasagne garden to plant more veggies, more haskap and blueberry bushes, thornless blackberry bushes.

Lets look at the evolution thus far.

The beginning

Starting to take shape

Phase One Complete

Funny story about the crushed stone.  We ordered 3/4 tonne of stone which was deposited on the front driveway.  We schlepped it to the back via buckets and handing it out via a window in the basement.

2011 was just maintenance and chopping up trees that had been toppled in a hurricane.

On with 2012!!

Oh and this page is dedicated to these two people...

My Dad and Step Mom Irene