Getting Ready for Planting

Landscaping




Marion and Gabriele Gathering Plants
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As we pass from spring into early summer, we're getting closer to the 'hardscaping' of our front lawn. In early July, in all probability, we'll have the asphalt driveway removed and new stone walkway and driveway built. Then we start the 'softscaping' -- adding plants to Gabriele's landscape design.

Gabriele has helped us gather some beautiful native plants for the front yard. We're also taking trips to the nurseries to look at native plants that will tolerate the shade of our side and back yards. Soon we'll start planting flowers and shrubs that will be more drought tolerant and attractive to birds, butterflies and beneficial insects.

Organic Lawn Care




Side Yard
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All the work Mike and Soni helped us with is bearing fruit as the side yard looks healthy without the use of pesticides and herbicides. Organic lawn care requires us to search out and hand remove plants we don't want in the yard, such as dandelions and thistles. I haven't found doing so that onerous -- in fact I enjoy getting to know every surface of the lawns. A bonus is that I can cut grass clippings right off the lawn for our guineau pig, Piglet, without worrying about toxic chemicals.




Scotts Classic Push Mower
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The push mower is working out well. It's set relatively high to allow the grass to develop a strong root structure and pushing it is not as strenuous as I thought it might be. Our son Trevor likes using it more than the gas mower when it's his turn to mow. No CO2 emissions and it's very quiet. I'd recommend a push reel mower for anyone who doesn't have a large expanse of grass to cut.

Composting




Clippings for Compost
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One of our main goals this season has been to get the gardens in better shape. Because Marion hadn't been well for the past two years, it has meant lots of trimming and weeding of the existing beds. This, in turn, has given us plenty of raw material for composting, which we mix with our guinea pig's bedding material to obtain a balance of green (nitrogen) and brown (carbon). I'm happy to report that the composters are generating heat and the material is decomposing nicely -- composting is happening! I'm glad I purchased two composters. With the large amount of biomass we've harvested, we're already starting on our second bin.

Mike has also dropped off a large amount of commercial compost we'll be using to spread in the gardens to enrich the soil and reduce weed growth.

Birthday Present





Birthday Serviceberry
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On June 10th, Nada, Soni, Gabriele, Mike, Trevor, Marion and I celebrated my 60th birthday with a pub lunch at The Harp on Lakeshore Blvd in Port Credit. It was one of the warmest, most convivial birthday celebrations ever, and I considered myself lucky to be among such good friends and family. Just to be there was enough, but Mike and Soni surprised me totally. They had found out from Marion that my favourite shrub is the Serviceberry (aka Juneberry, Saskatoonberry), and they gave me one for my birthday. It will be planted in the side yard near the composters as the first major step in transforming the back of the side lawn into a shady woodland garden!

Enjoying the Garden




First Day Lily
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Of course gardening is not all planning, work and callouses. The joy, for any gardener, is seeing nature's beauty unfold in leaves and blossoms. The first day lilies of the season bloomed this week and the hostas are displaying their showy, broad leaves. Marion and I often sit in the swing and simply enjoy the breezes and the lush vegetation, and I am able to find photo-ops everywhere I look.




Variegated Hosta Leaves (Sepia Toned)
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Until next time!