This gardening season is our third at Canoe Corner. I can hardly believe it. Time has really flown and I find myself very surprised at how quickly it has gone. There's been a lot of positives in the last couple years. Inside the house we've made numerous changes including a new furnace, renovated bathroom and refinished piano room. Outside the house we started a veggie garden and large flower bed and planted dozens of new trees. There's been a few negatives as well. Discovering our well was contaminated and having to spend a large sum of money on a water filtration system was unpleasant. A car accident last summer put our truck out of commission and lead to an unexpected car purchase. Overall we're doing well though and three years in we are still very happy with our choice to move to PEI and purchase this home.
Currently this week hasn't been without some Tragedy as I've been down and out with the flu which isn't conducive to getting my spring gardening done. Neither has the constant rain pounding down. But as is almost always the case, bad is balanced out by good, and the rain has made everything instantly green.
Jody however is moaning over the fact that the lawn will need to be mown in the very near future.
One of the benefits of coming into our third year in the garden is that some of the perennial plants are starting to mature. This is the first year we'll be able to pick our own asparagus and I'm itching for these spears to grow tall.
Rhubarb is also emerging from the soil and will provide plenty of yummy treats.
Strawberries as well are greening up and we'll have fresh fruit this season. Other areas of the veggie garden aren't doing as well though. You can see in the photo below the bed on the left is weeded, turned over and dressed with compost. The one on the right though - well, there's a lot of work to do there.
I'm struggling to keep up with all the spring work that must be done in the next month. The veggie garden must be completely dug over and amendments added so all my seedlings have a new home. In the entrance flower bed there are weeds to be removed and plants to be moved. Not to mention edging. The hardest part is getting all this work done when we have this new addition inside the house.
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23 comments:
I must say, Marguerite, that aside from the green grass, your greeneries are ahead of ours. Hubs has not started any seedlings although he could. We now have a mudroom in place of our decrepit garage. But, with the mudroom interior needing finishing and that green grass needing mowing soon, we'll just get what we get with the garden. He is getting the soil ready and we'll buy young herbs and tomatoes to plant. From seed.. beets, cucumbers, beans and I forget what else. All I care about is lots of tomatoes and some burpless cucumbers ... they're so flippin' good. And beets for making kvass.
Marguerite,
Hope you are feeling better. It hasn't help with the weather, rain, sleet, hail and even snow. But there is going to be sunny days ahead for us gardeners. Seems like Pixie has made herself right at home. Very cute looking cat that I'm sure will follow you around everywhere.
I too am having a hard time keeping up with my teeny garden, I cannot image one the size of yours, especially with all the inside improvements. Three years is a good amount of time to reassess. You get a lot of satisfaction after three years. Sorry to here you had the flu, hope you are on the mend.
Hi Marguerite, I have been sick as well. In my case, it started with a terrible sore throat and quickly became a really bad chest cold. It is hard isn't it when there is so much to be done, and you have no energy at all? After a couple of weeks of endless coughing, I am finally better. I hope that you are on the mend as well.
I think you have accomplished a tremendous amount in three short years. The set backs like the water filtration system and the car accident thankfully seem to be outweighed by all the positives. It takes years to make a home and garden. Enjoy your weekend!
Rhubarb!
My husband says it takes up too much space, but I grew up with the stuff and love it.
Contaminated well? I think I missed that bit. Glad you have safe water again.
Days like today when the seedlings have overtaken every available window and countertop I think maybe it would be easier to just buy them from the nursery! I'll be trying cucumbers for the first time this year which should be interesting. I've never understood the burpless thing - what does that mean?
This illness just seems to drag out, some points I feel better and then I regress. Wish it was just quick and over with so I could get outside. She certainly likes the bay window, that's her safe spot. Working on getting her accustomed to everyone and everything else though is a bit of work.
I've heard it takes a perennial garden 3 - 5 years to mature so I'm hoping we're getting close with some of our plants that we'll start seeing some regular blooms. I'm getting a little more realistic with my garden expectations now. Two years ago I thought I could garden this whole property with no issues, hah!
I'm counting my blessings Jennifer. Hubby got this first and he was sick to his stomach, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. I seem to have caught a milder form so although I'm not up to snuff it could have been much worse. The cough just drags on though. Makes digging a chore when your whole body is sore from coughing.
It is a bit of a space eater but I can't imagine a garden without it. The plant itself is quite fascinating. I could see it in a perennial bed as well as the veggie garden.
Not sure I posted about that Diana. Early last summer we got word a nearby well was contaminated with e-coli and had ours tested. We didn't have that but the choloform count was too high which is bad as well. Unfortunately living in an agricultural area means pesticide run off which contaminates the ground water and poisons the streams. One of the many reasons I favour organic gardening.
Sorry you had the flu M. But, glad the green is coming to your garden..it looks lush! Hummingbirds should be here soon, although none spotted in our garden yet!
Do you think the triumphs overcome the tragedies? Yes..me too..they do!!
Ohhhh she's adorable...I honestly wouldn't get any work done outside. Would be constantly thinking up excuses to go inside for a visit.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Everything is looking lovely - green and lush!! And your new addition is gorgeous ... very cute! I hope you feel better soon.
A contaminated well and the flu? Your overdue for some goodness so I hope only happiness finds you this week. You new cat is a beauty. Love the crinkly strawberry leaves. Gorgeous!
Congrats on the new kitty!! She is very cute indeed!I've never seen crinkly rhubarb leaves before - is that a different type of rhubarb? My mom used to say (about rhubarb) "it's good for what ails you!" It was looked upon as a spring tonic. I have a tiny patch but will sure be planting more. I have a "sour" tooth instead of a sweet tooth and love munching on a rhubarb stalk!
I wish we saw more hummingbirds here but I don't think we have the plants for them yet. Every summer I see one or two at our red stained glass window though!
It's hard right now because she's still very leery of us, the house, and the other cats. I try not to pester her but gosh she's awful sweet.
Thanks Christine. The cough is lingering but the body has begun to recuperate which is great as the weather is warming up too. Time to get outside!
oops, I should have made that clearer. Those are actually the rhubarb leaves. They come out of the ground super wrinkly and slowly expand. They look almost alien like right now.
Not sure what kind of rhubarb it is actually. Our neighbour brought it to the annual plant sale and I bought a chunk our first year here. I remember dipping the rhubarb stalks into sugar as kids and eating them. Although I'm a 'sweet' girl and always ate more sugar than rhubarb.
I hope you're feeling better and able to work in the garden and cross off some of your chores. At this time of the year the list seems to be longer then the number of hours available!
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