leafette's Blog

Traversing the Trans Canada
Dec 20, 2007 | 6:05 AM PST
I'm off to travel the Trans Canada Highway over into northern Ontario.  I enjoy the drive as it reminds me of the rocks along the Hudson Bay where I played as a kid.  Tundra and trees not much taller than I. A panoramic view of blueness as far as the eye could see. Cool, clear, water pools where we rafted and swam.  Gigantic rock formations for forts and doll cottages.  Defintely a low maintenance garden.  Perhaps that is somewhat what I want to capture as I look out that north window.  Thr trees will be taller and more varied but definitely pretty with their capes of snow.  We'll be staying by one of those quiet lakes, taking walks among the tall timbers and catching glimpses of the wildlife.  Heck, the whole world is some kind of garden, I'm just going to see a part of it!   Peaceful pleasures and quiet company await this gardener!

Thru the looking glass
Dec 17, 2007 | 7:25 AM PST
I've been looking out the sliding doors.  I want to see the natural woods when I sit in the chair.  I think I could do a wide angled step and put the major part of the deck out of view.  The snow would cover those steps and it would be a wonderful view with no man made objects in sight.   That would have to be peaceful.  Hmm, would I be Alice in Wonderland?    I'd just have to make sure no queen sent her 'deck of cards' out on patrol!  8^)  And if there are rabbits they better not have a watch as I'll be wanting time to stand still.

Calm, clear and ccccrisp!
Dec 14, 2007 | 6:58 AM PST
Whoo!  A degree or two off of 40 below zero!   There is often no wind when it is that cold.  Now that's a blessing!  8^)  But not the kind of day you want to be out and admiring the scenery.  Some find all the brightness a bit much but it makes it wonderful for working in the house.  That must have been the kind of day they had in mind when they wrote the words for "open up your heart and let the sunshine in"  Surely it is a liquid sunshine, you can almost feel it run thru your outstretched hands!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it....
Dec 13, 2007 | 6:21 AM PST
snow!  The tall tawny grasses and field stubble that are so prevalent are beginning to disappear.  Visibility is down and the garden plants are snuggling down.  I should probably wade about in the snow and knock some off a few of my little cedars.  Where is that darn wind when I could use some of its sweeping effects.  Mind you the lack of it just now will mean that re-shoveling the path won't be too difficult.  The years of just walking on  top of the snow  are over as my sense of balance finds tight rope walking that wiggly line very challenging.  Besides Murphey's Law says you'll make a miss step when you have your shortest skirt and dress boots on!

Snow drifts and Lampstands
Dec 12, 2007 | 6:11 AM PST
I have a couple of solar lights up near the entrance that are slowly being buried under the snow.  I'm looking out at my snow covered boulders along side the north bush and I'm thinking some kind of hardscaping would be nice to look at in the winter.  I wonder if they make tall solar lights.  I find the Lampstand in the Narnia series quite intriguing.  I have a tall torch in That Faerie Place but with all our wind that won't do as a light sorce. I'd have a forest fire going in no time!   I also need to think about Dh's deck.  That will definitely bring civilization to my 'wild' area.  Not sure I'll like that but I guess you can't stand in the way of progress especially when it's he who pays the bills who is pushing for it.  Ah, maybe the snow drifts will hide the man-made aspect of my wilderness view.

What you see when you look!
Dec 11, 2007 | 5:51 AM PST
Tawny is definitely the secondary colour after white.  Gravel, grasses and then grey bark.  When I saw how many greens there are it was revolutionary but now I see the browns.  Heck, probably applys to any colour!     The local garden magazine has an article on hardy shrubs.   We just planted a hawthorn by the entrance and I went for a medium tree with a nice shape and the magazine says it has quite red fruit.  I have started and didn't even know it!  Now I'd tried  twice with a  very hardy mountain ashe along the bush and they died so it must be pretty wet over there as one nursery man said he didn't know you could kill a mountain ash.  Sheesh, just my luck to have that claim to fame.  But nannyberies and cranberry are in the bush along with dogwood so I shall go with what is working, just up the options a bit. I'll need to do some more cleaning up in the spring while I can see the uglies that need to go.   I also see lots of poorly shaped trees on my travels.  Those gov't workers who hack trees under power lines etc. should all be sent to 'tree' school or something.   It really is amazing what you see when you look!

Bright Lights
Dec 10, 2007 | 5:48 AM PST

After a hectic day in the city we took a leisurely drive home to see all the Christmas lights.   I'm not into all the holiday decorations but I sure do want some of those lights in my garden.  Winter and summer.  I really like the tiny lights.  Perhaps some of the blue ones for in That Faerie Place.  Then there are the wire deers that are outlined in lights.  I can see a group of them along that north bush, in amongst the few boulders that I'm collecting for the juniper and sedums bed.  A lovey cluster twining up a pole right by the entrance gate is another option.  I definitely want some lights in my garden and not just for a few weeks in December.

There is gold in them thar hills
Dec 7, 2007 | 4:44 AM PST
After studying the terrain, I'd say tawny gold grass is the main winter attraction.  At least until the snow starts drifting and covering it up.  We made a run to the city to view a coming attraction- our first grandchild.  The ultrasound showed what looked like a moondcape to me, but the techy assured me it was a real baby.   I wonder how soon I'll need junior sized shovels and rakes?

Talk about Tarnished!
Dec 5, 2007 | 5:42 AM PST

And that's what things look like in the north view.  I can see there are still lots of old poplar that need cutting down.   A lot more black than silver out there.  Lots of oaks growing up as well so over time that will be a black bush and not the light airy, whispering woods that I really like.  I luv the sound of those little round leaves jiggling away.  It's kinda my inland sea!  lol

But even the dogwood aren't too red.  I must supplement with some of the new dogwoods.  I think there is even a silver and gold dogwood that's available.  So I should get a blank note book and start thinking of silver, a bit of gold, lots of red and some evergreens.  The south sun shines full on that bush.  Dh has a deck in mind and I'm thinking I'd like that 'room' to have a cabin at the lake kind of look.

Time to get out the silver polish, I think!

All that glitters...
Dec 4, 2007 | 7:43 AM PST

isn't necessarily gold.  When the sun is shining it is snow that sparkles and glows.  But we're getting a present from the frozen north.  Lots of snow and storms.  I do think winter interest in my garden will be confined to things that are over 5 feet tall.  Lumps and bumps soon give way to long drifts.  But I am noticing golds.  Some of the taller grasses and the willows .  At least that's the view to the west.  And the view stretches off to the horizon. I hope the willow shelterbelt keeps coming.  We put about six young shoots that had actually rooted in water into pots and buried them in the garden and put bales around them.  The rabbits like to strip the bark.   So these will be replacements for the ones we've lost.  You gotta give those old prairie pioneers some credit.  Establishing these shelter belts is harder than it looks.  We planted some green ash 30 years ago and they struggle out there.  Even the lilac row isn't very tall.  But where we need to cut that wind we haven't any trees to speak of so that is where we are trying to get these willows established.

Perhaps I'll have my coffee break by the north sliding doors.  The bush protects that side and it is poplars, lots of native dogwood .   Gold should give way to red.  But that bright white is what ties everything together and I sure don't tire of all that glittering.  Of course my enjoyment is mostly from looking at it and not necessarily walking in it!  Activity is for the green months.  Relaxation is for the white ones!   So it is glittering diamonds, a few rubies or garnets and some strings of pearls for this season and I'll leave the others for their seasons.

Neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm!
Dec 3, 2007 | 7:41 AM PST

I'm about ready to settle for that lukewarm state!  

Our first hard frost was unusually late in arriving this year.  But when it did it took the old mercury in the thermometer and plunged it way down and I rather doubt we'll be seeing the other side of zero till spring.  You'd think that would give us some time off for good behavior.  But an irratic fall left us quite flat footed and lots of odds and ends weren't attended to.  My poor bunny is still swinging from a tree branch!  His smile is surely frozen in place as he can't be enjoying himself that much!  lol

I did get a cold room somewhat renovated but the door isn't in place so I'm not sure how everything is going to make out in there.  My kitchen geraniums received a severe pruning that left me a tad miffed.  Now they will also be hiding their nakedness among the jars and veggies!    So the basement is rather warm.

The kitchen window had frost forming so he who pays the heating bills was out putting plastic over that window.  That took a bit longer as he had to keep sticking his fingers under the old armpits.  But my geraniums would have appreciated the cold air being cut off.  As it is.... well, let's just leave sleeping geraniums lie!  8^)

My sewing room is next for plastic but the 2 story window will be getting it from the inside and  heaven help me if I poke it!  But across the hall the occupants are putting a perfectly sized and heavy gardening book over the heating vent.  The vent comes straight up from the furnace and just pours that hot, dry  air into that small bedroom.  Now that is where the newlyweds stay so leaving their door open and sharing with the rest of us won't be an option until at least the first anniversary!  Now our bedroom must also be shut because I refuse to let Dh plastic that windy window because I like fresh air at night.  More accurately life has played a mean trick and I no longer need 3 quilts and a hot water bottle.  Poor Dh now grabs any quilts that I discard!   LOL

But the good news is that everything is getting a nice blanket of snow outside and I'm expecting that under their covers things are just the right temperature!