Jeez Louise

inch by inch, row by row…

Warning: Boring Gardening Post with Too Many Photos

It’s finally the May long weekend - the weekend when, traditionally, those of us in the Maritime provinces finally feel safe enough to start planting. Any sooner and we’re still at risk for snow; any later, and we risk losing our vegetables and plants to frost in the Fall.

So this morning, I woke up bright and early (well, for me, bright and early is 8 am - it’s Sunday! C’mon!). We don’t own any type of tiller, and we don’t know anyone who does, so I was out there turning earth over with my shovel. Luckily my garden isn’t that big - probably about 9 feet by 4 feet- because by the end of all the bending and lifting my back was saying “hey you - enough of that!”.

Next Rob and I went to the garden centre and got some compost, a rake, and a hose to replace the hose that got run over by the lawnmower last year. We had a little adventure then - the starter on our car needs replacing, and of course, I tried to start the car and it just. wouldn’t. I freaked out. We waited awhile, and it started. Let’s all pray that it holds out another few weeks until we can get it fixed.

I also took a few photos of things that have started blooming around the yard - my tulips have been up for weeks, but just this morning started to show any colour. Some are still closed, but some are finally open just the tiniest bit.

My rosebush and hydrangea bushes are starting to grow little leaves.

I planted these pansies last year - they’re supposed to be annuals, and only grow for one year, but for some reason, they’re back this year. It’s fine by me! You can see all the leaves that got caught in that flowerbed over the Fall/Winter. I have a feeling that’s why the pansies came back… they were covered over by all the leaves and everything and it kept them warm, under the unreasonable amounts of snow we had this winter.

Last year, I planted some peony roots - and absolutely nothing happened. The people at the garden centre said that they’d grow within weeks, and they didn’t, so I just assumed they weren’t gonna come up. Today I was clearing out the bed where they’d been planted when I saw this:

… and so I transplanted them into planters in the front yard. Hopefully they’ll survive; if not I had already thought they were dead so it’s no big loss (although I love peonies! So I will be sad if these don’t survive - don’t believe my tough-gal exterior).

I emptied the bed where the peonies were (where for the past couple of years I’ve just been throwing wildflower seeds and not giving any thought to it) and planted three kinds of sunflowers there. If they all grow, it’s going to be a glorious little corner.

Then it was time to tackle the vegetable garden. Once all the compost was in and mixed with the soil, I put in the 3 types of tomato plants, jalapeno pepper plants, and banana pepper plants that I bought on a whim yesterday ($1 for 4 plants). I have no idea if the peppers will grow in our climate, but I just love trying. Then I planted the vegetables. This year I decided no beans/peas because the past three years, what I planted didn’t really produce anything. So we’ve got beets, turnips, pumpkin, cucumber, zucchini, and radishes. I have carrot seeds, but 1) ran out of room and 2) we still have some of the carrots from last year so no worries.

All in all, it was a very tiring, but satisfying day. When I was all finished the gardening, Rob fired up the barbecue for our first of the year (chicken and hot dogs… we’re so gourmet!). Our little stone patio could really use some work (what I wouldn’t give for some gorgeous teak patio furniture instead of the plastic and metal stuff we have now) but I have a feeling our back yard is going to be a place I’m going to really enjoy this summer.

I’m in no way a professional gardener - I do my best, see what happens, hope things grow. Usually they do. Sometimes they don’t. I just love being there, planting, watching. I think it’s a relaxation thing. My grandfather, the coal miner, took great solace in his vegetable garden and in his rosebushes. My father is a gardener, too - gorgeous flowers surround my parents’ home. Maybe it’s hereditary, who knows. I just know that being able to coax some little things into life, and to feed my husband and I on the products of my garden, is immensely satisfying.