Gardening injury.

This lovely pallet tipped over as I was moving it, resulting in:

THIS!!!

Potting up bedding plants...

Newly potted peppers with lettuce in greenhouse.

I began the day with a trip to Buckerfield's. I got a 10 kg bag of bone meal. It is 2.50 per pound in bulk, or 23.99 for 10 kg or 22 lbs which is $1.09 per pound. Buying large bags is really the only way to go. I also got quite a few black nursery type pots. They were .99 each for both the one and two gallon size. I didn't have enough for all that I needed to pot.

See how pale they are.

I began by potting up the tomatoes that I want to grow myself. I was really surprised to see the Sungold plants have flower buds already. I have enough tomatoes for all of us, but about half are still in flats. I didn't have enough room in the greenhouse. I think I may have left them in the flats a bit too long. They were getting yellow. I also potted the peppers into two gallon pots and the Galeux pumpkins, or peanut pumpkins as they are nicknamed are potted.

Cucumbers...can't wait to try the Lemon Cucumbers!

I used my new potting bench even though it isn't quite done, but is totally functional. Picture to follow shortly.

Meyer Lemon flowering. The scent is heavenly.

The Meyer Lemon is blooming. So much so, you can smell the sweet blossoms outside of the greenhouse. The lettuce is providing us with large salads every day now. Very delicious. I am still really surprised how much stronger tasting home grown lettuce is compared to store bought. Incredible.

Aunt Helen's wild strawberries

I moved Aunt Helen's wild strawberries from Ontario out of the greenhouse onto the deck. In six days they went from completely squished flat in my suitcase, to growing and sending out new leaves. I put them on the deck under a table. I am not sure where I am going to put them, but...

Fall Gold raspberry

Berry patch with raspberries and alpine strawberries

Did a walkabout in the yard trying to figure out where to put the currants and yellow raspberry. I may just take a chance and put the yellow raspberry in the bed with the red. My worry is that I won't like the yellow and they may take root and I could have trouble getting the roots out from the red.
***As you can see by the picture, I just bit the bullet and planted it in the berry bed.

Currants still not planted...Note buttercup killing in progress.
It ain't pretty.

The currants are still a puzzle. They were an impulse buy. I've never had a currant in my life. I'm in love with the idea of currant jelly. But did I really need and red and a black? Well, yes I guess I did. I'll get back to that tomorrow.

Just what the Dr. ordered...new beds. Thank you Allan.

I have had a couple of stressful and emotional weeks. Today was just what I needed.

Goodbye Dad....

My Grandmother, grandfather and Father

I've just returned from Ontario. I was there for my father's funeral. My father had Alzheimer's, but his death was unexpected. My Dad was really funny and a lover of slapstick. I come by that very honestly. It's a recurring theme in this blog. Everyone who spoke of him, during the funeral and after the services, said what a gentle, kind man he was. It was really nice to hear. The funeral was beautiful. The reverend gave the most touching and beautiful service. It was comforting. My Dad's brother, my Uncle Harvey, passed away in the fall. I like to think that they are together somewhere talking about gardening and politics.

The services took place over three days. The final day was the burial. We drove up to The Muskoka area where another service occured and my father was lowered. I noticed a man in coveralls off to the side. I assumed correctly that he was the man who owned the tractor that would push the soil back in. I noticed him looking at me. Someone mentioned to me that the man's coveralls had the name F. Schell on them. When he was done with the tractor, I approached him and pointed at my Grandmothers headstone, and asked him if he was related to my Grandmother (the most beautiful person to ever live on the planet) Mary Schell. He said yes, she was his grandfathers sister. Floyd is my cousin. Floyd also knew my father. It was, again, so comforting. Floyd started to tell me about the family tree and was pointing at stones. I had been to the cemetery before to visit my Grandmothers grave and noticed that we had a lot of family buried there. What I didn't know, was that over 100 years ago, Floyd's grandad (or great grandfather?) sliced a piece off of his farm and gave it to the family for a private family cemetery. I am related to everyone in the cemetery. Floyd told me that he knew when he saw me that I was family. Apparently I look exactly like his mother. Floyd was then pointing at the surrounding bush (forest if you aren't from Ontario) and telling me which land belonged to which family member. The whole area is being farmed by my family.

Cousin Floyd's tractor



My cousin Floyd

All of a sudden I get the gardening, the urban farming urge, the love of tractors, the canning.... I feel so connected. I come from real sturdy farm stock. I knew my grandparents farmed, but wow, there are...I don't even know how many family members farming there. Well that sure explains me tearing my yard up for veggies and making pickled beets and jam last fall.

Old family photo, not sure who. But aren't
the horses beautiful.

My sister Jess and I went to my Aunt Helen's place in Muskoka on our last day. Aunt Helen is moving on Friday. She is a professional gardener. She took us on one last tour of her yard. I believe it's about 50 acres. My cousin Brad joined us on the tour. He was pointing out little wild strawberries that grow all over the property including the lawn. Brad said that they are small but have the flavour of ten normal strawberries. I don't know if they'll grow on the coast, but Helen dug a dozen out of the lawn for me. Then she dug out two clumps of what look exactly like miniature daffs, but of course they are narcissi. They grow all over Orillia just like the Stella day lilies. I had to squish all of it completely flat in my suitcase. Today they look poofed out and much better.

Well Dad. Goodbye. We loved you and will miss you. God speed....And say hi to Grandma for me.

This is one of those plants I'll keep forever...

This is a primrose. The original little baby was given to my by my gardening friend Alan when we worked together at Canada Post. I left Canada Post in 1988. So I've had it for a while. It blooms here in Sidney in February to April. What makes it so special? If you look at the picture you can see it. Closely. Squint. I'm going to give you a hint.

Here is a previous (from about a month ago) picture of my cauliflower:

And here is the primrose:

For some reason I don't understand...this primrose is immune to slugs. In our rainy season the lower island is crawling with them. This plant...a true treasure.

Easter Monday...I'm exhausted...pictures of why

Created a new area for shade lovers and newly transplanted etc.

The lettuce is getting nice and big.

The rhubarb is amazing.

I went with Jess and Amanda to Marigold and Meadow Oak nurseries. We were there for hours. I just HAD to get a Fall Gold Everbearing Raspberry. Every time I would see them they would call out to me.

I dug out all but one of the herbs to get them away from the buttercups while I use cardboard to kill them. I am not sure they are totally out of the roots, so I still may need to replace some herbs. Darn. I was SO thankful for the potting shed today. I also repotted a Gingko Tree to send home with my sister.

The herb patch after herb removal.

Some of the cardboard that will be necessary for buttercup killing.

While at Marigold, I almost missed these incredible double Polyanthus. I have never seen anything like it. So it's here on the new shady shelf for now.

Last but not least. The French Sorrel freshly dug out of herb garden. It looks pretty sad. They were calling for rain today. In fact it was HOT and this poor thing wilted. It is on the new shady shelf as well. Good luck my pretty.

**Tuesday update: The French Sorrel looks a lot perkier today.