Creepy Crawlies (again)

Three times in two days an intruder has dared to enter our house. I know it’s ‘that’ time of the year again, but still, I thought I’d made it clear last spring that inside is MY domain. I expect creepy crawlies to stay outside. Suffice to say, those three are no longer around to make a

Getting the upper hand (or maybe not)

No writing analogy today, just a springtime reflection from my photo journal. ~ Sunshine spills over the trees to lighten the gardens with a citron glow. Springtime colours smile in mossy lawns, tiny new alder leaves and an abundance of forget-me-nots, violets and periwinkle blooms. Every spring I rave about the multitude of greens in

Feathers and Friends: a Comparison

. . . Feathery bursts of colour, delicate clouds of white, pink and red, punctuate the mostly green garden beds in our back yard. Whether you call it false spirea, meadowsweet, false goat’s beard or astilbe, this hardy perennial is one of my favourites. The plumes rise above lacy, fern-like leaves and last for several

A Snow Queen Greets Summer

. I didn’t really expect it, but summer arrived here yesterday, both on the calendar and in reality. The sun shone for the first time in a week and the temperature shot up from 12 to 27 degrees C. I was tempted to complain about the heat, but prudently decided to refrain. During the cool

Methods of Revising and Weeding

“Well, aren’t you just a busy little bee,” my neighbour exclaimed when she discovered me in the garden. Personally, I didn’t think I was working very hard as I reached down to tug at a bit of creeping buttercup. This kind of weeding is something I do without much effort. If I’m wandering through the

The Banana Belt Goes South for the Winter

I’ve been gardening this afternoon. Yes, I know it’s mid-December, but with snapdragons and chrysanthemums only now beginning to look pathetic, a sunny and relatively mild day here in southwestern B.C. couldn’t be wasted.   The last bit of my pre-winter yard work is finally done, and just in time. I’m told snow is in

Creepy Crawlies

 A proficient gardener I’m not, but I love to putter around in the yard. I meander through the flower beds on a regular basis, hauling the hose along to water needy plants, discovering what’s new, deadheading depleted blossoms and, yes, (shudder) occasionally encountering miniature wildlife.   I’m not a big fan of bugs, but I accept