Boo......I guess the gardening season is officially over in Calgary. Our backyard was finally hit by frost last night and boy oh boy, it took it's toll. The gigantic sunflowers are drooping and the last tomatoes that we left in the hope that they might colour a bit, were solid this morning. I've also been avoiding pulling up the gladiolas as they are blooming so beautifully but today, their number is up.
Yesterday, I pulled up the sweet peas and harvested as many flowers as possible. Right now, they are filling the living room with their gorgeous scent!
Later today, the last of the fall clean up will commence.... peonies will be cut down along with the daisies and hollyhocks and the last few bulbs will go in. We have Gladiator Alliums and some charming orange peony tulips left in the garage that need a home.
And then we wait....for spring.

I've got a few minutes before I must scamper off so just a quick post...

So many green tomatoes....what's a girl to do? Spend a ridiculous amount of time searching the interwebs for recipes of course. I have yet to taste test the green tomato salsa from last weekend but there is a tiny voice in my head telling me to wait a bit. Let those flavours get to know each other first.

I've long been a fan of The Pioneer Woman and today I poked around the Tasty Kitchen tab to see if she had any green tomato recipes. I was quickly rewarded with what looks to be a tasty gem....Green Tomato Relish.
The recipe calls for 4 1/2 pounds of green tomatoes so it will put a nice dent in the box of baby fruit.

The garden forecast has been calling for frost the past few days and it looks like any hope of an Indian Summer has been dashed.

Sadly, we picked all of our green tomatoes and have them stored in a large box where I hope they will continue to ripen.

If not and if this recipe for green tomato salsa is successful, I will be making numerous batches. This morning I made a single batch as a test and it yielded 2 jars. Perfect for taste testing.

I have also stocked up on heavy duty freezer bags for the remaining carrots which are safely nestled in the ground. That is also a big project as you must trim and peel and then blanch prior to freezing. I am sure the reward of garden-y tasting carrots in February will be worth it.

Yum!



Pt. 2 Later the same day...
It is freezing out there today! The air has more than a nip to it now that the clouds have moved in.
Some fall clean up motivation moved me to pull up a few things and turn the old compost bin. The peas definitely got hit with frost so those came up along with rhubarb (which I froze for winter treats), a few nasturtiums and some gladiolas that didn't do much this year. I hope we can count on a few warmer days to completely put the yard to bed as there is a lot to do; perennials to cut back and bits of grass to pull that have been poking up where we removed lawn. Plus, some of the flowers still look nice and it feels too early and too soon to say goodbye.

Oh my....it's September 11th and the garden is already starting the inevitable decay. We've had a totally crappy summer here in Calgary. So much rain, so little sunshine. The tomatoes have been stuck on green for weeks and weeks. On a positive note, the carrots are delicious and the snap peas have been a great little treat as I survey the yard. The beets did well and make the most amazing snack in the form of baked chips!
J's attempt to grow corn has not been a success and the tallest plants are not even 5 ft. There are signs of fruit but we may have snow before we get to sample the 2 or 3 cobs we may get! He is referring to them as decorative greenery!
As you can see from the picture, the sunflowers have really triumphed. The stalks are 3" across and one or two are in excess of 10 ft tall. Hard to believe that you can put a little seed in the ground and be rewarded with these giants.
Because I try to adhere to the glass half full outlook on life, we are considering the summer of 2010 as our learning garden....
Tomatoes-yes!
Snap peas-yes!
Carrots-yes!
Beets-yes!
Zucchini-yes!
Peppers-not so much.
Broccoli-disappointing.
Corn-nope.

As far as flowers, I learned that sweet peas should be planted much sooner than you think although they ended up doing really well. Columbine should probably be purchased at the garden centre and not grown from seed...it needs that headstart. I did not get any flowers...but the leaves are pretty.
Last but not least, plant way more bulbs than you think you need. They look sad in a little group of five...I want swathes of them in the spring! I will be stalking the garden centres once again.

Dahlias!

 Just got back from vacation and all is well in the garden. I am always a little worried when we have someone else caring for our flowers and vegetables. Only one pot took a bit of a beating but it is slowly coming back.

The sweet peas are finally blooming. I wasn't sure they were going to make it as they had a late and rough start. I put them in the ground late and then because their feet weren't shaded, they started to dry up. The columbines I started from seed finally grew up and started to provide that needed shade and the peas took off.

Being unsure of what would grow vegetable-wise, J planted THREE zucchini plants. Well, they love it here and are sending up tons of beautiful buttery blooms. I need to start sourcing out recipes and a deep freeze so that I can do some major baking! Maybe a call out to any zucchini lovers is also in order?

The bee balm is in full bloom with tons of pink fireworks shooting up. The leaves of this plant smell amazing...kind of  minty and I love the joy it brings to the corner by the back door.

All of a sudden it's July 20th and I haven't posted for two weeks. What have I been doing you ask? Simply sitting back and watching my little garden grow. Everything is happily blooming away.

The veg is coming along nicely even though the broccoli and kohlrabi leaves are being slightly nibbled by some little white cabbage butterfly worms. We've just plucked them off and stomped them. I am loathe to start in with any sort of chemical and the worms have been so sparse it just doesn't seem worth it. Plus the stomping is quite therapeutic!

The peonies are finished blooming but the daylilies have stepped in with their gorgeous orange blooms. The white Galahad delphiniums had to be staked but are still looking lovely. And last but certainly not least, the Becky daisies are about to beam with their sunshine smiles.

I am quite proud of the work we have done in the yard this year. There has been a lot of sweat, some blood but thankfully no tears. I can see glimpses of the private and peaceful haven we are imagining.

The peonies have been treating us to quite the show this year. The house is full of them and wafting their delicious scent here and there.
While it's sad to think that their days are already numbered, there is the promise of daylilies in the coming weeks. The buds are standing tall above the grassy leaves, poised for their part in the show.

The veg is coming along nicely as well. J's lettuce seed is popping up not only in it's neat little row but in various other spots in the bed. It must have been windy on planting day! We are so looking forward to peas and baby beets. I am hoping this spell of hot weather will push the tomatoes into action. The plants look great but no flowers yet. Other years, we have bought plants so maybe I am just being impatient. We did grow everything from seed this year. J is talking about getting some lights and a stand next year so that he can baby his little seeds in the basement and start them earlier.

We have been selfish with our little backyard oasis for too long so I am inviting a few people over for some sun, cocktails and bbq this weekend. It's one thing to beam proudly to yourself but a girl needs some external validation every once in awhile!

Poppy

Hot! Hot! Hot!
Today was a balmy 25 degrees and the flowers and garden are coming alive. The peonies are starting to open and the poppies are bursting forth with gloriousness! Makes me wish I had more poppies!
To escape the city heat, we headed out to the valleys at the foot of the mountains. Driving south to Okotoks and then winding our way through Black Diamond, Turner Valley and finally Bragg Creek. There are a ton of properties for sale out there and it got me thinking how amazing it to have so much land that too many of one particular flower would be a non-issue. Swaths of poppies! Row upon row of tulips! Ferns? Oh yes, let me take you on our little fern walk through the aspen grove to the west. Someday.....

Yard

Finally, warm summer sun!
The vegetables are really taking off and I think we have planted everything for this year. Next year, we will start filling in gaps.

The last items to go in....
Assorted ferns, Lady's Mantle, Irish Moss, Daisies (Becky) and some marigolds to keep the bugs away from the tomatoes.



We also purchased some black square metal planters that are home to the remaining tomatoes. Next year, I think some tall grasses will take their place and create a nice screen.

After a weekend of glorious sun and heat, we are back to the rain and I am dreaming of having a sweet little lounge at the back of the yard. Imagine this with some gauzy fabric swaying in the breeze on each side while you nap nestled in pillows and maybe a light blanket if the weather is cool. Le sigh.

The brief warmth gave the vegetables a little oomph and we are seeing sprouts from kohlrabi, beets, spinach, lettuce, peas and onions. I am quite sure they are cowering out there right now wondering what the heck is going on. I know I am.

The weatherman promises that the sun will come out again Friday afternoon and until then, we are collectively holding our breath, saying prayers and crossing fingers and toes.

Sweetwater Cabanas

With the weather forecast predicting a week of thunderstorms and little sunshine, I am dreaming of my peonies in full bloom.
We (meaning J) planted our vegetable garden over the weekend and desperately need the warm sun to get things started. Our first row of corn seeds has already dried up and disappeared but we have now heard that corn is a tough sell in Calgary gardens.
The kohlrabi and beets seem happy and are sending up little seedlings so all will not be lost.
It's our first year growing veg here so I am sure there will be some success and some out and out failures.
One success has been our lawn. We don't have a ton of it but what is there, I want to be pretty so I sprinkled some shade/sun grass seed on the bare patches a few weeks ago and it is already looking lush and lovely. We are definitely not crazy lawn obsessives but we are striving not to be the stand outs on the block!

I finally got tired of looking at the stump and it looking back at me from the back of the yard so I got stubborn and dug it up tonight. While I am claiming victory over it, I think it is getting it's bit of revenge on my back.

Now, what to plant? We will start our lettuce and spinach but other than that all I have is a Giant Goat's Beard. What a perfect excuse to head over to the garden centre again.

For the past two years, I have been wondering about this spreading ground cover. This spring, it seems to be extra bossy and is spreading down my shady flower bed with abandon so I did some searches and it appears to be Viola Hederacea or Australian Violet.

My actual worry was that it was some crazy invasive plant that would choke out everything else. On the contrary, it seems that this ground cover is excellent at keeping weeds down and the small white blooms are an added bonus as well.

The snow has tapered off and I got the nerve to peek under the plastic tents J put up yesterday to shield the tomato plants. All seems well. Fingers crossed and prayers said along with a stiff drink.

I have no words...

Tulip

So, here we are...the May Long Weekend. The starting gun has sounded and Calgary gardeners are off to the garden centres in a mad panic to buy ALL the flowers.
I admit, I popped into 2 of them this morning but my list was short; white impatiens and a couple trellises. While I didn't find the trellis I am envisioning, I was successful and came home with a flat of white impatiens.
And some white New Guinea Impatiens and a few orange trailing petunias to disguise my rain barrel. Oh! and some bamboo stakes for the tomatoes.

While only 2 of the daffodils I planted last fall dodged the squirrels, my tulips fared slightly better. I estimate that 10 bulbs were lost but I have probably 15 yellow ones that have popped up and flourished. Those odds aren't that bad and I am planning on adding more next year.
They are just too gorgeous to resist.



P.S. A Quick update
New stuff planted today for the shade garden
Sweet Woodroof
English Daisies-white
Impatiens-white
Ostrich Fern

It seems that I haven't posted in way too long but since the snow not much has happened...at least weather wise.
We are done digging out the grass and have managed to get that out of the yard and to the dump. Last weekend, the weather was gorgeous and I have the sunburn to prove it. We planted a Rosy Glow Barberry and a Winged Burning Bush towards the back of the yard and Joel put in his beets and zucchini.
The May long weekend is the official planting weekend here in the prairies and it has been a long time coming! The seedlings have been hardening off for the last 10 days and they should be good to go this weekend.
I have columbine, sunflowers and sweet peas to plant and will have to hit the garden centre a few times before the end of the week. J has an array of veg to start and has been babysitting his tomato plants daily.
I am on the hunt for white Impatiens and promise to get out with my camera this week and post some new photos.

Poppy

Judging from the long term forecast for Calgary, spring is here...finally.
After last weeks cold snap and snow, we thought it would never arrive.
Everything that had popped out survived, even my tulips which were in full bloom.
Our trays and trays and trays of seedlings are growing nicely and today was nice enough to open up the patio doors and let them feel the breeze. I guess I can start hardening them off this week.

I did plant one thing today, even though it's not the May long weekend. That is the rule here in the prairies. I always try to push it a bit and imagine I will be putting stuff in the ground next weekend. For today, I put in the Chippewa Blueberry bush. I am having visions of blueberry pie!

J still has to fight the good fight and get that shrub out of the ground but he needs a chainsaw. Scary! We tried using an axe but it seems that the wood is just too hard and too alive. The axe just bounces off which is even scarier!

Click the link if you dare. I have decided that I am simply not going to acknowledge  it.

Your Weather: Snow in May - The Weather Network

Plans and lists

Plans and lists
While waiting for yesterday's snow to melt, I re-did our yard plans and added lists so that I can see the palette that is developing and what we have. I've started so many flowers from seed this year that I started losing track...is that an annual, perennial, how big does it get, when does it bloom?
And then we have the veg to contend with. I have to make sure that I leave sufficient space or I will be on the receiving end of dirty looks and a lot of head shaking.
We have cut out a significant amount of lawn...7 feet at the back, 4 on each side and another 4 in front of the soon-to-be constructed deck.
Plenty of room for the dandelions. I will again be attempting the chemical-free battle on those cheery little buggars! Promise not to swear too much....really.

April 22

I will admit it. I am feeling a bit nervous today.
The weather man says that starting on Thursday, a cool system will be moving into our area. With the predicted rain and daily highs of only 11 or 12 this could mean that our friend, snow, will make one last appearance.
Now this wouldn't normally bother me but I am a gardener now! I am tilling the soil, nursing the seedlings, dutifully using my compost bin and dreaming of a pretty rain barrel! My tulips are reaching skyward and sending out blooms. There are lemon yellow pansies popping up here and there. The irises, poppies and delphiniums are all happily growing away.
I am sure that generations of Calgary gardeners have soldiered through spring's unpredictable skies but until I see my beauties survive, my stiff upper lip will remain slightly pouty.

DayLilies

It appears that spring may finally be making an appearance here in Calgary. The weather network is promising a week of glorious sunshine!
I've tried to restrain myself and not do too much in the garden but my daylilies needed dividing as they were trying to come up through the cracks in the sidewalk. So, I just did it. Fingers crossed that they are not too shocked. My rationale is that they were still dormant and shouldn't notice...hahahaha.

P.S.
I also moved two bleeding hearts after work. I googled it after and apparently early spring is the best time to move them. Yay!
I also dug up a really gnarly, possible dogwood something from in front of the chimney. J made a face but I am still glad I did it. It was really terrible and it couldn't have been that healthy because it only took a couple shovel digs and a good yank. I am also waiting to see if the two Astilbe I planted last year on either side of said dogwood-something will come up this year. I vow to protect them from the damn bunnies!

Sowing the seeds

Sowing the seeds

Today, I thinned out all the new seedlings for our vegetable garden. We have started 3 types of tomatoes, peppers and broccoli. Most of the rest, we can sow directly in May. It is so hard to stop ourselves from buying more seeds but the allure of homegrown produce is too much!
oldladybird's garden...nice.

This year featuring:
Bonny Best tomato
Cherry mix tomato (orange, yellow & red)
Sweet Delight mixed peppers
Big Beef Hybrid tomato
Bonanza Broccoli
Canadian Early Supersweet corn
Zucchini Dark Green
Detroit Dark Red Beets
Tenderlong Imperator carrots
Grand Rapids lettuce
Sugar Snap peas
Sweet White Spanish onion
Summer Bunching Scallions
Teton Hybrid Spinach

I'll list out the flowers soon and then report back at the end of the season on what did well.

Ah, spring in Calgary is a cruel mistress. After weeks of warm weather, even the tulips were fooled by the spring storm that rolled in last night. I am not sure why it always comes as a surprise. Maybe because we are already getting our gardening suntans or it could be that it just seems unbelievable that after days of +10 and higher that snow could even be possible.
Nevertheless, my tulips and daylilies are buried under a couple inches of slushy snow that should melt within a couple days. I am curious to see how they fare in the long run. Stand by.

Peony
 

Everything is starting to peak out from the soil...even the peonies although they are just testing the air with a pinkie.
J and I went to the garden centre again this weekend and started two more trays of flowers and veg. Mojito Salvia, Chinese Lanterns and some gorgeous white columbines called Aquilegia Lime Sorbet for the flowers and more tomatoes, broccoli and zucchini. I dread that I will be that lady who is trying to pawn off pounds and pounds of zucchini!
I am definitely going to need a deep freeze before fall.

We also have a new visitor to the yard...or maybe he's not new at all. Either way, there is a very irritated Robin who is hanging out in the yard giving us some serious stink eye. It could be due to the fact that we have chopped down the shrub that he nested in last year...
He comes around when we are outside and sits on the roof or the fence and stares at J. Weirder still...over the weekend when we were digging, Mister Robin decides to check out what I am up to and lands on the ground about 2 feet from me and just casually checks me out. I say hi, grab a worm and throw it over. Without even a flinch, he hops over to the worm, grabs it and takes off.
J thinks I am some sort of animal whisperer.

Weekend destruction

Yesterday, I noticed that the chickadees had returned. A pair swooping systematically back and forth into the rotten hollowed out deck boards...presumably starting to build a nest. We knew it was time to pull down the deck.
We have a plan in mind for the style but after reading the building code rules and regs are not sure that we can move forward as planned. It will require a bit more thought but I am sure we can come up with something pleasing and within the law.

Diggin'
 

Good Friday has been good for gardening! J and I started digging up the new beds. Since it is much to early to do anything other than destroy and kill, digging up turf seemed like a perfect way to scratch the gardening itch. We spent the afternoon jumping on the edger and shaking all the excess dirt (along with a few earthworms) back into the bed. J fought a valiant battle against a very old shrub that used to reside between fence and deck and that will be the new home for a rain barrel. Now I get to figure out what lovely things to plant in these generous 4ft beds.                                        

We did have a small bed there last year. It came with a lilac (colour to be seen), a pale pink peony & one pink bleeding heart. Last summer I added some coral bells, blue fescue, poppies and white Galahad Delphiniums. If you sense a colour theme you are correct. This house came with all pink walls inside and all pink flowers outside with the exception of some brilliant orange daylilies. My only choice has been to embrace the pink while trying to minimize it with a palette of pink, orange and white. We'll see how it starts coming together this year.

This is what the yard looked like last year. We have grand plans to remove a lot of grass from the perimeter and fill it with perennials and shrubs.
The large tree on the left has been removed; poor thing was improperly pruned to death by the previous owners. We are also removing the small, oddly shaped shrub that is not letting the sun assist in my composting efforts.

Since the insert image does not seem to be working, here are some of the lovely things I hope to grow in the garden this year. Last year was more about waiting to see what was already here and now we can move forward with bigger plans. Namely, adding vegetables to the mix. J has picked out a selection that includes beets, kohlrabi, lettuce, snap peas, tomatoes, various herbs and carrots. Who knows what else we will end up with but we are both looking forward to snacking in the back yard. 

Adventures in Zone 2b

Last year, I bought a house which means I have a lot of dirt to dig around in. Zone 2-3 poses some unique gardening challenges; air as dry as the Sahara, cool nights and a dismally short growing season. Stand by for photos from my suburban garden.