Garden Fairies

Come.  Come with me for a walk around the garden.

It is early in the morning...if we're really blessed, we might...I say might, now...see one of the Garden Fairies still up, before she lays her head beneath a blossom in perfect slumber for the day.


It is, as yet, a tiny, quiet garden. Here, in the Cariboo, with the dry climate and harsh Winters, I have set out plants which will withstand the dry and the cold...and most of them are not choice, highly bred ones. You know the ones I mean...the plants which require more nurturing, more water, more fertilizer. The ones who fade at the first sign of an Insect...those are the ones I did not choose for my garden.

Instead, I chose Daisies, Foxgloves, Sedums, Poppies, Grasses and tough shrub Roses.  Hollyhocks and Digitalis grow well here. And Birds have helped in the planting...there are many rogue Sunflowers everywhere. Snapdragons, Marigolds and Petunias fill in those bare spots forever there between perennials.


During the last week Thunderstorms were the order of the day. Rain fell in sheets. It was difficult to remember the Dry or the days where I hauled the garden hose from border to border, attempting to give aid to those plants which withered from the heat and the dry, dry soil.


This morning, Sun is out, shining once again upon this small garden, all those Storms a distant memory.

Our walk begins at the seedling bed, which hides the well pipe. This bed is full of Tithonia, Nasturtiums and Sunflowers...none of which are in bloom as yet. But aren't they flourishing! So full and lush...Rain has given this bed a huge boost.


Nate loves to chew on Sunflower leaves.  Last week, I despaired of ever seeing them bloom in this bed...but the amazing amount of Water which fell from the heavy, dark Clouds has revived them. They will grow well now; Nate doesn't bother with the older, bigger leaves.


Let's wander over to the border against the fence line. Poppies leap and bounce with strong, colourful energy in these beds.  They were a little ragged from the Storms; yet even the flowers which were torn by Wind and Rain are picking their heads up off the ground...a little dirty, a wee bit lacerated...but still shining strong orange and yellow.


Do you see this strange plant here which came out of nowhere? This one is a gift from the garden Gods...I don't know how it settled here. It is a wild Strawberry, I gather, and very fragrant. Crush a petal...can you smell Strawberry's intense fragrance?


And now, let's open the gate and meander over to visit Rose. Hasn't she bravely weathered those Storms?  Her petals are strewn here and there...not as pristine as she once was, still her lovely scent lingers strong.


Oh! Did you see? That sudden movement over there must be Lady Rose, a fairy with a delightful countenance! A flash of her loving, gauzy pink is all she awards us with this morning...


But never mind, it is still good luck even to catch a glimpse of a fairy!


Let's carry on, now.  I understand you do not want to leave the area of a fairy sighting; yet she will not return. Searching for a fairy is rarely rewarding...one must pretend not to be interested at all in fairies. The idea is to outwit them, you see...


Mind the Pebbles and Stones on the drive, now...some are loose and could trip you up.Our intention is to finish the driveway with gravel, after all the heavy trucks finish delivering the goods for the woodworking Shop. 

Yesterday, son Scott helped us build a new garden bed by the front door. I couldn't believe the whole bed, Boulders included, was done in a couple of hours. Youth and Strength...it was amazing to watch.


Do you know there's nothing I like better than fashioning a new garden bed? Do you see the borders on the other side of the driveway? I made those beds last year, when I was not really too sure how much Sun they received.  There are plants in those beds which will be moved to the new one...Ferns, Hostas and even some of the Begonias will be moved to the shady side.


There are no longer any  good nurseries open where I might find some plants, so I will transplant from my own garden...and before you know it, the new bed will no longer look so empty.


We're in a construction site now...mind your feet.  Graham built the Shop during his vacation. There were times I had to help hold walls up as the building went up...I won't forget those times easily. I've discovered I'm not a builder.


But isn't it a lovely building!  I will look forward to beautifying it next year, although Graham is not very interested in having it beautified. Petunias don't really do much for him. But he will like it when it's done.


We must now attempt to go down the slope, on the bank behind our house. It is very steep; we need stairs in various spots, but we haven't had the time, as yet. So, take my hand, and follow my steps...

There. Now you can see the beds under the big Trees up close. Do you like the colour combination here?  I'm not too sure about the deep, deep purple Petunias...I think they are too deep for this darker space.  Next year, I will keep this in mind...


But I do love how the old Stump has become such an icon in this spot over here. I have planted Vinca here...I am hoping it will ramble over the old, gnarled Stump.  And the Marigolds...haven't they filled out! In the beginning of the season, they were just stalks with an orange pompom flower on the top. They looked rather rigid and unforgiving. I am glad to see there are many more pompoms now.


Oh and over here! We cleared this area out in the Spring, and left the Wildflowers. It was lovely earlier in the season with all the Lilies that bloomed, but after that hot spell...oh yes, that hot spell! they went to seed...


No. That is not another Fairy...it is a Bumblebee, as big as any I have ever seen. They grow them big around here! I don't believe, as I told you before, that we will see another Fairy this morning. Time is moving on.


From down here, you can see the shrubs I planted on the bank. They mooched about a bit,  some not immediately appreciating the slope they were being planted on. But after the heavy Rains, they've settled in.


Up the other side of the bank, now, and here we are at the Greenhouse.  It is not heated; yet it will give us so much more time at the beginning and end of the season. The Tomato and Cucumber plants look as if they will take over the whole inside space, but each is producing well.


Oh, shhhh!  Look over there! Don't move.  Do you see Lady Parsley grooming herself just over there? Oh, she is so beautiful, with her long, gauzy green robes...and her wings are transparent! Look...I believe she's watching us as well. 


Lady Parsley has visited me in my dreams.  I am very pleased to make her acquaintance again during waking hours!

A blink of an eye, and she's gone.  One must be extremely aware and awake to see Fairies...and we saw two this morning!


Well. We've finished our walk...and now, would you like a cup of Tea? And some scones? They would be good with the Strawberry jam I made last week.


If we sit quietly here in the shade, one never knows who might appear.


A walk, Fairies and then a reviving cup of Tea...what can be better?

A Visitor

It was the last day of the work week; a day for cleaning and catching up for the upcoming Stampede weekend. The weather was sunny and warm...we had just received a few days of Rain, and every Leaf and Flower sparkled from the leftover drops of Rain in the rays from the golden Sun.

All in all, it seemed like an ordinary day.  But soon, the quiet of the countryside would be shattered. And I would be caught up in an inexplicable event.

I am not very surprised when a group of Mule Deer wander through the property. They generally browse outside the fence...and even if the Dogs bark, the Deer are well aware that there is a fence. And so, they feel safe.  They have, as well, grown somewhat accustomed to our Dogs, especially Lucky.


Lucky is a strange one. He has an empathetic ability which allows him to speak (or bark) with the animals that visit.  Should an Eagle fly by, for example, Lucky will be the first to see him.  And then when Eagle calls, Lucky will sit, ears up, and bark once or twice, never taking his eyes off Eagle. Eagle will often return the favour, circling over Lucky, and calling to him. This has happened so often, most times I am not even aware of it any longer.

There are many stories we have collected concerning Lucky and wild animals...he is our ambassador to our wild friends.



The Mule Deer who visit here, however, generally travel within a group. This particular morning, there was only one.


I was inside the house when I heard the Dogs barking. I went out to see them railing wildly at a Deer by the lower gate. The Deer was not at all concerned with our foolish Dogs. Her nose was pressed right against the fence and she exhibited great interest in these two Beings who could not contain themselves.


And since she did not project fearful energy towards our Dogs, they settled down. And I watched as the three communed for what seemed like a very long time. I was about to get my camera, which I was once again without, when Deer lunged forward, towards the Dogs, setting them off all over again.


And then she raced up her side of the fence, the Dogs in hot pursuit on their side. She raced back down, the Dogs again running with her, barking wildly. At the gate, she stopped, then again she lowered her head, bounced on her front hooves, and raced back up the draw once more. Again, the Dogs gave chase.  This behaviour happened over and over.


I was completely perplexed. I watched as the three of them rested, with Deer browsing and making very sure to keep out of my sight, but very close to the panting Dogs. Her behaviour was very odd to me.  And when she raced up and down our fence line, my heart was in my mouth.


Inside the fence, there is a cleared trail.  On her side, there are stumps and branches and windfalls everywhere.  As Deer raced with our Dogs, she would jump and fly over obstacles in her path.  It looked so dangerous, to me. It looked as if she could easily get hurt...and what was I to do with a Deer with a broken leg?


When she thundered down the draw, towards the gate, my legs went weak.  There was so much power in her race with the Dogs! It  was phenomenal to watch.


Deer was here for a couple of hours.  The racing with our Dogs stopped after awhile. Nate is getting on in years; his figure is not what it once was.  I watched him with trepidation as he raced, over and over again, with Deer.  He has Arthritis and is overweight... But there was so much joy!



And Lucky, after his initial confusion at Deer's strange behaviour, recognized Deer's playful lunge, since he does exactly the same thing, when he wants to be chased. Lucky loves to run and is fairly fit. He raced alone with Deer two or three times, jumping over Nate who had decided to collapse and rest. There was much hilarious, happy barking when Lucky almost beat Deer to the gate.


I could feel and hear the laughter in the voices of these animals who should not, by all accounts, be friends.


Yet, I could feel, as well, that these three had bonded their energies, possibly for life.


What odd behaviour I had witnessed! Both Dogs and I were a wee bit apprehensive at Deer's bold approach at first...but it was soon evident she only wanted some company, since she could have retreated into the bush at any time. And her gaze, when a resting period arrived, centred on Lucky, whose colouring is similar to Deer's.


Nate, as well, this time, allowed his wariness of wildlife to recede. He enjoyed the races, as much as Lucky (even though he's slept and rested since!)

I could not help, as I watched the three of them flying along the fence at full speed, comparing Deer to an extremely finely tuned athlete.  She used every sense she had when she raced over the broken, obstacle ridden ground. It reminded me so well of long ago, when I rode cross-country.  There was never any assurance of what lay ahead, only the sure knowledge I was going to go ahead...on an unknown path.
 
And Deer, using all her acute senses, gave me a gift, this day.


I will never forget the awesome, terrifying, stupendous beauty and power our Visitor showed or the lesson she gave.  We are all connected, us Beings. It only takes a little patience, sometimes, to understand one another.

She stayed with us for the rest of the morning. Eventually, the Dogs retreated to the house and their beds. But as I went out to begin mowing the lawn, I saw her large ears as she peeked around Guardian Rock. 

And ever after, my intuition tells me eyes are watching as I go about my gardening chores.


Watching and waiting for her pals  to be free.

Wild Roses

Many long years ago, when I was a small girl, the best part of the school session was the month of June, and not only because it was the beginning of Summer holidays.

I travelled home by school bus. The weather had warmed up by June; the bus windows were all open. And every once in a while, a waft of Air would bring in the scent of the wild Rose, which grew rampant on the sides of the roads.


I was amazed at this flower. She came back year after year, without any tending. And Rose's scent...clean, fruity, sharp, sweet and unmistakable...made me gather fist loads of her to give to my Mother, never minding the thorns. I did this until I discovered how fleeting the life of Rose's flower was, once picked.

Her beautiful, scented blossom is meant to be admired outside, where Sun and Rain and Wind release her ethereal essence. It seemed to me that she breathed out the very smell of the upcoming Summer.

And here she is again. Our property has wild Roses everywhere. Some do not like her; they pull her, they poison her, they bulldoze the Soil around her. And eventually, she does not come back.


There are very few wild Roses blooming along roadsides anymore.

But I love her.  She can be difficult to love, with her running roots and her habit of hanging on to her dead canes until there is very little of her blooming canes left in a huge tangled bush. Rose does so for a reason...those old canes give her support when she leafs out, when she blooms, and finally, when her red hips hang ripe and luscious.

When I cleared the lower bench, I took out those old canes, and pruned the others.  Rose has rewarded me with an abundance of blooms...but she can not hold herself upright, if the canes left were small. One of the jobs on my list is to stake those dangling, lovely balls of pink, in so doing giving Rose strength to grow those large hips.
 

She will send up other canes.  If they are in the same area as the cane left after clearing, I will leave them, in order to build  a bush.  I did this with a small, wild Rose I found when we moved in, right by the West side of the deck steps.

After two seasons, she glows.  She is clothed in pink with very healthy dark green leaves, used almost as a fashion accessory. It is as if, at any moment, she may pick up her skirts and twirl and dance, as if in a minuet.


From a very unassuming little Rose, about the size of a minute, she has grown three feet, possible more if I had let her. But I pruned, fertilized and clipped, last year when there was little in the garden to nurture.


And she has certainly rewarded me! Now my concern is for how large she will grow...and how much clipping and pruning there will be, in the future.


When I smell her unforgettable scent, as I work in the beginning stages of what will be a garden, I am transported back to my childhood.  It never fails to make me smile with anticipation for the upcoming Summertime.


It doesn't matter that I no longer have Summer vacations such as I had as a child.  I am flooded with happy memories, all of which shower me with joy and well-being. In reality, my childhood was not always like this; yet, Rose only sends me cheerful, buoyant recollections.


And this is the way I prefer to remember my past...with joy. I have left the rest...the garbage left over from lessons learned...behind.


Wild Rose takes me back in time when I first began my journey. A time of anticipation and innocence, a time when life's sorrows had not yet tinged happiness for me.


And I wonder...perhaps it is time, once again, to view the World through those proverbial rose-coloured glasses I once owned...the ones I put away long ago? Perhaps it is time to put the scarred, cracked and blackened ones away,  along with that left-over garbage?



The scent of Wild Rose tells me it just might be so.

Handing Over

Time moves so quickly, when Spring finally arrives, and the temperatures outside remain stable.  I heard on the news Calgary received Snow a few days ago. So I am a little fearful of the same thing happening here...Calgary is south of us.

I have planted all my seedlings.  They have been through the worst...Snow and Hail almost did them in, and then an early Heat wave again almost finished them off. A little ragged, a little less fresh than they were when I purchased them, they have finally taken root and are showing signs of new growth.

There was a  happy glitch in my intense fervour to landscape the raw land we live on.  Graham had a conference to attend in Port Alberni, my hometown, and where my family lives. Of course, I went along! While he was busy working, I was able to spend some lovely, energetic time with the Grandkids.


I also, on this occasion visited my sister and brother-in-law.  Her garden is one I aspire to...she has lived there all her life and her garden shows it. Every Tree and Bush has reached maturity.  It is the kind of garden where one never knows what might show up just around the corner.  They have recently built a very large swimming pond and I spent a pleasant morning watching a Mama Bear and her Cub nosing around it.

The visit was great for my garden, as well.  My sister gave me a huge bunch of raspberry canes, which I could not find in Williams Lake.  As soon as berry canes come in to the nurseries here, they are snatched up.  Raspberries, apparently, grow large and especially sweet here in the Cariboo.


When I visit a garden such as this, it gives me even more impetus to continue on with my own. 

People ask me why I would put so much effort into making a garden when I plan to move again in a few years, back to the Island. And it is a valid question.

I'm not sure I know the answer.


All I know is I love to garden.  And to beautify a place, to help Creator sculpt a garden He has already planted, seems imperative in every way.  I leave behind, when I move, a small part of myself in my gardens, a small imprint of who I am.

And every home deserves a garden.



A few weeks ago, I was at the end of my rope.  I was fighting nerve damage; with every movement Pain was my companion. I planned the garden during this time. Others wondered why I was even planning, since I could barely move without searing Pain. How was I ever going to manage landscaping this raw, stony land?


But I could not think this way.  If I myself thought I could never do it, I would have been severely limited. I handed my health over to Creator...I gave it to Him.  And then I tried to forget I might have trouble putting my gardening plans into action.


But the diagnosis of Fibro opened the door to new medications I had not yet tried.  And one, Lyrica, has stopped the Pain in its tracks. As long as I take the medication, my body feels little burning from the nerve I damaged so long ago.

Yesterday, I was clambering up and down the bank which runs along the back of our home. It is steep and rocky and filled with wild Flowers and many Weeds. To plant the whole bank, one which only Wildlife sees, would quite possibly bankrupt us. So, only a small part of the bank was planted with various flowering Shrubs, Thyme, and Chamomile.


Arnica, which grows rampant along the bank, suddenly looks more defined, as the raggedy edges are cleaned and pruned. And I found a set of Rocks which look like a dry River bed cascading down the bank. I will highlight this area in some way.


The point I am trying to make is I was actually climbing up and down the bank, planting and digging on its steep sides. I was climbing!

With no burning pain from that damaged nerve whatsoever.

The only Pain I have now is from Arthritis, which will harass me at times...but even this ache from the joints has dimmed. Yet, my right hand is largely useless now, due to Arthritic stiffness, swelling and Pain, if I try to use it too much.


And so, I am using my left hand more and more.  Isn't it great that we have two hands! In my younger years, I never thought I would learn to be a lefty as I grew older. It is not as difficult as I might have thought, at one time.


Creator has given me the tools to continue to live with joy. Handing over my problems to Him has always worked; I had no reason to believe He would let me down this time.  I wanted to plant a garden and I asked for help.


It really was that simple.

Boulders, Weeds and...Greenhouses

It is difficult to believe May is almost over. For the first half of the month, the weather was capricious...Snow and Hail fell, the temperatures remained cold and Frost each morning was a given. I continued with Spring chores, regardless of the weather, because I could no longer stay housebound.  If it was cold, I wore heavy sweaters and gloves, until the afternoon when Sun allowed me to shed layers of clothing.

But I believe the days of Frost and Snow and Hail are over for a few months.  We have had days of warm weather, with night temperatures going no lower than 3C. My hanging baskets are out and I have planted all the window boxes...with red Geraniums and deep blue Petunias.


Now there's a flower...Petunias and I were never all that friendly when I lived on the Coast...perhaps because I could never find a spot where it would not be rained upon. But here, with the dry climate a bane for other plants, the Petunia shines.  Each small plant becomes a flowering mountain of colour which sends out a delightful perfume, with very little work on my part.

Those are the kinds of plants I really love...the ones which take over their spaces and travel far, sending their stems into unknown territory. With a large piece of property on which to garden, a plant like this can cut down on costs considerably.


There was no garden here when we arrived; I can certainly understand why.  Weather is against us gardeners here; if we are not on top of our game when Spring arrives, it will be over and we will be in the heat of Summer. Spring in the Cariboo seems to me to be a very short season.

And our Well is not the largest...yesterday I tried to water in Grass seed I had spread in grassless areas. I also overseeded what passes for a lawn, which was damaged by the layer of Winter Snow. Very quickly, it seemed to me, I reached the lower section of the Well.

With very little Water in the Well left over for gardening, one must be creative.  I save the little amounts of Rain, which can really add up, in a barrel by a downspout. I use leftover herbal teas to water the new baby plants. Water in which I wash vegetables is sprinkled over the newly planted beds. Any water which can be used is...

But this gardener is determined, as most true gardeners are. I read labels on new plants carefully, checking the zone and drought tolerance of each plant. I try and buy the hogs...the ones which leap over boundaries with great glee, so that large areas are covered. I do not give in to the beautiful plants who beckon to me in the nurseries...the ones who will require coddling and much precious Water, even as I admire their lush greenery.


Instead, Sedums, Poppies, Daisies, Sunflowers, Asters and Zinnias find their way into my cart. There are shady spots, so my old friend Hosta finds homes here and there. Cold and drought tolerant Roses are planted along the drive. Black Elder grows well here, so a few shrubs dot our garden, where we can enjoy the pink and white blossoms. And of course, many, many Lilacs, who love the climate here much better than in any other area I have ever lived.



It seems a little strange, when I live in a Forest, that I hankered for Trees.  But I wanted a few deciduous Trees, just for the unearthly, beautifully tender, green leaves which arrive in Spring. I picked a purple Crabapple, a Battleford Apple, a Tartarian Maple, a Mountain Ash, and a Weeping Pea. All have fiery Autumn colour, which will glow against the gold of the Aspens dressed in full Fall finery.


The challenge here will be to find a spot to plant these Trees which is not full of Boulders, as we have very stubborn stony land. Determination to the fore, once again.

Even Graham has been bitten by the Spring bug.  Out of nowhere, with scrap lumber, he decided to build a greenhouse...and did it in one weekend. There must have been some divine intervention, since Graham as well seems a little boggled by how quickly it was built, with no forethought of any kind. The greenhouse went up beautifully; close to the house, it will give me at least a month more in Spring and Fall to harvest.


And so, tomatoes and cucumbers will grow in warmth and security. No longer will I have to pray and wait for the hard, green tomatoes to ripen, with frost in the forecast. I overheard a lady at a nursery who was buying a few flowering plants.  She said...These plants are just for the outside; the plants in the greenhouse are for my sanity.


She's right.

I, however, have no experience with greenhouses.  If anyone has any hints, I would very much like to hear them.



If I still lived on the Coast, all this planting and clearing and building would have been done months ago. But I am only beginning to garden here and May is almost over. I hear hammering and machinery in the distance, as my neighbours also take advantage of a fleeting Spring to do work required, before the awesome heat of Summer arrives.

The sense of urgency, floating here on the Wind, is strong.

So with this in mind and joy in my heart, I am out in the garden, planting the new and greeting the old. 

Every day, regardless of the weather.