Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Our Garden

In our garden there are many delights, we almost always have something blooming, about to bloom, or needs dead heading. (Tee Hee Hee) Yesterday I trimmed and cleaned the rose bed, which got them ready for the winter. Today I took a photographic journey through my yard to document it. Each picture I took has a story (or a few ).  From the rock beds to the flowers to the Nick-knacks.  We know where they come from and how they came to live with us.

All of the rocks that make up the retaining wall ( approx. 30ft long X  3ft tall) behind the work shed , to the stairs, came from the place we lived before here. ( MaTarAwa RV PARK ). At the time, as I've said before, I didn't know what a blessing it was to have to bring all of that here.  We worked for three weeks to build that wall, and it had one problem after another , but in the end, it does it's J.O.B. LOL !

Not only is it a retaining wall, but it also serves as a two tiered flower bed. The beds contain a variety of bulbs that grow at different times of the year. We call it the cutting garden. ( although I have a problem cutting flowers just to have a bouquet in the house) When the flowers need trimming I clean them up, other than that I leave them in the garden.

This time of year, things are going to sleep for the Winter, the gardens look bare to me, yet lovely all the same. I do a lot of winter cleaning, taking out the spring and summer mulch, replacing it with fresh mulch. At the same time I remove any greenery that has died back, remove any weeds and see what is about to peek through the ground. It is my time with Mother Nature, which I very much enjoy.

It 's pleasant this time of year. We have had a few hard frosts, which have caused the pre-spring flowers to think it is time to wake up. Today I noticed the Daffodil's, Hyacinths, Freesia and Snow Crocus have decided to start. I talk to them, asking them why they are so early this year. "Do you know something I don't, my lovely ones?" (No, they never give up their secrets) Still I worry that they won't make it through what is still our winter season. ( I put a bit of extra mulch on the tender shoots, in hopes that it will save them.z)

A walk through my garden provides more that just flowers, if one takes the time to look. Our winter gives every one a chance to see the nick-knacks we placed, ( in the growing season a lot of them are hidden) Each of them were gifts from the people in our lives. They all have a special place in our garden. Most of them have a nick or two, (wings break off the fairies, dragons lose their tails), still I keep them.  Even when the have a mishap and shatter,  I try to keep them.

We have given an ID to each of the beds, with eleven beds to speak of, it's important to know which one we are talking about.  (and that is just the back yard!) We also have three patio areas in the back yard (two of them are kind of together) a BBQ area, a place for the bird seed we feed the critters and a mock waterfall. If you look through the pictures I post on Facebook, you will get it. (Also on my blog) It sounds pretty big, but it really isn't.

 Well now for those of you who have made it through this ramble of mine, it is time for  the Prompt tease... Which is Haiku..

Hope to see you joining in too
ENJOY
JL&B