High time for some more shots of things growing in our garden!…
…and possibly some other random images that I have overlooked throughout the last couple of months. Let’s see what I can find…
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Where we live…
Tags: British Columbia, Modern life, Victoria
Several posts back in what is in serious danger of becoming a blog about gardening (a subject on which I am completely unqualified to write but which seems to be one of the few activities still open to one in these strange days) I spun a tale about the conversion of the redundant raised pond in our front garden into a new bed for plants. All that remained – I reported breathlessly – was to choose that which should be planted therein.
To give the gentle reader some broader physical context – this is what the bed looks like in situ:
As may be observed the bed is backed – and overhung – by a screen of five medium sized fir trees and surrounded by a cluster of evergreen shrubs. This whole acts as a handy barrier between our property and the road and gives the garden an agreeable degree of privacy. There is – however – a fair bit of ‘green’ going on.
What to plant there? The firs raise the acid level of the soil beneath them which limits the choice somewhat. We considered azaleas or rhododendrons (both of which we already have in fair number) or something with bright coloured flowers. The problem with the latter is that the contrast obtained thereby would last but a limited period each year.
We chose instead to offset the greenery with some burgundy/red which would provide a nearly year round contrast – and went looking for suitable low-habit Japanese maples (or acers should you prefer). Here is what we found:
The larger one is a Gloucester Red Select and the smaller one is a Red Dragon. Why did we not purchase two bushes the of similar size? Have you seen the price of these things? They will end up of similar stature and this way we get to see them grow and fill out over time whilst ensuring that they take on the shape that we want.
They both cascade nicely and will give us a pretty mound of burgundy – fading to crimson red in the autumn (fall) – to offset all of that greenery.
Now we just have to wait and enjoy the show from our kitchen window!
Tags: British Columbia, COVID-19, Gardens, Photo, projects
“Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!”
Robin Williams
I was thinking just how lucky we are to have a spring garden. This is my favourite time of year and having a spring garden may well be a large part of that.
Then it occurred to me that I have been fortunate enough to have had – or have had access to – more than one spring garden over the years. “Mayhap” – I pondered to myself – “all gardens are spring gardens… or at least, coming hard on the heels of winter, that is the way they feel”.
Actually it matters not a jot and I thought that you – the gentle reader – might like to peruse some more images of nature’s bounty as it currently pertains in this neck of the woods.
Tags: British Columbia, Gardens, Photo, Spring
I have to admit to feeling somewhat guilty. Living in (semi) lock-down is tough – but it is clearly a lot tougher for some folk than for others. Some countries have much tighter restrictions than others to start with – and for those who live in urban environments with little room and limited opportunities to get outside – or for those who live alone in very rural areas and are keenly feeling the isolation… I can offer only my sympathies and support.
Here on the southernmost tip of Vancouver island we have good reason to feel fortunate. BC has done as well as anywhere to keep people safe during the crisis and our caring professionals are – as elsewhere – doing a fantastic job. Up here on the peninsula we live in a very beautiful place and have an abundance of space. We also have each other – which is the ultimate blessing.
I thought I would post some pictures from this neck of the woods. I hope that they give pleasure to some of you. Double-click for the full effect.
This little chap was outside my bathroom window for a couple of days. With the afternoon sun behind him he threw this silhouette on the frosted glass. I thought I should take his picture. No – I didn’t have a camera with me in the shower. That would just be weird! I fetched one afterwards…
Tags: British Columbia, COVID-19, Home, Photo, Vista
The first thing that came into most people’s minds (of those to whom I divulged our impending move to Canada some five years ago) was the thought of the Canadian winter – as though that somehow defined the country. Further, it was reasonably clear that their preconceptions ran primarily to winter sports. Maybe in the back of their minds they conjured up this sort of image:
Now – of course – Canadians don’t exactly always go out of their way to discourage this sort of stereotype and it does have to be said that in parts of the land there is a fair bit of winter to be had.
But not so here on the Wet… pardon me… West coast. Our winters tend to look more like this:
Nice weather for the ducks – though the cormorants don’t look so impressed. These photos were taken today in Sidney by the Sea on the umpteenth (seemingly) day of apocalyptic gloom and ceaseless and torrential rain.
With us right through Christmas apparently!
Still – a good excuse to stay indoors and snuggle up…
Tags: British Columbia, Photo, Weather, winter
Down in Sidney-by-the-Sea today was a somewhat blustery day. As may be deduced from a quick look at the accompanying map:
…the Saanich peninsula (on which Sidney occupies a small but growing area near the top and to the eastern side) is fairly well protected from any of the worst of the wild winter winds that might wreak havoc out in the Georgia Strait by the archipelago that comprises the Gulf Islands (Canada) to the north and the San Juan Islands (USA) to the south. As a result the seas in the Haro Strait and particularly in Bazan Bay tend to be placid and even millpond-like on balmy summer days.
There are days however – in winter – when the wind comes directly off the water and the clouds scud in from the open sea. Then – even in the early afternoon – it looks more like this:
Tags: British Columbia, Vancouver Island, Weather, winter
Sunrises at this time of the year here on the west coast of Canada can be particularly vivid, though the weather seems to veer wildly between days on which one cannot see the closest of the Gulf Islands (a mere couple of miles away) and those on which one can see forever… or at least as far as Mount Baker (a little over seventy miles distant).
It never was much fun getting up in the dark to go to work and it still isn’t, though as I have only to do so twice a week I really shouldn’t grumble. In any case I only have these early starts for another five weeks or so and my January timetable looks a whole lot more friendly. Anyway, dragging ourselves out of bed to be faced by this sort of sunrise really does take the edge off the shock.
It is hard to remain stony faced in the light of such splendour.
Tags: Autumn, British Columbia, November, Photo
I thought I would post some images (before it was too late) of the relatively few remaining plants in our garden that have not been savaged by deer…
They are contrary ba**ards, these creatures. One year they are picky customers – turning their noses up at all manner of succulence. The next – they will (and do!) eat anything. If it’s green and has leaves – it’s lunch!
This makes planning a deer-proof garden almost impossible. If one is unable – as are we – to circle one’s little plot with a rugged deer-proof fence of some variety then one has little choice but to search out plants that deer don’t care to eat. That would be a good sight easier if they didn’t change their minds from season to season.
Purveyors of plants like to advertise particular combinations of perennials as being deer-proof. I think the deer just see this as a challenge.
“Doesn’t matter if I don’t much care for this – I am going to choke it down anyway just to make a point! Hah!”
Once one has reached the point of imagining deer internal monologues it is probably time to stop, though…
Tags: British Columbia, Deer, Gardens, Photo, Summer
Following on from my last post – which featured some beautiful photographs of this beautiful part of the world by a most welcome guest contributor – here is the promised second batch. For many of these images photos of natural sources have been used as the basis for further creative expression. It is easy to see why this part of the planet draws to it artists of all persuasions from far and wide.
Many thanks once again to The Chanteuse.
Tags: British Columbia, nature, Photo
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