Whaaat?

This morning, I was in the garden around 6:30 to take advantage of the cool weather and because I was awake anyway. It was heavenly. When I emptied the wheelbarrow in the compost pile, I saw something odd. Huge liles were growing out of bags of what we thought were leaves!

Our gardens need a lot of nutrition and one way we get it is to drive around our neighbourhood in the fall and pick up bags of leaves that neighbours have put out. We slice them with a utility knife so the rain can get in easily and then wait for them to turn into dirt. In the late summer, I layer the mostly composted leaves with garden compost in a neighbouring bin. We also get manure from various farmer friends and have picked up mushroom compost from the mushroom factory in Wellington in the past.

I really didn't expect to see lilies growing out of what I thought was a bag of maple leaves!!! I wonder what colour they will be?

I like to check the gardens on Tuesdays to see what flowers and greenery will be available for our Wednesday bouquets.

This seems to be a really good year for small fruits. There are copious amounts of blueberries.

I've changed my gardening ways to first see where plants seed themselves and often leave them right there. It makes the gardens look a bit willy-nilly, but I think those plants know where they like to live and it doesn't kill me to leave them there. I love putting dill flowers in our Wednesday bouquets.

I didn't do that with these beets that seeded themselves. We are slowly making the gardens a bit smaller every year as we age. These seeded themselves in a spot that we've returned to lawn. So, they were transplanted here.

The mesclun mix next to the greenhouse is very happy. The two mustard plants have bolted.

Inside the greenhouse, hot peppers are very happy. I think I'll get some more pepper seeds and plant a fall crop inside the greenhouse.

Many of the mesclun greens are bolting this week in the greenhouse. For the past two Wednesdays I've dug out the bolted greens and replaced them with eggplants.

Here's a better view of the greens.

On the shelves are beets and cucumbers? I forget. Whatever they are, they're coming along nicely. I really should pay more attention!

The raspberry crop looks like it will be bountiful if we continue to get the rains we've had so far this year.

And, be still my heart - kiwis are plentiful too. They take a long time to mature. They ripen in late September and are about the size of a small grape. But, oh so tasty!

One of the ornamental grasses I am trying this year is starting to show its beauty. It will look great in our Wednesday bouquets.

Yesterday, I transpanted my second try of cucumbers. 3/4 of the first group died. Not sure what they didn't like, so I put some compost in the holes before I transplanted the new ones and watered them in well. They survived the night, so that's a good start.

Wild rasperries have been populating the ditch since we stopped mowing there.

The coral sunset peonies fade as they age.

There's a better view thanks to a dark background.

This peony plant was in the garden when we bought this house 25 years ago. Peonies are amazingly long-lived.

It's too bad that poppies don't work well as cut flowers.

Do you see the remaining dew on these geraniums?

And, another peonie that could easily be 50 years old.

Inside the shop, Ted has been making special blue bird houses for the Northumberland Land Trust. They also attract other similar birds. He got the plans from Audubon. He was frustrated because Canadian Tire's white stain was living up to the "Crappy Tire" name. Should have bought the stain at Home Hardware.

And, finally - the vegetable/herb garden is mostly planted. This picture is for Laura and Jodi. I am sure you were wondering.

The warmer temperatures and possible rain should help everything explode with growth this week. And, maybe those surprise lilies will start to show their colours too!