Friday Favourites: Of the Delights of Gardens

 

At last came the golden month of the wild folk -

honey-sweet May, when the birds come back,

and the flowers come out, and the air is full of the sunrise scents

and songs of the dawning year.

Samuel Scoville, Jr.

From the garden I picked the first two ripe strawberries today. They are indeed early, but red throughout with the sweetness of the sun. Plenty more green ones promise a good harvest in a few weeks. Red radishes and crisp green lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard are being clipped regularly for salads these days. Each morning I go out to open the greenhouse to let air flow through. The tomatoes are growing tall and need to be planted out this weekend. The squash seeds (Red Kuri, Zucchini, and Cucumbers) have popped through the soil and are forming their second set of leaves in what seems like no time at all. I'll keep them in the greenhouse until June for they thrive in the heat. 

 

Rhododendrons with their golden-tipped stamens are blooming everywhere. Last Saturday my sister and her husband were in town and wanted to visit Butchart Gardens. Off we went. Huge bushes of rhodos formed walls of colourful blossoms - pink, red, purple, yellow - so showy. Rhododendrons are not in my list of favourite flowers, but I do concede their drama and the wonderful colour they bring to May. 

More to my taste are the Himalayan Blue Poppies just beginning to bloom in the Japanese Garden. I've tried growing them in my own garden with no success at all. Seeing them reminded me of our trip to Iceland two summers ago where they grew in a very northern botanical garden in the Icelandic town of Akureyri. 

Yellow poppies are currently blooming in my garden and fat buds of the double pink bread seed poppies promise blooms soon. There's always something new to see on my morning strolls. This morning I tied the tall bamboo poles to support the sweet peas that seem to be growing visibly each day. 

My own tulips did not do well this year, and the few that did are now dropping their petals. In Butchart Gardens a few beds still held tulips, but I noticed they were being replaced by other plants.

The sun came back over the Forest, bringing the scent of May.

All the streams of the Forest were tinkling happily to find themselves 

their own pretty shape again and the little pools lay dreaming of the life

they had seen and the things they had done.

A. A. Milne

The friendly wisteria vine planted by our former neighbours is being trained along the back fence, as well as over the garden shed. The fence vine is slowly beginning to bloom, a bit later than the shed vine, probably because it's more in the shade. 

Wind has been the weather of late, with a chilly edge. Skies are dramatic. Last evening we attended an outdoor concert in a park, put on by our youngest granddaughters' school. Each class sang two songs in a very well organized production. Kudos to the music teacher! While driving home I noticed the light filtering through the dark undersides of puffy clouds. This evening we've had a bit of rain and it's most welcome. 

Our rhubarb plant is not producing well this year. I fed it a few weeks ago with some compost and it's perking up, but not enough to harvest. However, our son has plenty and shared a dozen or so stalks with us. I made a roasted rhubarb and strawberry (from last summer's frozen berries) that was quite delicious over ice cream, according to my husband. Today, friends came for coffee and I made rhubarb muffins. I'll post the recipe to my other blog later. 

Looking out my window at 9:45, it's not quite dark. Very black clouds are racing across the sky and tree branches wave wildly. Soon I'll crawl into my cozy bed and feel the cool air from the open window on my face. Sleep will be sweet. 

Wishing you a weekend of delight, be it Spring or Autumn in your corner. 

Blogtober 24: Friendships and Gardens

 

On my calendar today was lunch with two friends. From our table we watched the rain pound down, then slow, and finally cease. Boats sat still at their moorage, masts reaching up to the clouds. I enjoyed a delicious dish of wild mushroom ravioli in a creamy sauce. It was just the right size, not enough to make me overly full, but enough to carry me through the afternoon. 

The three of us planned to walk through Butchart Gardens, but one friend was developing a migraine and left the two of us. Every time I visit the gardens, I am amazed at the planning that has gone into their development. There is always colour somewhere, and plenty of texture and architectural interest. 

    

An old tractor makes a fun focal point for a harvest display. So many types of pumpkins and squashes, some looking very warty indeed. We noticed a number of shrubs wrapped with Christmas lights. It takes a very long time to put them up in time for the display that begins in December. There will be an ice rink for skating again, something that's been missing in the last couple of years. 

The Japanese Garden is particularly colourful these days. Usually it's a harmony of green shades, with rhododendrons in the spring and not much other colour throughout the summer. The cool green paths are lovely and soothing in the heat. In Autumn the maples of various kinds really show off. Red, orange, crimson, yellow, and coral leaves are artfully planted among trickling streams, red bridges, and gravel paths. 

This serene garden has grown on me. It doesn't have the floral showiness of other parts of the gardens, but is full of peaceful harmony.

Friends are beautiful treasures. We might spend weeks apart with only the occasional text to connect, but once we are together again there is never a lack of conversation. We have differing hobbies and interests, but are equally interested in what the others do. All of us moved to Victoria around the same time, and our husbands are also friends. 

As L. M. Montgomery said, "I'm so thankful for friendship. It beautifies life so much." (Anne of Avonlea)

Blogtober 4: Gardens in Autumn

 

A few days ago, I met a friend for a walk in Butchart Gardens. We were both surprised at the crowds. Several tour busses and a cruise ship or two were in town and visiting the Gardens is a popular excursion. 

I worked today in my own garden, pulling down the pole beans, cutting the last of the squashes and pumpkins and gathering their vines. This afternoon we attended the 50th wedding anniversary celebration of our daughter-in-law's parents, followed by a quiet evening at home watching George Gently. I'll leave a few photos of the gardens below for you to enjoy. 

I've saved the dahlias for another post. See you tomorrow! 

Blogtober Twenty-Five

 

Days are chillier. Trees barer. Flowers scarcer. Mornings darker. October is definitely showing her wintry side. 

Today I visited Butchart Gardens with my youngest daughter and her two littles plus their other grandmother, who organized the outing. 

Trees glow with colour, golds, oranges, reds. Gorgeous even without the sun. 

Two grandmothers and two darling little girls. The little ones are familiar with the path to the Rosebud Carousel and skipped their way there with the adults following more sedately.

Sandi had made reservations for tea at the dining room, and what a surprise to find out it was a treat for me in advance of my birthday next week. The grand girlies were so well behaved during tea, trying the different sandwiches and cakes and neatly sipping their peppermint tea. 

 

Ashley and the girls left after tea while Sandi and I visited the Japanese Garden. It's a quiet garden with water trickling and falling through it, moss-covered rocks, and layers of shrubs and trees. 

My favourite part of all of the gardens is the stepping stone pathway through the pond. Enjoy the photos.

It's been a lovely day. 

A little housekeeping: I try to keep my blog calm, and to focus on the beautiful things in life. I stay away from divisive issues and love that the vast majority of you do, too. I recognize that Blogger has its issues and sometimes you are not able to comment using your name. Most of the anonymous comments are self-identified, or completely lovely. However, (insert deep sigh), one anonymous commenter's remarks are not in keeping with the vibe I've tried to create here. I've deleted comments as they appear, but I am going to turn on comment moderation for awhile. 

Blogtober One: Butchart Gardens

 

I heard today that a Conde Nast reader's poll named Victoria as the Number One small city in the world. It is located in a most beautiful place with lots of wonderful things to explore. I don't know that I would have voted for it, though. It does have a reputation as the most British town in Canada, something I've heard from more than one British citizen. 

One of Victoria's biggest attractions is Butchart Gardens. I walked there today with a friend. A bit of drizzle happened, but the gardens supply clear umbrellas, and we stayed dry. The above view of the Sunken Garden is the most photographed of all spots. It is a stunning view. 

The dahlia walk is full of blooms of all shapes and colours. Elsewhere autumn hues are showing. There is a display of squashes - that one in left column middle looks like a starfish! 

Another display featured an old Ford tractor, perhaps used in the past on the garden property. There were also some enormous cabbages - coleslaw for fifty, I thought when I saw them. 

The rain stopped as we walked, but it was still enjoyable to have a chat over a hot drink in the cafe. 

I'm joining Barbara over at Coastal Ripples with Blogtober, attempting to post once a day for the entire month. We will see how it goes. 

Have you visited Butchart Gardens? In which season? There were plenty of tourists there today, even in the drizzle. 

Friday Favourites: Garden Flowers here and there

 

Hello there! Life snowballed for a bit and blogging was left behind. I've been painting the house (inside and out), gardening, and went to Butchart Gardens twice. The tulips are likely finished by now, but I hope you will enjoy these photos. 

The two little girls who accompanied me on one of the visits (along with their other grandmother) love the flowers. I noticed two-year-old Cora touching the flowers and then her lips. When I asked what she was doing, she told me, "I'm eating the morning dew." 

Tim and I also went boating one weekend. It was lovely to be on the water, and the weather was perfect, sunny and warm. 

Himalayan Blue Poppies bloom in Butchart Gardens. I bought seeds once, but they are notoriously difficult to start, and I had no success. 

Have you heard of the musical Come From Away? Tim and I attended a live performance and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's the story of the 38 airplanes and their passengers who landed in Gander, Newfoundland during 9/11. The townspeople took them in, fed them, and treated them like family for five days until US air space opened. The musical brought back a lot of memories. 

We also went to Spokane for five days, meeting up with friends we worked with in the past. What a lot of fun we had together, reminiscing and laughing. 

In my own garden, the forget-me-nots and violets are fading, but the peonies and roses are taking center stage. I hope to get out and take some photos of them. May is such a wonderful month, lush and green with a parade of blooms. 

I hope to visit your blogs soon and find out what you've all be up to. 

A Garden in Winter

 

You might think I've lost the plot with the contrast between the post title and the first photo. Orchids do not bloom here in January, in spite of having the mildest climate in Canada. But they do flourish indoors at Butchart Gardens, where I took myself for a treat one recent afternoon. 

In the weeks after Christmas, one of the restaurant spaces at the Gardens is converted into a "Spring Prelude", complete with emerging bulbs - daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips galore, along with more exotic blooms and even a koi pond. Walking into the space I was greeted with a warm humid blast of scented air that even I perceived, with my diminished sense of smell. 

..."gardening begins in January with the dream."

Josephine Nuese

I thought this idea very attractive - the broken sphere on a pedestal with a pitcher plant and ferns inside. New ideas for my own garden often come when I wander in other gardens, and January is indeed a time for dreaming about gardens.

Once outdoors again, I wandered through all the paths admiring the bones of the garden unhindered by the lush blooms to come. I took note of how the roses are pruned and each plant heaped with rich compost. A gardener tied the long long stems of climbing roses to the arches that will be covered in blooms in a few months. 

Then to the Japanese Garden, one of my favourite spaces. It never used to be so, but I have come to love the constant flow of water throughout the space, the lush mosses, and the sense of tranquility here. The red bridges (there are two or three of them) are striking against all the green. 

In a few more weeks, rhododendrons and azaleas will flower here, adding more colour to this lovely space, but for now, I am content to step along the stones in the quiet colours of January, dreaming of garden days to come. 

A Rose Garden Visit

 

Tiffany Rose - USA 1954

One afternoon last week I took myself on a spur-of-the-moment jaunt to Butchart Gardens to see the roses. They are later than normal due to our cool spring and early summer, but nearing peak bloom. About 250 varieties of roses fill the garden beds, with over 2500 individual plants. 

The Poet's Wife - England 2014

I wandered back and forth along the paths, stopping to admire and photograph, and to bend down and take a dedicated whiff of fragrance. Ahh, the delight! 

Rose varieties from the late 1800s through the 20th century grace the garden, with a grand selection of colours, shapes, and fragrances. Roses do not all smell alike, and some, like the hybrid teas, have almost no scent. How sad, for what is a rose without a delightful fragrance? 

Savoy Hotel - England 1989

I confess that it's the pink roses that appeal most to my camera. Pinks of all shades - from dark fuschia and wine to delicate pale blush pink. I love reading the names of roses and often wonder who chose the name and why. 

In my own garden I like to research the names of the roses and the history behind the name. For example, Boscobel is named for the house in England near where Charles II hid in an oak tree during the English Civil War (1642-1651). 

Parade Day - USA 2018

The Rose Garden is the only place where plants are labelled. A photo guide provides clues to other plants situated throughout the other garden areas. I take a photo of the label after taking one of the rose so I can refer to it later. 

Some names I find quite unromantic and unsuitable for a rose, in my own opinion, of course. There is one, a pretty pink rose, called Sexy Rexy that seems utterly incongruent to me. Do names of things matter to you? I confess that when I choose a paint colour for the house I fold the paint chips back so I cannot see the names of the colours for fear of being swayed in one direction or the other by the words. 

A small arbor and a now-locked gate once led from the rose garden to the Butchart family home. I find the tangle of vines and roses against the ironwork immensely appealing. 

Here is a view from above the Rose Garden to the house beyond, now a restaurant where they serve a delicious afternoon tea and other meals. The wing to the left of the main building once housed a bowling alley for children, and is now offices. The white roses along the main allee are just beginning to fill out.

Other gardens are filled with flowers, too. In the little wood cabin above the Sunken Garden, a clematis trails down from the roof. 

Colourful stocks fill the middle area of this bed, with bright zinnias beginning to bloom behind. The plantings are so masterful and I learn something every time I visit. 

I'll leave you with a view of the sweet peas that line one of the walkways along the rose garden with tall obelisks of sweetly-scented, multi-hued blooms. 

In my own garden the roses are lovely with blooms, although today they are hanging heavily after yesterday's steady rain. The sweet peas are growing madly, but no blooms there yet. After a few sunny days we're back to clouds and rain, and chilly temperatures.