Garden Therapy

Spring is Here: Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day February 15, 2010

What I find most interesting about the garden this month is how beat up all the plants are, especially the flowers, which is very much how I feel after braving winter’s cold days and long nights.  The blooms, like me, have clearly struggled to make it through the colder months but regardless have pushed on to respond to the balmy weather and send out colourful, fragrant flowers even if they have a few chewed edges and some dirt on them.  These early spring flowers are so different than in summer, who stand tall and strong in the warm sun and look and feel their very best.  The spring blooms look just as vibrant as those in summer but it’s a found energy, one that has been regenerating for a few months and then with all the strength one can muster, has shot up to brave a new season.  A beginning of a new year.   A new set of challenges.   A new set of opportunities.  Spring is here.

February 16 2010 | Flowers and Gardening and Photography | 3 Comments »

The Old and The New: Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day and Camera Update

I think that I finally have a solution to my camera needs.  Last year (well, really only a few months ago) I wrote about my quest for a new camera and over the holidays I found the solution: a basic point a shoot for my purse and a new macro lens for my DSLR.  So far I’m happy with this solution.  The point and shoot is just a little Canon Powershot SD1200IS that I chose after trying a few different basic slim cameras.  I liked this one best because it’s small, it’s fast, and it takes good pictures.  The photo of the VanDusen Festival of Lights was taken with this camera with no tripod – not bad! 

The much more exciting addition to the camera family is the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens I got for Christmas.  While I really didn’t want to have to switch lenses for different shots, the quality I get with this macro is just so much better for close up shots of the garden.  I used it for today’s Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day shots after our rainstorms cleared and the sun popped out for a brief visit this afternoon. 

The theme for this month’s photos is “The Old and The New”.  I’ve used my old Digital Rebel with my new macro lens to take photos of the evergreens, overwintering veggies, and spent foliage that keep my winter garden interesting as well as the mighty new growth that is already pushing the leaf mulch aside.  Spring may not be here yet, but it already feels like the dark of winter is behind us.  The new growth is emerging from the soil and it can also be felt in the air.  That combined with the building excitement for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics is making these short days full of promise.  So without further ado, here is “The Old and The New”.

January 15 2010 | Flowers and Gardening and Photography | 8 Comments »

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: December 15, 2009

Yesterday we were preparing for a treacherous morning rush hour as the weather predicted an overnight snowfall of 20-30cm.  This may seem like a dusting to those in parts of the country who regularly get snow but Vancouver has hilly terrain, temperatures that hover around freezing (making the snow into mucky icy slush), and a lack of city snow removal equipment.  This means that driving can be a real a mess.  The good news is that the temperature stayed above freezing so the snow turned to rain and has kept everything relatively clear.  The bad news is that when it’s dark with rainclouds above I just can’t get photos of the garden. 

But…I’ve lived here for over 15 years so I’ve learned to take a sunny day when I get it.  And I’ve had plenty to choose from this month.  Most every day has been cold but bright with the sun shining for the few hours we get it in winter.  So on December 10, a particularly lovely day, I headed out to see what I could take photos of.  I’ve been working slowly at adding evergreens and winter-interest plants to the garden.  Most of them are young so from a far the garden has limited appeal but up close I found lots of little gems that while they aren’t technically blooms, they are so lovely that they still make it onto my Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day for December, 2009.

December 15 2009 | Flowers and Gardening and Photography | 14 Comments »

A Beautiful First of December in the Garden

Clockwise from top left: Rockspray Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis), Heavenly Bamboo (Nadina Domestica), Crocosmia (Emily Mackenzie) Seed Heads, Ornamental Grasses. Center photo: Winterfurst Savoy Cabbage

December 01 2009 | Flowers and Gardening and Photography | 1 Comment »

Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day

Bloom Day November 15…October 2009

On the 15th of October I was still road tripping through the East so I missed out on my first Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day post.  But as soon as I arrived home I rushed out the the garden with the camera in tow and inspected all that was in bloom, as do most gardeners after being on vacation.  I then promptly put down the camera and forgot about it for a month.  When I remembered, I figured I’d missed the boat so I’d start anew on November 15.  Well that’s today and it is the darkest, wettest day that we have had in a while.  When I woke at the crack of 8:30AM, the sun still wasn’t out, so I baked some scones, had some coffee and waited for the sun.  The clock ticked by as the rain poured down in sheets.  The streets were empty and house lights blazed throughout the neighbourhoods; people were seemingly content to have an official Rain Day (staying indoors in jammies all day sneering at the rain but secretly enjoying the lack of responsibilities while reading and drinking tea). 

Rain Day or not, I braved the wet and ventured out to the garden.  I was pleased to see that the Heathers are starting to show their little purple petals, the ”Christmas Rose” variegated Hellebore has its first bud in 3 years, and my Black Scallop Ajuga looks particularly striking.  But the lack of light was a deal breaker for the photos; no amount of editing could help these sad snaps so I’m throwing in the soppy towel for November 15’s Bloom Day photos.  I will, however, post what was blooming or looked oh-so-pretty a few weeks ago with the hopes that when there is a break in the sky I can go snap a few more photos of the drippy plants that are showing some interest.  Until then, here are October’s blooms:

November 15 2009 | Flowers and Gardening and Photography and Vancouver | 2 Comments »