Ann’s Weblog

Just got back inside… ran out after supper and planted four small lilac bushes from my “garden centre”. I chose Vesper, Montaigne, and two which had lost their tags; it’ll be a year before I know what the other two could possibly be.

I was inspired to plant some more lilacs after our visit to Bonnie Culp’s farm last night. Bonnie has 180 varieties of lilac in her own yard! She tells us that there are 2000 kinds in existence. Bonnie and a friend just travel thousands of miles to see some lilac conservatories in Ontario, and, I think, the U.S., so of course saw innumerable specimens of lilac. I’ll be content just to have a few in my yard, but I can understand how the passion can take hold.

I have sold my last “Miss Canada” and my last “James McFarlane”, which are both lovely pink lilacs… I think I will plan next year to keep one of those for myself.

Today in my small town there was a “Garden Walk”. Several of us in two groups went around to some homes to see how others did things, and what they had for plants, ponds and the like. At first I thought there were too “few” gardens scheduled for the Walk…. but after 3 hours of walking, and visiting gardens, I was tired! I visited gardens that I’d been promising to see for years.

I’ve been trying to get at the weeding of my perennial beds, but other work often prevents me getting to it.

I found out that the aforementioned, aforeposted LINK is actually a hoax. It’s not a machine but a music video.

I’m leaving it there because it’s a lovely tune!

Talk to you all soon. ~ Ann

Of of the most wonderful things I’ve seen in the last while:

The World’s Most Amazing Musical Instrument

This morning after taking care of pets, I made marmalade and then Piña Colada Jam. I have to run along and groom a couple of sweet little girl dogs, Buffy and Angel. I might be back here later, but I might not; many evenings I’m too tired to “blog”.

Love, Ann

Some neighbours, who are also friends, put a house on the mountainside above us for elderly parents. The view is spectacular (not to sound cliche.. it just IS). I went to visit on Sunday:

I know I can’t exactly lay claim to this view, but it IS from directly above our house. The scenery from our acreage is wonderful too, but the altitude makes a difference. Glad you can enjoy our images of the Robson Valley.

~ Ann

I had a customer in the garden centre this morning who said that she had just happened across my blog. The kind comments motivated me to get back here to POST what I had composed a couple of days ago, and share the pictures I had taken. However, while we looked at perennials outside, I realized that everything needs water again… urgently.

So I’ll make this relatively quick; I did upload pictures that pertained to the LAST entry, and I have others on the computer. I’m feeling all agitated about the dry pots outside though… we usually don’t want to water in the heat of the day, but if things are suffering/dying for lack of moisture, it has to be done.

I groomed little “Mickey” this morning, an American Eskimo who was  born here. He is a snarky dog who would not hesitate to bite, but I put a soft muzzle on him and then maneuvered him the whole while I clipped, ignoring his growls. At times I laid him on his side gently, not allowing him to spring back up; he soon realized he was handled by a supremo alpha bitch who just needed to get the job done!

We continue to have some beautiful spring days. Pictured below:
Kelly our smallest calico cat, Zev’s Percheron mare and brand new filly, Sensation Allium, Beauty of Moscow (light pink) lilac, Ligularia ‘Othello’, the first cosmos bloom, our cedar planter, a lilac that we call “blue star” for lack of proper label, and Lilac ‘Wedgewood Blue’. Last is our Norland Apple, which my daughters gave me ten years ago (with many of its blossoms blown off already), and some osteopermum in amazing new colours.

Had a very good day beside the fact that I got Mickey groomed. We had some sales in the garden centre and visits from close friends. In my spare time I’ve been trying to dig out perennial beds… and being quite ruthless about it too. Gary has been doing some of the same kind of digging, plus watering the vegetable gardens in addition to his farrier work.

We had a full kennel on the weekend and might have the same this coming weekend. In the meantime, it’s pretty peaceable around here, with many old favourite boarders and a few new doggy friends too.

Talk to you soon! Thanks for reading…

~ Ann

I’m sitting under a shade tent, with my third cup of coffee. I’m listening to the birdies sing and otherwise communicate, and enjoying the scent of the large lilac beside me. I can’t get the computer screen to show up very well… I’ve moved into the deeper shade and all around, but can’t find an angle at which I can see to type. I guess I’ll proof-read later!

I’m so thrilled at the lilac I just made reference to. It started from the smallest sprig-with-attached root, taken from the farm at which I spent about 15 years, raising little daughters. This spring marks 17 years since I relocated; I measure much of my adult life in years “while on the farm” and “after the farm”. Those who know me will understand how this matters, but it’s enough to say that the lilac, now bearing more blossoms than leaves, is a lovely reminder of things that were rich and good in another life. I also have a very fast-growing Mayday tree which is another bit of nostalgia for me.

It feels like paradise here at the acreage, during these days where the weather is wonderful and the mosquitoes haven’t hatched by the millions (yet). While it has got very hot during the last week, we still had a couple of nights of frost! Go figure, in JUNE.. that’s not so great; I even lost a couple of zucchini plants.

I’ve been right here during the last few weeks while I haven’t been “blogging”, except for a quick (marathon) trip, for the second time, to Kelowna, for more trees and shrubs. Some folks come to our little garden centre and remark, “Oh, you have so much stuff to get rid of…” and “Aren’t you afraid of getting stuck with some of this…” . The truth is, I purchased a great deal of nursery stock this year, but we’ve sold a tremendous amount. I’m not smug. Anything that is “left” has to be overwintered by burying either in the vegetable garden or in piles of sawdust for the winter, and that’s a lot of work; however, the season is still “young”! Our spring was so long and miserably cold that now, early in June, people are really just starting to landscape. We just got our vegetable garden planted many days after the usual “May 24th weekend”, but that’s okay… some folks who planted earlier have lost some crops such as beans, because of the late frosts.

After my second trip to the big wholesale nursery:

Some spring pictures of tulips and the vegetable garden…

The pet grooming has also kept me quite busy, even evenings and weekends at times. This is all good!

We have been looking forward to Shelly’s wedding, in Newfoundland, in July. What a happy occasion it will be. Everyone we talk to either says that they would love to see Newfoundland, or they have been there and know how much fun we will have, and that we will find the province spectacularly beautiful. We are only taking a week to travel and attend this blessed event, but I’m sure we will start planning our next visit at the same time! If our soon-to-be son-in-law represents the population of Newfoundland, we will find folks to be marvelous… kind, friendly and SO MUCH FUN.

The kennels are close to full this weekend. Each doggy guest has their own endearing features, and they are all quiet while they can’t see me sitting here. We have Taffy, Quannick, Sierra and Duke, Axel, Shelby, Mick and Riley, Turbo and Sasha. This afternoon, I am expecting to hear from a friend of Shelly’s and Merv’s, who is bringing THEIR two dogs out to Mt. Robson, from their home in Calgary. The dogs will stay with us until the dust settles from the wedding time… actually, until we have a party in the Robson Valley to celebrate the marriage!

I guess this is as much “sitting” as I’m inclined to do this morning. The perennial flower beds are in such a mess of quackgrass, dandelions and other unwanted vegetation that I’m anxious to get digging and discarding. As I work, though, I enjoy the waning tulips (I had a poorly attended Fall Bulb Sale one year, and had 1200 bulbs to plant here!), and the first of the spring flowers such as Leopard’s Bane (Doronicum), Trollius, and more. Oh yes.. and Gary’s garlic, in the vegetable garden is HUGE.

Onward and upward. Hope all of you are well. Thank you for checking in here, though I’m such a lame blogger. XXX