Tomatoes love...roses...cabbage...and Richard!

This year our next door neighbour, Richard, planted two large veggie gardens on his boulevard this year...his tomatoes are 'uge! They are plants he grew from seed. He also has some cabbage, Flowering Kale, and some ornamental grasses. It looks really nice. Richard and Marlene's garden is also one to behold - a wonderful assortment of plants as well as a really nice flow and garden architecture.

His brother-in-law gave him something like 60 tomato plants so he has them planted all over his garden - often in the flower beds. It looks wonderful and it is a good example of how urban farming can be done in our yards and still look all purdy!

Aren't those some amazing tomatoes and cabbage?!

Richard and Marlene's Boulevarden with ours in the background. It is nice to have garden enthusiasts next door that we can share plants, plant experiences and frustrations...(like my sorry tomatoes this year...there is no keeping up with the Richard when it comes to my tomatoes this year)

Back Alley Garden'n

Ashely and Aaron, former Lethbridgites or is that Lethbridgeans or...I don't know, anyway they used to live in Lethbridge, but now live in Edmonton. Last summer I posted Ashley's detailed end of season garden report. Ashely and Aaron have a wonderful yard garden - but they have also used a small area they have in the back alley as a veggie garden.

Ashley says, "the back alley garden is thriving- lots of zucchini, and Aaron keeps mounding the potatoes. And beans are on their way. unfortunately, the zucchini have blocked the rhubarb out though".

Their neighbour across the way has also used the back alley as a garden spot (this picture was taken at the beginning of the season). Now there is some use of some underused spots!

...so like Kathy (who planted some hens and chicks), or Aaron and Ashley maybe next year you can find some unused space in a back alley to plant a veggie garden - be it behind your house, your neighbours house, your apartment, your work...or...or...or

For Michelle

As I have said before I believe gardens pull us back home. My friend Michelle has been away for a month or so...and she is missing and worrying about her garden. Following are a few pictures for her. Uh...Michelle the above picture is what the garden looked like as I walked up ... but don't worry through the grass your garden is full of wonderful surprises.

Like your gorgeous Basil - which I am so jealous of as my Basil died in the rain and then I could not find any more plants in town - I am definitely planting my own next year - but yours was in great shape...


And the lettuce - which I am going to harvest in the next few days...yum...is beautiful.

I am curious as to what this plant is...it almost looked like Soy Beans??


Your tomatoes are 'fit' and growing well - but yes as your neighbour said there are not many tomatoes - but there are lots of flowers and they are coming...so don't count them out.


In all Michelle your garden is doing well and has strong determined veggies in it...but it does miss you. (Okay...side note out of left field...I am listening to shuffle on my itunes...and Hot Child in the City is Playing by Nick Gilder just came on - where the haloopas did that come from?!...it is SUCH a weird song to garden blog to) ANYWAY...Michelle your garden grows well, stop over when you get back - hint, hint bring Basil...

The Boulevarden...(heavy sigh)

Soooooo...the Boulevarden has been a hit and miss this year...that is probably another reason I have not felt like blogging - the lack of growth has been more than disappointing. All of the blossoms were knocked off the plum tree so we have no plums this year and our tomatoes are sorry scrawny little things.

Last year the soil was rich - because it was fresh loam (mix of soil, peat moss and compost) and so all the veggies flourished. This year the soil this spring was like clay and so many of the plants did not flourish...I mean even the squash for goodness sake - how can we not grow squash?!

Anyway after digging around we realized that because we have a huge Dutch Elm on the boulevard that is suck'n away the nutrients we are going to have to enrich the soil (a lot) every year.

Anyway we did replace the tomatoes and added some organic fertilizer (hence Paul's pose in the above picture) and some peat moss - but it is pretty late in the season...and I guess I should not be a pouty gardener - the perennials have been amazing this year.


ah well - on a positive note the cactus did wonderful this year,


and Felix caught pink gold fish in the upper pond (smile)

Coyote Garden is gone...but not forgotten

I suppose it is not a surprise that the vegetable garden downtown did not last. I was at the garden last weekend and it had just been planted with annuals. Although I am sad to see the garden go in retrospect I think perhaps it not the best spot for couple reasons.

The first reason is because the land is cared for by the city - so although I would definitely argue it is under used - it IS maintained by the city...so maybe we should not be 'guerilla'ing there - I dunno. The reason we chose this location to plant a vegetable and herb garden was because Galt Gardens is often a gathering space for homeless. The garden was a political as well as practical statement.

The second reason is because the vegetables did not seem to make it for very long - many of the plants seemed to be eaten down by animals - deer and rabbits I would guess (at least - as I told a friend - that is what the optimist in me chooses to believe rather then 'vandalized').

Thirdly watering the garden was difficult...although there was a city hose there we could not access it.
Coyote Garden was a wonderful community project, and I don't regret a minute of it.

Kathy's Accidental Garden

Hens and Chicks in bloom - aren't they beautiful?! Kathy, my sister-in-law and avid gardener sent me these pictures with a note: "I planted (the hens and chicks) outside the back gate in the field last fall. I just shoved them out there because I didn't know where else to put them and now they are all flowering! I'm going to put some other stuff out there as well and see how they go... so fun to see stuff growing out there."

Her garden in Calgary and it is, well...just freak'n amazing. It is always a pleasure to visit and see what she has added be it a pond!, trellis, or more plants. She sent me a note with some pictures a couple of weeks ago.

Kathy's back yard backs on to a field with a dog walking path - so as she adds plants the accidental/purposeful garden will be appreciated by those who walk by...wonderful!

Guerilla Gardening as documented by a 3yr-old

Felix my three year old nephew came with me and documented this gathering trip.

A month and a half ago...or so, I received a message from Marilyn Moore, she had also seen my post of freecycle (see? it is so cool). Marilyn had Obedient Plants to donate. She had a lot of plants she wanted to get rid of...I was a bit naive and thought I could dig up a much of what she wanted gone - but it is surprising how many plants are in a small area - we took as many as would fit in the car.


They are in my garden waiting for a home...they are supposed to be quite drought tolerant so I have a spot where I think they may work.

My nephew Felix came with me - he has been my partner in crime a few times this year - and he documented the trip including the first photo of his feet...cute.

I'm Back...

I have been MIA for several weeks (months?)...there are a few reasons for that: I have been busy and have been on holidays...okay so that only amounts to about two weeks...the real reason is my baby Mac (my 12" powerbook) broke down...so sad - I always wrote my blogs on my laptop (truth be told usually from a cafe or my bed at night...egad - I suppose a laptop in bed is just as bad for a relationship as a TV, eh?) Anyway...the inconvenience of having to go to my desk top - yes I do realize how spoiled that sounds - stopped me from taking the time to post...AND then once I was behind it was hard to get back at it, you know? But there is much to say and catch up on...

Cheryl Harty

I met Cheryl Harty through freecycle (if you don't know what it is you should check it out - it is a great way to get rid of things you no longer need and perhaps find some you do). I had posted a message asking for any plants people might have left over after their spring planting. Cheryl donated a tonne of plants for the guerrilla war on underused spaces. Her yard is huge and amazing. Cheryl was a wonderful woman to meet, she has a great smile - you know those smiles that make you feel immediately comfortable?

Cheryl showed us a path she had made from Rhubarb leaves and cement. Below is a picture of the path as well as a detail of one of the stones. She said you lay a Rhubarb leaf in some sand - add enough cement to cover the leave then put in a bit of chicken wire and add more cement. I loved 'em.
My sister and her kids came out with me and Cheryl let the kids run around and play with her cats. She donated (I hope I remember it all) Oregano, Grape Vine, Strawberries, Tarragon, Tomatoes...oh ug I am forgetting - but she gave us a bunch of plants - and it was a wonderful day. Below is my nephew Felix with her cat - who was great with the kids.