Garden Tour - The Herbs (by Ben)

Hullo. Ben here!!! I am going to geeve u a tour of Sandy's herbs!

Sandy has a beary compreehensive and healthy collection of herbs. Here we have some oregano... It is great in tomato sauce...

Some rosemaree... it goes well weeth cheeken...

Chives! They are good in many things... like salads or tuna melt sandweeches.

Sandy has a LOT of time... or thyme! Right now it is flowering and... attracting beez!

As you saw from Sandy's overview, he has planted a lot of basil. It is doing OK outside (even in pots) but this in the greenhouse is doing the best. We already harvested some!

But... as you can see here... something else is neebling the basil. We theenk it is earwigs... grrr...

While technically not an herb... Sandy's tomatoes are impressive and I couldn't resist pointing them out again.

Here we have a beary healthy clump of parsley... The one thing Sandy doesn't have is ceelantro... it tends to bolt here for some reezon...

Oh... and some green onions... they are yummy in salads.

 Before we go... I just wanted to show you Sandy's potting bench area under the rose bush arbor. Beary nice, isn't it?

And... while were here... the robins fledglings leapt from the nest!!

They jump out and then their parents call them to shelter under shrubbery and scrub where, for the next few weeks, they feed them worms.

He was pretty cute!

But Mama or Papa was not happy!

 Thees one was a bit slower to jump. We theenk there were 3 in all.

Nest is empty now...

Oh... and before we go (again)... Sandy as a water feature finally! Every garden needs a water feature... hint hint... and a greenhouse (triple hint).

The fountain attracts birds... they like to bathe and drink from it!

Garden Tour - The Flowers (by Jerry)

Hullo... Jerree here. I iz goin to give a tur of Sandees garden. flowers.

Sandee has a lot of flowers in hees garden. Which is beary good for beez!! Here we have some delfinium... aren't they a bee-utiful colour?

Sandee also has this perennial lavatera or mallow... it eez also a lovellee color...

Now thees one is beary eenteresting. It draws both beez AND hummingbirds.... it comes in red...

and peenk! Anytheeng that attrakts beez is a good thing!

Sandee has also planted borage in many places in his yard. Beez LOVE borage and there were many beez in Sandy's garden but... none that would take time out of their busy skedule to chat with us. Sigh.

Sweet peez everywhere.... they smell good and I theenk they atrakt bees too.

In the last blog post, Sandee mentioned the monster leeks in front of the shed. Theeze were left over from last year so they are going to flower. Sandee tells me that bees ADORE these big flowers. Thees one is not quite open yet. It needs sunshine...

The calendula are leftover from last year... they look purty but not a big bee attractor.

Hmmm... the hummingbirds better watch out!!

Steel some poppies around. Theze ones self-seeded but...

I am totally eempressed with this perennial poppy!!! It ees soooo bee-utiful. It is called the California Tree Poppy or the Matilija Poppy or the Romneya 'White Cloud' poppy. Beary atraktive to beez!!

And... some Shasta Daisies!! Sandee says they will be transplanted around the yard. I like that Sandee mixes his plants - veggies, flowers and herbs all together. Speaking of herbs... Ben is up next!!

Long-Delayed Garden Tour - The Overview

Hullo. We know... it's been a beary long time since we posted... or commented!! Mama was down for the count with a nasty cold virus (4 weeks long) and while we had a few adventures... none of us three little bears are beary good with uploading photographs sooo... here we go!

Oh... and by the way... we think some little bear in rain gear (name unspoken) has been jinking the weather. We've had a lot of rain the last few weeks... but it finally got sunny today and... it's time for the garden tour!

First up...

Sandy and The Overview

It's us!!! Back again after weather and illness delays! Sylvester really needs to get his article for Bears Lairs magazine done... he's got another assignment coming up in Tuktoyuktuk (seriously?).

Let me begin by giving a tour... Sooo... here we have the south side of the yard. As you can see... we have a new fence! Sooooo much better than the old "fence"... let me dig up an archival photograph for comparison...

Do you see??? And the old railway ties that form a retaining wall looked pretty icky soo...

I supervised them being straightened, rebarred and clad with cedar off cuts from the fence. A bit of river rock and some driftwood and it makes a beary nice sitting area in the heat of the day.

And here we have the garden compound. With the new fence (and side gate) we are fairly deer proof so we were able to ditch the gates.

Here we have... basil, broccoli, red cabbage and some nasturtiums.

On this side... let's see... peas, sweet peas, dill, turnips, beets, carrots, lettuce and kale!

Since last fall, the beds have expanded and there are two new ones under the plum tree.

Oh... and I am going to supervise construction of a little arbor thing so our new kiwi can grow up it. Yes, that's right... kiwi!!

Anyhow... here is the garlic bed.... soft-necked garlics have been harvested and the stiff-necked ones will probably be ready in 2 weeks...

Straweberries are reaching the end of their time...

But you can still find the occassional one!

Here we have onions and leeks and green onions.

This old ladder holds some transplants in pots and is going to serve as a climbing tree for...

Squash and pumpkins! We hope... I told Mama that they planted wwaaaaayyyy too many squash seeds but did they listen to me??? No... so... there is squash everywhere...

 Here is the big potato bed with some sweet peas and beans along the trellis. The potatoes got way bigger than expected.

I told them they were planting too many things... but do they listen to me??? nooo... By the way... this will be a long post... sorry!!

Here in the front is the experimental potato box... separate from the big bed. The idea is that as the potatoes grow, you add extra boards and build the box higher. Then... when they are ready to harvest, you remove the bottom board and grope around in the dirt for potatoes... It's an experiment!

Let's see... down there on the slope are raspberries... they are just starting.

Mmmmmm... fresh raspberries!!!

And squash in big tubs...

And down this slope... acorn, delicata, blue pumpkin, banana and... butternut!

Lean-to with wood...

Side of shed bed with calendula, sweet peas, basil, crazy leeks from last year and parsley!

And... drum roll please... the piece de resistance!!! The new greenhouse!!

On the right we have tomatoes (and basil seedlings)...

Yep... they are getting big!

On the left there is a bed with basil...

And in the back left we have a bed with cucumbers and peppers... along with hanging pots of tumbler tomatoes.

Some salsa peppers...

Bell peppers... soooo cute!

This cucumber looks good enough to eat!

What else... well... butternut along the west side of the greenhouse... NOT doing well...

Along the south side... doing very well!

And this monstrosity... it started out so small 3 years ago... every year it gets bigger... It is a perennial poppy.

HUGE flowers that smell kind of like a cross between a freesia and a rose... sooo good!

And err... well... more squash along the side of the house... heh-heh... squash anyone???

Sylvester was... (we think) impressed!

"What a beary diverse garden!!! Thanks for the tour, Sandy, I will let you know when the article gets published!"

Bye Sylvester!!! Safe travels.

Next up... Jerry & Ben will highlight the flowers and herbs of the garden!