Falling Off My Needles - Gnome Edition

Who can resist a plump garden gnome? Not me.

I filled this guy with beans and some toy stuffing, but mostly beans. It gives him a great weight to live his life's purpose of being a doorstop.

He is going to live at my sister's place, as a housewarming gift. I hope their dog doesn't eat him.

Want to make one for yourself, or share the gnome love? This link will bring you to the pattern via Ravelry. Enjoy!

Cooked

Last night, I had the pleasure of spending some time with one of my favourite people, Amy, who's one half of this fabulous blog.

We went to the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto to see Michael Pollan speak. Yes...that's right, MICHAEL POLLAN! THE Michael Pollan. He has written another book, Cooked. I haven't yet cracked it open (except to stare at the autograph!) so I can't tell you anything about the book itself, but from what he described, it's a an exploration of cooking, from the first BBQ to a raw food diet.

He was exactly how I thought he would be. Approachable, not soapbox-y, full of great ideas and insights and had a great sense of humour. Overall...awesome.

Plus, to top off a great evening (besides an ultimate parking fail and crappy misty/rainy weather), sushi and girl talk.

Garden

Planted:
- 10 strawberries
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Dill
- Horseradish
- Parsley
- Garlic chives
- Red cabbage
- Carrots (LOTS!)
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Jalapeno pepper
- Tomatillo
- Runner beans
- Raspberries
- Watermelon

Put in a raised bed to try out using a cold frame this fall. I'll have to start scouring for supplies.

Started edging the fence line with cinder blocks. This will allow our neighbour to trim around her fence without hurting any of our stuff. AND, hopefully it will slow down weed growth in that hard to reach area.

It is HARD to decide where to put everything. Companion planting, plants hating other plants, planning walking paths, etc. Tricky, tricky I tell ya. There are already a TON of weeds. It's crazy how prolific they are. Look at the ground around the trellis...covered in weeds. I have a new found love of a good hoe. The best garden tool ever!

Strawberries, tomatoes/peppers, red cabbage/herb section and a garden view

Bean trellis, raspberry plants, cheery tree, red cabbage. Oh, and that sunspot (?) on the cherry tree picture, don't people say that it's a ghost or something? Whatever it is, I hope it's nice to the cherry tree.

5-in-1 Pear tree

The Garden Is Happening

The garden this year is going through a major overhaul. Not quite what I had planned/dreamed, but due to some reasons that I will explain at a later date, we've revamped our imaginations and garden design.
With the help of several friends who are garden savvy, we have decided on a 20' x 60' space dedicated solely to garden - mostly veggies but eventually, I can see some room for ornamental perennials. A few feet at the beginning of the garden is going to be an herb garden with some fruit trees. Don't yet know if the apple trees will be going in this year, but they have a space saved for them for next year (or the year after....).

Super exciting.
In the meantime, I thought I'd capture what the yard looks like now so you can bear witness to the change as well. I just have to remember to take photos during the process! As a wise woman once said "Always remember the blog!".

(NOTE: I never did take any 'before' shots of the garden. Ha! I wrote this post, headed out with the camera and then was sidetracked with other duties - child rearing, laundry hanging, etc. So, I've linked to previously posted photos of the garden that will give you an idea of how it looked and how it has changed. My apologies).

The garden is a whopping 20' x 70'. It starts around the clothes line post (that you see in the winter shot) and ends just at the little hill in the back of the property (middle shot). It's a big garden. So big in fact that I'm quite intimidated by it at the moment. The potential is unlimited.

What I know for sure right now is:

1. The area surrounding the clothes line post is going to be dedicated as the 'herb garden' with some perennials, like rhubarb. 
2. After the herb garden, we are planting three fruit bearing trees. I really wanted to plant heritage apples and pears, but am having a hard time sourcing them. Any of you know a good place?
3. None of this could have been done as fast as it has without the help from our community. Our neighbours not only lent their time and backs, but also an excavator and heavy duty tiller. We really do live on a great street with great people and have some amazing friends. 

As for the rest of the garden...well, we'll just have to figure it out as we go. 

Craving Change

We've been in this house for 2 1/2 years and haven't done a thing to the inside of the house. We did quite a bit of work on our old place to get it ready to sell. That hard work is difficult to forget, which is probably why we haven't done anything in this place.
The last few weeks, the colour of the living room walls have been really bugging me. In the pictures, they look like beige, which is true, but they also have a purpley/maroon undertone to them. Ugh. I couldn't stand it anymore. A change was needed.

I know some people think my colour choice is a little much, but all I see is happiness when I look at it. It's not your typical 'grown up' colour. In fact, after I painted the wall, my husband said it looks like it belongs in a frat. house! Ha! He also said that it's not a re-sale colour, which is perfect, because I intend to stay in this house for as long as I possibly can! AND - it's only paint. What's the big deal?

That mirror hanging on the wall is where baby girl gives herself kisses. 

Wow! That's bright!

The colour I picked it the second from the left. 

What I accomplished during the first nap time

First coat done

Here's to change!

This Moment

Linking up with Soulemama

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

April ice storm. Ugh...

And It Begins!

Oh man...I wish I was the kind of writer that could describe my feelings in such a way so as you, the reader, could feel the exact sense of excitement that I am feeling. My masters course is finished for this semester (and I don't have another course until September!!) and my green(ish) thumb is ready to get dirty.

That's my hand. Getting the soil ready to sow some seeds

Two weeks ago, a good friend of ours, who has an amazing resume in organic farming, came by to help us (me) finally design the garden of my dreams. We spoke about the food we eat, the benefits of raised-bed gardening vs. conventional in-ground gardens (we're doing raised bed...it just fits with me), and even braved a spring snowstorm by venturing out to our backyard to take some measurements and for her to get a visual of my dream. This dream of mine is big - really big (we even talked fruit trees!) - but totally doable. The initial cost and work will be substantial, especially (again!) for my dear husband as there are several raised beds, a fence and a whack load of digging that needs to be done.

Exciting, no?

I'm a little behind in sowing seeds however. Gage and I just planted them about a week ago. Three different tomatoes and two different peppers. I did a few leeks as well, but am fully aware that they should really be almost 2 months old by now! We also planted some cilantro, basil, marigolds and pansies. I have a really hard time controlling myself when it comes to planting. I wanted to sow ALL the seeds. There's just something exciting about watching them all grow. Alas, I had to be realistic not only about space in the garden, but also about how many tomatoes I wanted to deal with in the summer.

So my friends, the growing season is just on the horizon. If nothing else, it will surely be better than last year!