You'll find me in the garden.

[Diane CBPFC]

I have gone a little garden crazy this year. We had a very early spring - the lilacs bloomed 3-4 weeks early and I got into the veggie garden early. A lot of it was the 2.5 weeks of fire evacuation alert readiness - the garden was a welcome retreat from worry.

Having such a head start this year, I took on two new projects up by the house, a raspberry bed and widening a bed that only held bitter cherry bushes (pretty) and lungwort to make it into a more fancy perennial bed with roses, spirea and irises etc. To be fair, without my son coming up and helping with the bed widening project it wouldn't have happened because under the grass unseen was a mass of big tree roots that had to be axed - it is handy to have a boy built like a Viking at times :-)

So that's what I've been up to, proper gardening with bits of string in my pocket and spraying diatomaceous earth on my cucs listening to the bees and the birds and cheeky squirrels. 

[Roger Kettle]

That's an impressive garden, Diane---allied with some impressive gardening.
My own garden is what I like to call "au naturel". It has the untamed splendour of a miniature Serengeti. All it lacks is a herd of grazing wildebeest making its way south in search of richer pastures. I find it impossible to look at without hearing a David Attenborough narration in my head. Okay, a slight exaggeration but my fingers certainly ain't green. However, I do like the garden and my family spent a very happy afternoon in it ten days ago to celebrate my granddaughter's first birthday. (Yes, I know, it's only two minutes since we discussed her arrival on here). So, in fact, I HAVE managed to cultivate some things in it---memories!

[Diane CBPFC]

That sounds like a lovely way to use the garden.

You just need to put up a sign "bee friendly garden" and you can get away with the natural look, in fact you are trending in current garden design :-)

[Roger Kettle]

I knew it!

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

Just for emphasis and clarity, Roger - that's "BEE"... no 'R'.

[Diane CBPFC]

I think Tarqs you will find that both with and without the R, this would be a popular garden plan ;-) 

[Diane CBPFC]

You wouldn't have found me in the garden today. A bear and her cubs walked through it last night. The neighbour got photos when they were in her garden but I didn't. I did get to see the mother but not the cubs - they can sure cover a lot of ground in a short time, I saw her running off into the bush.

[Roger Kettle]

From beer garden to bear garden...

[Diane CBPFC]

Which reminds me of the time I rolled my ankle and saw my South African doctor who asked me "did I wipe beer on it" I said I hadn't, as I didn't know that would do it any good. But what he was really asking me is if my weight could bare on it. 

[Mince]

That's an impressive garden, Diane---allied with some impressive gardening.

How does a garden become allies with an activity?

"That's an impressive garden, Diane, that reflects your impressive gardening skills."

I'll get my coat!

[Roger Kettle]

Yes, get your coat---allied with a hat.

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

He's got a pet ant, you know.

[Diane CBPFC]

When I went down to the garden to tie up the peas this afternoon, I saw a hare and the back end of a beaver as it went in the pond.

I spent 24 hours in the city (Edmonton) last week - it was quite awful - cement palaces surrounding homeless beggars, security everywhere and traffic coming at you every which way. I was glad to get back to my hermitage in the bush, but it was lovely to see our youngest walk across the stage to get her degree.

Fire worries are now over, new worries are grasshoppers eating all the hay crop. 

[Roger Kettle]

 Beavers are amazing creatures. The skill and complexity involved in constructing their dams is incredible. AND they work like, well, beavers! As I keep saying, Diane, I love hearing about the wildlife that wanders past your house on a daily basis. I am extremely envious!

[Diane CBPFC]

Have you read the book "Devil in Deerskins, My Life with Grey Owl" by Anahareo?

You might like it, the story of saving beaver habitat in the early days of conservation.