The International Friendship Garden

      This is a little garden that was built in 2009 right behind one of our local libraries. Even though the lighting was too bright (and it was windy) I thought I'd stop in for a few quick photos since I'd never visited in the fall before.

Autumn Colour

Here are just a few pictures I took in late October in my yard. 

Burning Bush

Morning glory flowers 

Viburnum Leaves so orderly 

Viburnum Leaves

Burning Bush

Dicentra Luxuriant still blooming

A late blooming Cosmos

Maple

September Veggies and Flowers

    Autumn is nearly here and we have finally had some much needed rain. The days are cooler too, which is much to my liking. My two cucumbers plants did really well this year, and they produced more cucumbers than we could possibly eat. I have shared and shared them with others. I think I might be known as the cucumber lady at the place where I volunteer, ha ha.
     I only grew three tomato plants this year, compared to six last year. They haven't produced as well either and I'm not sure if it was the extra heat or just the variety.                                                                   I'm growing two different types of peppers, and both of them have done well. I don't think I'll grow the little ones again because they are so packed full with seeds that there is little left to eat.
     I grew three different types of onions this year, but my favorite by far is still the basic yellow ones. They store so well that we will still be eating them next spring.
     I liked the purple flowered edible peas I grew this year as far as looks goes, but they were lacking in sweetness. I planted some lettuce for fall but I am going to let the rest of the vegetable garden rest until next year. I hope you've had a bountiful harvest this year!

Veggies from my garden

Cucumbers picked in one day

Dwarf Grey Sugar Peas

Agastache grown from seed

Acidanthera (left) and morning glory (right)

Echinachea

Dahlia Vancouver

Zinnia Profusion Rose

Zinnia Starlight Rose

Dahlia Marble Ball

August Garden

        August has arrived and along with it the temperatures have gone up. It's also been smoky the last few days, from all the forest fires burning in BC. If nothing else, the smoke keeps it a little bit cooler out there.
    A couple of years ago I bought a few milkweed plants, a pink variety and a white. The pink ones didn't survive the winter but the white ones did. They grew slowly and barely bloomed, so I moved them last fall and this year they have been flourishing. I haven't seen any butterflies around yet but the bees seem to like it too.
     I planted two different packages of cosmos this year. A mix called Cosmos Mini Blend and Capriola. I really like the look of the Capriola but the Cosmos mini blend are more vigorous and have many more blooms.
      One of our local garden stores closed their doors recently and I am sad to see them go. I picked up a few plants on sale, and squeezed them into my yard. One of them was Veronica or Speedwell and the other was a fragrant honeysuckle vine. The vine has been sulking but the veronica is blooming.  Happy Gardening!
   

Milkweed

Cosmos Mini Blend

Cosmos Capriola

Drumstick Allium

Daylily

Daylily Strawberry Candy

Hollyhock

Coral Palace Purple Palace

Veronica

Our cat Oliver

A Photographer's View of my Garden

     A few weeks ago my daughter came by to visit and she brought along her camera to take some photos of my garden. It's interesting to have someone else take photos of my yard and to see the results because she took some photos that I would never think to take. Plus she's an amazing photographer and I'm not just saying that because I'm her mom, ha ha. I'll add the link to her website at the end. I am growing a new variety of peas this year, called Dwarf grey sugar, from West Coast Seeds. They are a heirloom variety with purple flowers. I have been picking them beyond the snow pea stage because my family picky eaters and they won't eat snow peas. They are still good though not quite as sweet as some. I grew the lettuce from seeds I saved last year. I'm almost surprised they grew, since this is the first time I ever tried saving their seed.

    My daughter loves peonies, so she took a lot of photos of my Sarah Bernhardt peonies. I wish I had more varieties of these pretty flowers but my yard is very full. I gave her some to take home and she made them look amazing, as always. She has a gift for photography and for arranging flowers. If you are interested in seeing more of her photos, here is the link to her website: Alyssa's Photography Website

Dwarf Grey Sugar Snow Peas

Lettuce

Mixed Onions

Plum

Peony Sarah Bernhardt 

Peony

Peonies my daughter took home and arranged

Peonies my daughter arranged 

Cosmos Mini Blend 

Elderberry flowers

Fleabane in the front

Veggie garden in the front

Hazelnut leafing out after we had it cut down

Persicaria

Sedum

Viburnum and Lilac

Yarrow