Landscape Progress

All the flooding in southern Alberta has had me distracted; such devastation in such a short period of time.  I was complaining about the rain here at home.  The amount that fell cannot be compared to what fell in the mountains and foothills.

It was the number of days that it rained here that has been creating a challenge for me to get my front yard completed.  There has only been 3 days out of 24 that it has not rained during the month of June and it usually rained only enough to make the clay soil wet so it would stick to the tire on my wheelbarrow.

I did manage to work on some of the yard today after another load of dirt got delivered.  There are now 3 new flower beds complete with perennials.

The rock garden that I created and planted last fall is growing in nicely.  The butterflies have been busy visiting the Coral Bells that are blooming.

The ferns in the side yard have doubled in size.  Their lime green color shows up brightly against the cedar mulch that is layered on the bed.  I added some pink, white and blue forget-me-nots and some primulas on that side of the house as well.  

I saved the broken pieces of concrete that bordered the flowerbeds around the old house.  They are now being used for new beds in the backyard where I've planted some annuals. 

The raised garden beds that I filled and planted are growing nicely.  One contains a pea patch and another some strawberry plants.  The third one has some cucumber plants and the fourth is waiting for some lettuce seeds.




While I was working in the yard today, the birds were busy at the feeders.  The robins were busy defending a nest that a magpie was trying to get at.  The blue jays and a magpie were fighting over the peanuts in the tray feeder.  A red winged blackbird flew back and forth from the treetops to the sunflower seed feeder.  Butterflies were busy at all the blossoms that are open.

It was a great day to be working in the yard.  Things are finally coming together.  I'm hoping that by the time summer ends, the backyard will be complete so that next summer I'll be able to sit on the back deck and enjoy.