June Garden

"Farmers fear unkindly May: Frost by night and hail by day! June just rains and never stops. 30 days and spoils the crops!" Flanders and Swann

We did have a sunny day Saturday so we got out and did the Tasmanian Devil routine on the gardens. The back garden needed a lot of tidy up pruning. We still have to get the ladder out and finish the big laurel hedge. Right now it has a mushroom cut. We put in a couple of weigilia by the deck to fill in some gaps. It is good to see the peonies blooming enthusiastically. There were supposed to be 4 dwarf peonies but clearly 2 are regular size. The impatiens are throwing out blooms and filling in nicely

The pots in the front are all coming along nicely. The lillys in the middle are very enthusiastic this year.

Last year we removed a huge rhododendron that had dominated the garden for years. In actual fact it bullied the other plants not allowing many to grow in its territory. We have gradually filled in the vast area left and have a more harmonious bunch of plants. The beaded iris did not bloom but are otherwise looking very healthy.

I found a Mount St. Helen's azalea. It is a deep orange. Lovely!

The purple lupin is VERY enthusiastic. It will have to be watched to see it doesn't try to step into the gap left by the rhody. At least it is a nitrogen fixer so give back to the garden.

Now time for some sewing

Spring has definitely spring here. The flowers are gorgeous and the air is perfumed.

I am very excited about two pattern I recently received from Fashion in Harmony. They are designed to have the fabric falling on the bias but the seamlines are on the grain for easier assembly. They are very clever, particularly the wrap blouse.

Wrap blouse party and Magic Bias Dress

I have some silk fabric that I got at the Punjabi Market in Vancouver that I have been struggling to find a pattern for. Nothing seemed worthy of it....until now.

First step: find some fabric to make a muslin. hmmmm.

Del and I spents 3 days in Brentwood Bay in March. Buchart Gardens was lovely! In 3 weeks when the tulips are up it will look entirely different. The bees were busy!

Winter Olympics but Spring flowers

These beauties were blooming their hearts out today in the sun. Its always such a thrill to see them.

The number of bees out today was amazing as it was quite cool.

Olympic Torch comes to North Vancouver

February 10 was North Vancouver's turn to be visited by the Olympic Torch. The kids were let out of school early to watch the relay and join in the festivities at the Lynn Valley Centre. Del and I got to several parts of the torch relay and witnessed the hand off. One of Brandon's classmates was a torch bearer. What an incredible honour!