For a few years I have tried growing shrubs and bulbs in our front yard, but have had very limited success. The soil quality is not good because it is mostly clay. In addition, there are bugs that are determined to kill almost anything that starts to look as if it might grow to bloom. […]
Tag: gardening
Googling Bug Bites
I spent about half and hour pottering about in the garden yesterday. It had been raining, so everything was wet, which provided a wonderful environment for insects of all kinds. When it started to rain again, I went back in the house and soon realized I had a couple of mosquito bites; one on my […]
A Blooming Nuisance
I am getting ready to leave San Jose again until the next time, so I took several pictures of my favorite plant. I originally planted this Strelizia in a pot on my patio back in 2010. Coincidentally, that is the same year I started this blog and the plant was the inspiration for the blog’s […]
Beware the Bellflower: It Tells Beautiful Lies
Beautiful lies are like lovely bellflowers and we have to remain vigilant. As Tucker Max once said, “The devil doesn’t come dressed in a red cape and pointy horns. He comes as everything you’ve ever wished for.” I’ve been wishing for attractive flowers to flourish in my garden’s clay soil and to survive Alberta’s winters […]
Living the Dream
This is a conversation I overheard today after a woman greeted a man she knew on a bus I was riding: He: Hey! I haven’t seen you in ages. How have you been? She: I’m fine. I just got out of jail. How are you doing? He: I’m living the dream. Living the dream. She: […]
Stealth Gardening
Several years ago, I planted a Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia) plant in a pot on my patio. In fact, it was the inspiration for the title of this blog. It took a couple of years for it to flower, and now it is glorious. The trouble is, it is now too big for the pot; […]