Winter Phase I

Winter in the garden… it's time. Phase I - the dahlia's have finally given up the ghost, our first frosts although very mild have gently nudged our lovely garden into the first stages of hibernation. What a long season we have enjoyed… I think I tasted the last few raspberries but who knows - could a few more be coaxed to ripen?

Hydrangea blossom - faded beauty
Japanese Anemone seed head

Primula blossom - thinks it's spring
Exquisite Japanese Anemone seed head perspective - I will scatter & conquer

Frosty ground
Sunflower leaves - giving in to the frost
Resilient kale… beads of ice
Crazy HUGE mushrooms in east garden
Frosty grass 

Dahlia blossoms under ice in the garden birdbath next door

Ice bubbles

Fall Back… Winter is Upon Us


I would say that most of the leaves have fallen from the branches - and were they not spectacular this year? I think the incredibly long summer/fall sunny and warmish weather and the lack of rain contributed to making our town so colourful and beautiful this year. The garden still continues to provide us with subtle beauty and is even giving up a few raspberries still here and there! 

Someone made this charming serpentine arrangement with the little metal containers at the back table

Lovely leaves for a garden blanket
It's now time to start dreaming about next season and it's still great weather for dividing perennials and raking the last of the leaves onto garden beds to give everything a nice cosy blanket over the winter. You could still sneak in some fall rye no doubt, and oh yeah, bulbs and garlic.

This tussie-mussie was provided by the garden on October 29th!!
Shisho, dahlia, rose, cosmos, sedum, oregano
Biscuit recommends enjoying your knitwear during the upcoming winter season -  and having some nice walks on the beach while the garden is resting.

Stay tuned for some upcoming winter posts from the garden.

Sigh... Last Work Party of the 2013 Season

Reality is setting in... the last Kitsilano Garden work party of the 2013 season was today... a harbinger of the winter months ahead. Don't get me wrong, love The Winter, but the gradual goodbye to the garden right now is bitter sweet. Thanks to those garden members who attended our last work party of this season - we got a lot accomplished. Thanks to Ellen for capturing the essence and spirt of our members at today's gathering of the gardeners! Enjoy the continuing bounty that our west coast garden provides... rock the kale... aren't we lucky?













Hydrangea - the beauty of 3 seasons on display



Maiden Hair Fern - sort of heart breaking to behold







Future Site of Tool Art Installation







Cosmos Sensation - up close and personal

Finally Fall

Money Plant/Silver Dollar - at least that's what my Grandma called them. Had a sweet moment rubbing off the outer papery layer to collect the seeds within - and expose the exquisite silvery seed pod.
Uh, wow what a summer we have had. With a few blips here and there, I believe it was probably the longest stretch of fantastic sunny and warm weather in a long long time here in Kits on the Wet Coast. The growing season was incredible for tomatoes, cucumbers, and anything else that was planted. However...I think this week we have turned the corner and its actually fall. A couple of days of chilly fog combined with the almost overnight turning of the leaves makes it officially fall. Yay, time for sweaters and boots and planting garlic.
Borage - thinks it's spring!

The garden still provides for loveliness - but you have to look a little closer for it - nice huh?
Perspective on boulevard thistles
Lovely wild geraniums
'Before' shot of the golden raspberries!!
Asparagus also thinks it's spring again!
Oregano - so pretty this time of year
Crazy dahlia in the Hobbit Tree
Crocosmia seed heads - fyi - the colour combo in this shot is dominant in New York City home fashions - ya heard it here first!!
Buddha at the back. 
Wild Geranium - detail
Fuchsia at the back hanging onto the last vestiges of summer - a few days ago 
Sunflower leaf beginning to say 'goodbye for now'
Beautiful aging rose
Nasturtiums still going strong - so many colours this year
The last of the asters...
Lots of lovely web masters in the garden now