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In My Garden

I live in a zone 8 climate in "the Garden City", so I am able to garden all year around . My garden is on a 100 x 100 foot lot with space for the house, garage, and generous paved driveways. I have approximately 10,000 square feet left to my garden space. I created a water garden, a woodland walk, a vegetable garden and I have perennials, vines, roses, fruit trees, evergreen hedging and a few small rock plants. The birds, butterflies, squirrels, rabbits, deer, otter, racoons and other wildlife visit. Indoors, I have a light garden for my few cacti, ochids and African violets.

In 1997 and in 1999 I was presented with the Silver Rose Bowl award by the Victoria Horticultural Society for my participation in their 'parlor show'. This involved bringing specified items to the monthly club meetings where they were judged and the points earned tallied for the final year end winners.

My garden is in constant revision, as you may notice my web page is, also.

Albums:

January - we occasionally get snow
February - more rain, and some bulbs up
March - first spring bulbs blooming
April - rock plants blooming, grass needs mowing, fruit trees blooming
May - the garden is in full swing
June - lovely warm days of medium temperatures and roses in bloom
July - we need to water a lot in the summer as we do not often get rain.
August - the Fall perennials starting to bloom and fruit is ripening
September - harvest time in the vegetable garden and time to plant the winter garden
October - glorious fall colors and sunsets, fruit ripening and rains begin again
November - sometimes a lovely month with the Fall colors and warm rains
December - more rain, the garden is mostly greens and browns, very peaceful.

Back Rock Gardens - The Back Rock Garden fronts the Strawberry patch and the Cutting Garden. It has the Brick yard feature and the strawberry jar, all planted with alpines and some bigger rock garden plants.
- See the Back Rock Garden Room page for more information.
Front Rock Gardens - I have 2 little rock gardens, separated by stepping stones planted with alpines and containing the West Coast planter. It is bordered by the stepping stones path, the evergreens along the property line, and the perennials by the little box hedge. It has the West Coast planter and the feather rock. The little gold rockery also has many of the special rocks collected in my travels. - See the Front Rock Garden Room page for more information.
Animals in the garden The pond attracts wildlife to my garden. The deer do not seem to bother my plants as I have numerous herbs planted all around the garden.
Birds in the garden There is a small woods and a stream in the Park across the street from our garden. So, we have a good variety of birds in the garden.
Boquets - Creating flower arrangements for the house and for show is an added benefit for creatativity as well as visual satisfaction.
Boulevard garden I have planted a little garden in the propery next to the street that is owned by the city.- See the Boulevard Garden Room page for more information.
Bugs - butterflies, bugs
The Cutting Garden Room The cutting garden and the strawberry patch is the original vegetable garden. It has trees around 3 of its sides, and so has become too shaded and has too many tree roots to work as a vegetable garden. - See the The Cutting Garden Room page for more information.
Deck gardens This includes the plants on the deck as well as all the plants beneath the deck, along the edges of the deck and plants on the patio area. Includes the rhodos but not the primulas.- See the Deck Garden Room page for more information.
The Driveway Strip Garden Room - See the Driveway Strip Garden Room page for more information.
The The front Entry Garden Room This includes the boxwood hedges and grass path from the front door to the edge of the property on the other side. As well as the white rose and the pink rose - See the Entry Garden Room page for more information.
the Fig Tree Garden Room The Fig Tree Garden runs from the back steps, along the old sidewalk to the back cedars with the woodland on the left and the entry to the apple tree in its grass rectangle on the right, over past the Back Rock Garden to the entry to the Strawberry patch; with garden beds along both sides of the old sidewalk. - See the The Fig Tree Garden Room page for more information.
Fruit and Vegetables - grapes, figs, pears, apples, plums, and vegtables
The Inner Garden Room The Inner Garden is bordered at the 'top' by the boxwood hedge and grass path. This area includes the perennials, roses, and sweet gum tree. Along the property line on the west it includes the tall perennials, and the shrubs and trees along the border. At the 'bottom' it includes the perennials along the cedar hedge and the black bamboo. It includes the Sun Dial Circle, Thyme Circle and the Bench. The Smoke Tree Garden is at the Center of the Inner Garden. - See the The Inner Garden Room page for more information.
The Light Garden is a four foot 3 tier stand with grow lights. It has orchids, African violets, and other indoor plants. - See the The Light Garden Room page for more information.
The Magnolia Tree Garden is across the grass path from the Entry way. There are trilliums under the Magnolia Tree and some other plants that like shade. There is the ugly water meter, and the cement vase and the David. It ends at the cedar hedge at the 'bottom' - See the The Magnolia Tree Garden page for more information.
Market - photos of produce or flowers bought at the market.
The Moss Garden is across the round stepping stones from the Fig Tree Garden. It includes the primulas, and other plants that like shade. It is bounded by the round stepping stones path, and the field stone path. It contains the Japanese lantern and the dry stream It ends at the edge of the deck where the under the Deck garden completes the shade garden plants. - See the the Moss Garden Room page for more information.
The Pond Surrounds garden shows the area around the pond, the waterfall, as well as the plants and fish in the Pond. - See the Pond and Surrounds garden room page for more information.
Mushrooms, lichens.
Garden paths and Garden art - I have converted most of the lawn to gardens and paths
The Smoke Tree garden is the center of the Inner Garden It includes the smoke tree with the under planting of sedum. It is across the field stone path from the the back rock garden and so has a few rock garden plants, as well as a few perennials. - See the the Smoke Tree Garden Room page for more information.
Vistas and Views in the garden
WATER AND JAPANESE GARDENING - I built my pond with its 8 - 9 foot diameter. It is surrounded by the moss garden with a Japanese garden design.
WATER after 2019 AND JAPANESE GARDENING - The water page has become too long, and outdated, so I have started a new WATER garden page with the renovations in 2018 onward. It is surrounded by the Moss Garden and the Deck Garden that is in the shade under the deck and the Pond and surrounds that is the pond, and the surrounding plants, edgings, the waterfall and the fish. It includes the photo album for Plants in the pond and in the tub on the deck.

From 2019 the Water Garden Room information will be in the new album. The water garden will be the area from the stepping stones, along the dry stream to the deck, the lantern, then across in front of the deck to the evergreens, the waterfall and then along the yews back to the stepping stones. It will have the plants, the fish, and renovations to the paths. The Deck Garden Room will have the patio plants, the rhodos, and everything under the deck, as well as the tub and everything on top of the deck. The Moss Garden Room will be the area from the round stepping stone path (including the Primulas) over to the field stone path. Some of the plants may overlap into the albums. The The pond and surrounds The photo album will include information on the plants, fish, waterfall, and other features around the pond.
- See the Pond and surrounds Garden Room page for more on the plants, fish, waterfall and other features. Includes the list of the plants.
- See the Under and above Deck page for more information and plant lists.
- See the Fish and their Predators in the pond page for more information and plant lists.

Wish List Someday there may be fences, gates and special plants in my garden.
The Woodland garden continues from the Driveway strip Gardenalong a chip trail between the cedar hedge and the old garage. Then around the corner of the old garage and along the back of the old garage, exiting between the holly tree and the firethorn into the grass around the apple tree. The Woodland has some tall trees and established shrubs as well as perennials. It has the rhubarb, the fawn lillies, and the old compost bin. I gather the leaves in the Autumn and put them back in the Woodland to be used as compost in later years. - See the the Woodland Garden Room page for more information.
Survivors This album will contain photos of flowers growing in some very difficult places. They are generally called weeds but I think they have a special beauty and appeal.
MISCELLANEOUS I have made this page into a list of some of the miscellaneous things in the garden. There is always room for expansion here. These items may not appear on all of the menus, but only on this page.
Outline of the garden changes - This is the first page of a series of three giving a tour of the my garden.
A description of the garden rooms - This is the second page of a series of three giving a tour of the my garden, and showing the creation of the garden rooms as well as some of the renovations over the years.
Annual Garden changes photo albums The third page of the series will be annual photo albums of the changes in the garden for the year, beginning in 2009.
Excerpts from Garden Journal In 2012 I began to keep a Garden Journal on my Computer. There will be monthly notes from each year after 2012. When I first started my garden I had note books for daily entries, diagrams of planting beds, lists of plants used in the garden and the purchase prices. My plant lists are constantly changing so I have not been keeping them current. The Journal Notes will mention renovations.
Lists of the Plants in each Garden Room I have started to make rather comprehensive lists of the plants in the garden rooms. When a plant becomes well established I will add it to the list. If a plant should die I will make a note of it to up date the list. It may be a while until I get this finished. Posted on January 15, 2021.
This page also contains the annual PURCHASES and the annual Garden rooms; although these annual garden rooms might not be completed for some time.