# Olympia's Garden



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Well well well.. It's finally warm enough to talk about my garden. 
I will warn you now: it is NOT a great garden.. We don't have tons of money for it, and it is just so LARGE D: Not to mention I have so much on my plate, I don't even know why I "adopted" the garden. I hope to share my garden struggles and successes on here :3 So here is a basic tour, these photos are from last week, more from today later on I hope 
-Map coming soon-

I love sharing my life with gorgeous flowers, and little garden birds.  Hopefully if we get a good nest I'll be able to document baby birds growing up. You may also witness some outdoor foresty photos from nearby 

Just want to make it clear, I'd love to live on a farm someday, with huge gardens and a nearby forest :3

Saturday, March 17th:
Everything is just springing to life! I've removed all the dead leaves and dry cover over the perennials we have. I'm am sorry these photos are so horrendous. It was extremely sunny and everything is still half dead  We have 4 main gardens:

1. Main view of the yard. Vegetable garden in the back. It is our oldest garden, been with us 5 years. Yes it is huge. Yes it is a handful. Yes that is a bat box, built last year, but remains empty, I heard bat guano spread on the bottom will attract bats, have to try that. Yes our bird feeder is hanging from a telephone cable, in an attempt to keep squirrels away. I want a shepherd's hook for it this year.. Every time I saw squirrels on the feeder I'd make my dog chase em away and now they NEVER go on the feeder, just forage at the bottom 











2. Clay Garden. Our second oldest garden. This is a real challenge, the soil is pretty much clay, thanks to the stupid poplar tree. I want to eventually fill it with a foot of good quality soil, but for now, plants struggle to survive in it. I planted some bee balm, which likes clay and is native, in there, one bush flowered, it was okay but I think it'd be better if I put in more, which I hope to  Compost pile in the back.











3. Under the Deck Garden. A nice simple garden, built last year. Filled with lovely soil, the plants grow well. Home to ferns, gladiolus, foxglove, Siberian iris, and my favorite, the dahlias.










Before clearing:










After clearing:










4. Shade garden. My least favorite garden, almost nothing grows there. Home to some ferns, lamb's ears, a few poppies and another favorite, lily of the valley's, of which I hope to acquire more.

Mocha doesn't get why this garden sucks so much either:


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

I love the outdoors, so what ever I can find that I can do outdoors I try. I am gonna try to grow some flowers, I haven't done it before though. My mom loves gardening, but we live in an apartment, so not much space out back. When I go to now the lawn at our "relatives" she is always in their garden tending stuff with them.


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## sparkyjoe (Feb 27, 2012)

Oh, I'm so envious! I love to get my hands in the dirt (when I'm feeling well) but being in a non-fenced condo I don't really have a lot of space in which to garden. I do take advantage of the space I have but I dream of being in a house with land to use both for gardening and a dog. Sigh


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

You don't need a lot of space to garden. Even if you have shade most of the day, herbs are easy to grow in small containers. You can grow spices, or make teas. Or if you're like me you can start studying their medical properties and treat things like cuts, bug bites, and colds yourself


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

*March 15th*

Here are photos from today:

Under the Deck Garden progress:










Flowers. All of these are early bloomers that I did not plant, they kind of just drifted in, but they are pretty 

I took this photo in the morning, and these are already in full bloom a few hours later:





































ATM they are being watered with old tank water. It is supposed to drop to -3C tonight, so I will have to cover up the gardens -__-
Enjoy!


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

I tried to build a garden once - I ended up with maybe 5 sunflowers :-?

My grandpa used to have a veggie garden with carrots, tomatoes and peas.


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Cool!  Is using old tank water good for the plants?


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Really I do it more for environmental friendliness, instead of pouring it down the drain.. Uncycled tank water would be slightly beneficial due to any ammonia in it.. Cycled tank water has nitrates which would be good too. 

Tiki- you GREW something in Alaska? Maybe you should try again now that you're in NY. I'm impressed!


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Those are some pretty little flowers!  I'm quite jealous - I can grow many things underwater, but terrestrial plants seem to cower in fear when I step outside.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

If I can find an old barrel half this year I want to try water lilies. 
And honestly, if I keep this up.. you will see how overgrown everything gets with next to no maintenance. You can drown in the tomato or cucumber sections of the garden!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Very nice! Your flowers are pretty.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Thank you! 
I was hoping to get some work done this weekend. However it may snow tonight  I swear if it snows I will go out and punch the snowflakes out of my yard.
-sigh- but this is life in Canada :/


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

Lol, life in Canada XD


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I was supposed to do my photography today, but it's raining. 
It DID snow on Friday, but no one was injured, there was a blanket of snow but it melted by late morning. I was running around covering as many plants as I could.
We bought 10 dahlia bulbs, 5 white and 5 pink. I also have a purple bulb I bought last year on sale, which might not grow out since it was out of the ground for a whole year, but I'm hopeful. Problem is, we don't have anymore full sun areas for the dahlias, I'm hoping my dad will build me a middle garden in the yard.

I want to make some improvements this year. I got some sour cherry seeds, which as far as I know, shouldn't grow very well here, but I think they might prevail if I cover them every winter. They've been in the fridge all winter, to simulate a cold period, and SHOULD sprout if I plant them this year, which I will soon :3

I've been researching this whole "cottage garden" thing, classic flowers, overflowing gardens. One of the things that I want is a mock orange. There's different varieties, from short to tall, I'd need a Canada hardy one though. It only blooms 3 weeks, but I think I could find it a place:
http://nibsblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/opt-chair-under-mock-orange.jpg

I want to add a fruit tree this year, really bad. What do you guys think? Apples, pears or plums? :3


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

I'd like to follow your thread. I enjoy flowers a lot and this seems like it will be a neat one. I am always outside in the dirt when the warm weather hits. The problem is the frost yesterday... urgh. I forgot to uncover my plants and they stayed covered all day. My mums are very wilty now and my husband bought them for me as a gift on the fourth of july last year  The plus side is my Mona Lisa Lillly is coming back okay so far.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

*A Woodpecker is Released!*

Alright, so I feel horrible not updating this, since it seems somewhat popular (well I can't update it that much, gardens are pretty slow ). So I'm going to do two entries in a row to make up for it 

*April 7th, 2012:*
Today, a little downy woodpecker smashed into our window. I went out to bury the little guy, but I noticed he was still kicking. I brought him into the crate I had set up (always ready for injured wildlife lol) to give him somewhere to "die in peace." Anyways, you can read his story here if you hadn't already.
The next day, his beak was covered in suet, and he was back in tip top shape like nothing ever happened! O-O I chalk it up to the fact that woodpeckers skulls are highly designed to protect against shock (they peck trees), don't think most birds could survive that.
Anyways, here's some pics of him:

In the crate (taken with my ipod, bad quality but no scary flash):



















After I let him go, he flew right towards the sun, so it's a bad photo, but here he is back in the "wild" of the suburbs!:











I think I saw him again this morning, but they all look the same. Probably was him or one of his family members though, pretty sure they like to stay close to home. :3


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

*General Garden Update*

*April 14th, 2012:*

So not much has happened. We still get near freezing at night, so I can't plant any of my bulbs yet, and the garden season isn't really in full swing. But meh, here's some photos!

*Clay Garden:*

We moved this blackberry bush into my clay garden (against my own will). We have to set up a trellis for it still, just tied it up temporarily. 










Beside the blackberry is our purple clematis, who is doing quite well! 



















Mini Rose:










Tulips, they are dwarfed due to bad soil (clay) I believe, but we don't really have anywhere else for them right now:









Bee Balm! One of my faves! Attracts hummingbirds, loves clay, is an Ontario native, the leaves smell _amazing _and is the source of one of my favourite teas (Early Grey). I swear this plant is all my favourite things in one!  Hope it thrives!











*Under the deck garden:*

I really hope these are baby foxgloves. They are where I planted my foxglove last year :3










*Vegetable Garden:*

Cow and sheep manure, getting ready!:










*Home:*

Mom brought this hydrangea today. It'll go in the clay garden after we get bored of it in the house. They love clay :3










Have no idea why the pics are sideways, I rotated them and they just show up like this on the forum


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Nice, nice and NICE!!!

I envy your gardening skill... Because I lack. The last house I lived in had a wonderful garden. I tried an tried to overturn the soil, dry it and grow things like lettuce (which apparantly likes our climate) and herbs and a strawberry plant. Nothing. The only thing I grew successfully is parsley and basil (which died when I moved).

I love to get out there and TRY!! I'm following this thread to see how awesome your garden gets! I love your dogs, non-cropped ears too


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## Leeniex (Aug 14, 2011)

I love this thread! I am sticking to containers this year because my husband has a tendency to "accidentally" run over anything I plant in the yard with the mower.

Love the woodpecker.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Guys! Update when I get home, I PROMISE. I already have all the photos, just gotta upload them.
You will be shocked at how some of these plants have grown.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

That post above. REALLY AWKWARD. 
I'm such a procrastinator. It's June..

_Mid May:_

*Shade Garden:*

Ferns, and lily of the valley. Looking good. Haven't thought much about planting this one more, yet.  We also moved 1 of two blackberries to this garden, they are taking over the veg. garden, so thorny!




















*Under the Deck:*

Some good growth.  I really hope all those little things are fox gloves. And flowers!





























*Clay Garden:*

This one's getting a make over. :3 I'm slowly converting the top 1ft or so into nicer soil. It's tough though! Some dahlia and gladiolus bulbs planted here. Also where the second blackberry went, photo included.










Bleeding Heart:



















*Fruits!*

Strawberry:










Gooseberry (MY FAVE!):










Dark gooseberry hybrid, really sour, yuck:










White Currant (my second fave!): 










Black Currant, growing slower than the white, which is fine since it's not as good!:










My White Grapes, may actually fruit this year. But animals will eat them. Next year, or in the fall, I'm transplanting them to their own garden patch that I can cage in. Yes I really want grapes.:











EDIT:
Almost forgot, we have a new neighbor! Meet our male Rose-breasted Grosbeak!









Hopefully I'll do a better job updating from now on. :lol:


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

It's okay, as you said, gardens grow slow. Mine sure is *Stomps foot*


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

JEALOUS. That's such a nice preeety garden! I can't even keep tote box gardens in my place now- not enough sun. 
Congrats!!! Gardens that equal food are excellent. I grew a vine on my fence in my old house which doesn't sprout beans until it's second year but we moved out. I hope the people there now are enjoying the only thing I managed not to kill!!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Your garden is so pretty!


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