I hope everyone had a good Christmas.  As we reach the end of 2018 I always like to look back at the garden year.  It gives me the opportunity to see what did well or if I need to make some changes to the garden.   Starting off in January we were knee-deep in snow.  At times like this I resort to bringing colour into the house in the form of Spring themed containers.  

Moving onto February we were very fortunate to escape to the Cook Islands and had a wonderful month in Rarotonga.

It took a while for the snow to melt so I was happy to see the witch hazel in bloom and bulbs poking through my garden beds.  

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As soon as the weather warms up my garden really starts to take off.  In no time at all the beds are full of colour in early May.  Some of my favourite blooms at this time of year are peonies, poppies and early blooming roses.  

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The rockery garden is at its best with a combination of remaining minature bulbs and low growing perennials.   During the summer months the garden can often go into a lull particularly if the temperatures are high.  This year was very different due to the many forest fires.  It created overcast skies during the latter part of August so the plants and shrubs did not look so bedraggled.  This is a busy time for us as family and friends come to stay.

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By the time September arrives we like to escape and do a little camping.  This year we were very happy that our niece from the UK joined us at Lightening Lake, Manning Park.  Many treasured memories camping here years ago.   

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Fall and early winter have been very mild this year. Plants lingered for a long time before the frost arrived. Even as I write there is a group of wall flowers just waiting to bloom in a bed close to the house.  

I travelled in November to Bali, Indonesia with my cousin. It was quite eye opening for me; a whole different culture and way of life but we both enjoyed our stay.

Within a short time after returning I was totally involved in Christmas preparation with creating outdoor greenery, baking and attending my grandchild’s first concert. Christmas itself was busy but at the same time a special time with family and friends. The grandkids had great fun making snowmen with the little snow we had. We also appreciated long walks in Fintry Provincial Park to work off all the turkey and goodies.

Wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year.