Sunday

I started off today with a quick trip to Home Depot and Canadian Tire. I returned the blueberry that had died (probably at least partially my fault, although the other blueberry is doing fine), and bought four tomato cages (since there was a very good chance I'd manage to plant those four tomatoes sitting on my patio), a stake, a trowel (actually, a set that included a trowel, cultivator, weeder and kneeling pad, since it wasn't much more than an individual trowel) because my other trowel seems to have wandered off, a patio umbrella (to put in the stand my uncle gave me), plus this adorable little mushroom toad house:

I doubt it will ever have a toad, but it's cute even if it doesn't. (In moister areas, do toads actually hang out in these?)

Here's my much-neglected front garden:

I've been neglecting it since the weeds aren't terribly noticeable, and I really want to get the vegetable gardens done while there's still time to put things in. (Yes, it's probably too late for this year, but please don't burst my bubble.)

I did tie up the weigela since I now had a stake. Before:

After:

It probably needs to be pruned or something too... but not until after it finishes blooming. A least now it's less likely to be abused by my lawn-mowing neighbour.

Yay, dirt and plants in the raised bed:

It's probably *way* over-crowded, but... well... better there than on the patio! I put in four cherry tomatoes, a strawberry that was in the "holding area" (I think this is where I want it), my birdhouse gourd (I doubt I'll actually get gourds, it's pretty late), plus four things that are either onions or leeks... I think three of one type and one of the other, but I can't remember which is which. (Note to self: label things better.) I figure the tomatoes will grow up while the gourd grows horizontally, and I'll just make sure the gourd doesn't smother the strawberry. The onions/leeks, well, I have a bunch started, they're also vertical, and maybe they'll keep some bugs off the other plants.

Argh, the elm has some sort of leaf miner:

I found this bizarre larva dude when I pulled off the infected elm leaves:

Hmmm... googling... this might actually be a ladybug pupae! Cool! (I'll have to rescue it from the yard waste bin tomorrow... I think it's on top, so it should be easy.)

I discovered that one of the plants my neighbor had been mowing was indeed a flower (I stopped him by putting some log stepping stones in front to protect it)... it appears to be some kind of white harebell:

(It's kind of hard to spot amongst the anemone here, which is also white.)

And, why not, here's an "after" shot of the rhubarb I hacked away at yesterday:


I was in the garden for less than two hours today, between sleeping late, shopping, and family dinner.

Oh well... good thing I still have Monday! :D