WAITING FOR SPRING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Patience girl patience, it is only March!! Being overseas has spoiled you!! It will all happen soon.

I am trying!!!better day today, sunshine, TG.

Yes good day here today, sunny but windy.

Oliveoil, U said patience, heck it is May now and still cool. One thing though is that the plants keep their flowers longer during cool weather. That is a plus. OK I am trying!!!

Good girl for trying, lol. I am waiting for rain, we have not had any in last two months, it is cracking in the garden now, and I mean cracking not good. Rain supposed to come last evening, but no it did not. Rain showers forecast for today but I am not holding my breath. You are right of course the cooler weather in BC will keep the flowers in bloom for much longer. We are never happy with the weather are we? I hope your spring soon warms up, we keep getting cool winds, right chill of an evening here on the eastern side of Britain. I think though in the past we have had spring too warm and then summer is not good so this year, maybe the weather has sorted itself out a little. Although after saying that the daytime heat has been too much some days this spring. ah well no keeping everyone happy I suppose. Hope you are still managing to enjoy your garden.

I think U nailed that, no we are never happy with the weather, right now a little hail fell out there. We are in a Zone 8 here, but it is more like a 7 right now. My seedlings are suffering a bit, and had to move my beans back into the studio for heat. We again get the N. winds that blasts by here, most of the time it skims by because of how the garden is situated. Oliveoil, hope U get a break, and get some rain. I just sent U some 2 min. ago. Watch out :-))

Hi Adoons....the rain finally arrived here in Merseyside and was so needed (still need more!) as the ground was dry and cracked here too :(

Your photos of the Victoria gardens are beautiful...I've not heard of that garden (Butchardt I've been to) and it does look a lovely place to wander through. Appreciated the photos.

Your spring garden last year was fabulous....I can well see why you are waiting rathe impatiently for everything to "take off" again this year....I hope you don't have to wait much longer....and don't get any more of that nasty hail!

I notice you have a great crop of lavender...do you dry any of it to give scent in your home/studio or for any crafts? It is a lovely scent, easily captured.

Thanks Adoons, the rain arrived thank you for sending it, it was very much needed and everything has had a good soak and looks bright and gleaming fresh again. Hope your spring has arrived for you now.

Thanks U gals, so nice U got the rain, it was kinda hard to get it to you, so now I am exhausted (heh, heh). I always find there is something magical in rain water, that NO fertilizer can match. It is if the plants grow a third of their size after a rain.
Whistonlass, wow, Bowen, yup we look at it all the time. Prices have sky rocketed there or on any island with ocean view & frontage. Tell me about shingles, we lived on the Shuswap lake for years & split our own cedar shakes for our log house's roof (not shingles), loved it. It does make the best kindling for sure.

We have to buy the mulch, so every 3-4 yrs I mulch everything, cost about $40CDN per yard.

I love lavender & it loves me, it comes up everywhere & I just keep giving it away. I usually make little sachets & give it away at Xmas for people drawer. The studio right now is full of my seedlings, but I am suppose to be a painter, water colours mainly, dabble with acrylic.

Abkazi is gorgeous garden, he was a Russian prince who married a CDN girl, she was a passionate gardener, now the city of Victoria owns it as the virtually had no money in the end. Just a little gem.
Do you visit CDN now and then?how do you find the climates compare

Yes, the rain was so needed...and as I type this reply the skies are going all dark grey again so I reckon more rain is on the way!

I don't get back to Canada often...the last trip back was 4 yrs. ago when I returned for my sister's memorial service. I spent most of my time in Kamloops though as that is where her daughter lives and the service was there.
Our son is living in St. Catharine's (Ont.) for almost 2 yrs. now but we've not been out to see him. I'd love to have the funds to go back and spend a few months and see all my friends/family (mostly cousins and one niece left now) but being on pension limits us somewhat.

I was so sad when my dad sold our home on Bowen (it wasn't seaview but being on such a small island, sea was always just around the corner!)...and of course this was long before the property prices skyrocketed. I've been back to see the house/property and the people who have it now have added on and improved it quite a lot. You can never go back to what was left behind though....and the UK isn't a bad place to live...countryside is beautiful and distances are short to get anywhere compared to Canada.

Well, I've rambled long enough....lol Our area of Merseyside has a climate very similar to Vancouver (rain is common) but we don't get the lovely summers I remember from my childhood in B.C. Today it's sunshine and showers and the temp is supposed to reach a high of 17C.

Merseyside, Beatles country?? Yes U R so right, the long distances get U down, and I am envious of your smaller hamlets etc. Also the Brits R such great gardeners. So then your Summers are rainy? can it be wetter than our "wet" coast :-))
Hope you get the rain soon & keep up with gardening.
We have just put up a small fence panel today & I made my sweetie put a window in it & put some whimsical "fake" birdhouses on top. Watch for photos.
See U around Whistonlass:-))

Oooh....I'll be looking out for photos of your fence panel et al.

Yes, Merseyside is Beatles country...actually Liverpool has been the home of quite a few bands in past years. And yes, we do get rainy summers...the summer isn't as distinct a season as I remember from my B.C. childhood.

Anyhow....waving "hi" across the pond, Adoons. Thanks for your pm to say hello. Our garden lady commences work here on Tuesday or Wednesday next week....so you can imagine how excited I am to finally have things taking shape!

Hi Back WL, garden lady?? U lucky girl. Will post that fence photo in this week, hopefully. Have a good one :-))