"Pond" and Play

This last week Douglas, Teela, Peff, Merlin and Viola have been visiting. It has been a real pleasure to be in the yard with them (check out some of Mike's yard pics from this week). I have enjoyed my flowers and veggies as I always do, but it has been great to have new eyes to share it with.

About two weeks ago, Liz gave me an old fountain of Gary's. I filled it up and have been enjoying the trickle of water ever since. Viola, Leora and Anwyn, however, has put me to shame. Anwyn got me snails to clean my algae (one is even still alive), and Leo decorated the floor of the pool with polished rocks. Viola takes each rock out and carries it around the yard happily. Predictably, Merlin only likes the rock with writing on it, although he was a huge help finding rocks hidden in the sandbox, which he took to the fountain.

Teela and Peff did an admiring yard tour and made nice comments, and Teela has been writing an article about my front yard. She also grazes happily, eating mostly peas and raspberries. Viola likes to graze too. She picks green tomatoes and white strawberries, earning "No" is a deep voice from her otherwise fun Aunty Wendy. Yesterday she ate most the remaining red currants and quite a few raspberries as well. I really enjoy the enthusiasm of the kids, but Teela enjoys the yard the way I do. She likes to look at the growing things, relax in the hammock and pick things to eat.

Douglas was positive about the yard in general as it fits his hobbit hole vision, and he helped pick peas and raspberries, but his main interest was in open space for sword fighting. You can read Mike's blog for pictures and commentary on that.

Both Merlin and Viola enjoy the girls' revamped play fort. Merlin for climbing, sliding and other high up activities, and Viola for going in and out of the lower floor and swinging in the hammock. We also refilled the sand box for their amusement. It hadn't been filled since daycare days and was getting pretty empty as you can see in this picture.

For my records (sorry Gus, I know this is the boring part) we are currently eating:

• cucumbers (slicer and pickler)
• a few tomatoes and baby potatoes
• chili and hab. peppers
• all fresh spices
• beans (purple and yellow)
• peas
• zucchini
• raspberries (Mike made jam and raspberry sauce, and we froze 18 cups this week alone)
• red currants
• beets (greenhouse started only)
• greens (chard, spinach, lettuce, beet greens)

Currently blooming

• day lilies (7 types)
• sun flowers
• holly hocks
• yarrow (3 colours)
• astilbe (2 types)
• bell flower (3 types)
• salvia
• orchids
• roses
• nasturtiums
• coriopsis
• lilies (4 types)
• poppies (2 types)
• daisies (2 types)
• wild violets
• delphinium
• lupin
• clover
• lots of veggies
• a variety of ground covers
• spider wort
• sage
• silver brocade (artemisia)
• veronica
• rudbeckia (looks lots like yellow coneflower)