Good to see you back Marcia, now I will be gone for a week, family 100th homestead reunion and camping with some friends ;)

I too will be entering my garden next year in the Community in Blooms Garden Tour they have each third week of July, they wanted me to enter this year, but I want the deck and raised beds to be finished first, we are also having contractors to do a new roof.

I'm already nervous too ;)

Take care all,
Sharon

Welcome back Marcia! Missed you. Congratulations, again and also to you, Sharon. It will be great "listening" to all the planning that you will be doing for the next year.

My garden, although nicely filled in for only 1 year old, still looks a bit like a dog's breakfast. DH thinks it looks great, though, so maybe I'm just being hard on myself. We've got the first part of the deck on now, so at least I'm not balancing on joists anymore when I walk out the door.
Try doing that kind of balancing act with a bad knee. LOL! Just imagine how funny I looked everytime I came out the door to the yard.

We are a long way from participating, if ever, in any garden competitions. I certainly will enjoy the planning both of you will be doing, tho. Anyone else competing next year?

Shauna

I was asked to be in a community garden tour this year, 1 week before it happened! Now there's panic for you! It was this past wednesday night and of course it drizzled on and off, and that was the only rain we got all week. I had really wanted to get all the planting done around the pond area, but didn't get to it all. Mind you, I did finish the flagstone patio and hauled in a couple more tonnes of rock, so by the time the tour came around I was exhausted. Looking back now, it's probably a good thing I only had a week, if I had more time I'd have worn myself ragged, so Marcia and Sharon make sure you pace yourselves!

It all turned out in the end and we had lots of nice compliments on the yard and made a pile of new gardening friends who, hopefully, will come out for our plant exchange in the spring. It was a great experience and I learned a few things from the visitors as well.

Laurie

Have a great time, Sharon!

Shauna, my gardens were nothing to look at in their first years. Now i find it hard to believe that they're nice enough for people to want to come and see them! Yours will too, and probably sooner than mine!

Laurie - one week! I would have had to refuse - too many areas to clean up in one week! Is your pond new? I'd like one too, but i don't know if i want to start too many new projects before next summer.

Laurie, do you have any pics of your flagstone patio? We have not done anything with our patio area and I would love to do it in stone, right now I just have dirt and no steps. Of course, that door gets zero use. Shauna, make sure to post pics of your new deck too!

Yes, Marcia the pond is new, started it this spring. I was somewhat holding back on the landscaping around it because most of July was just too darned hot to work in! Thankfully we had cooler temperatures this past week, so I could actually move some rock around without getting heat stroke! The good thing about the tours, is that it gave me the kick in the pants that I needed to get more done than I had ever imagined! You're wise to limit the number of projects beore next summer. Depending on the size of pond you would want to put in, I think a pond is an all summer project. Mind you, I did start out with a tiny one to see if I would enjoy it. It was just half of a rain barrel that I faux finished on the outside with concrete. So a small water feature would definately be do-able for your time line, but I don't want to add anymore to your list ;)

Tabardca, I'll try to get some pix of the patio later today. I'm a bit hesitant to post them yet, as I still haven't planted the thyme between them(yes, I admit, I'm a bit of a perfectionist!). I want to make sure the grass is good and dead before I plant.
Laurie

Hi Marcia...glad to see you back!

Sharon have fun!

Sierra

I was thinking of doing a half-barrel pond for next summer. I have a whole barrel that i'd like dh to cut in half for me, so i'd just have to get the insert for it, and it could be put almost anywhere that needs a bit of a kick - well, anywhere close to an electrical plug!

Has anyone ever looked into using solar power to run a pump? Dh and i were talking about it and he thinks that one of those small panels that they sell now could generate enough electricity to run a pump. The only thing then would be to somehow disguise the panel - maybe they can start making them look like gazing balls! LOL

Marcia

There are solar powered pumps that are already made especially for ponds and fountains. I saw some at Home Depot or Rona, not sure which one. I think Cdn. Tire has some also. I also saw some in some of the larger garden centres in the spring, usually the ones that specialize a bit in pond supplies. Try a google search and see what you can find. I think they may even have decorative ones, too.

DH and I were thinking this same route because he doesn't want to run power out to one or waste electricity on running one. When I found these, we realized that we didn't have to run them with electricity. Now, maybe my best "puppy-dog" eyes will get me one by next year. I want a bubbler so I don't need a very big one.

Shauna

Thanks. Shauna! I'll keep an eye out for that. We don't have a Rona or Home Depot here, but maybe Can. Tire would have it, and if it doesn't this year, probably next year.

My lights this spring really hit the hydro bill hard, so i'd better not push for plugging in a pump! Dh loves solar - we have it at the cabin and it's a lot better than lighting those darn propane lights all the time!