Be A Fearless Gardener

When we bought our house 5 years ago we had wonderful visions of our yard...a wild-ish English type garden, kind of like what you picture while reading the book "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and yes, a glorious hedge. Oh, the hedge we would have!

So we got some Alpine Currant bushes from my MIL and divided them just as she suggested (she gives really good gardening advice by the way!), planted them along the road and waited for spectacular things to happen.

and waited.....

and waited.....

and waited.....

Did I mention that we may have been just slightly unrealistic about our hedge expectations? Just slightly.

Overall, the hedge did well the year that we planted it. Almost all of the plants survived being dug up, trucked 25Km, divided up, and replanted. Whew!

The second year they got weeded, mulched, and did NOTHING! A few, little green leaves, but no growth. Hey, they're still alive but this is a bit disappointing. We've been told that it may take a year or two for the roots to really become established and for things to get growing. No need to panic.

The third year....weeded, mulched, nothing.....by this time, the hedge is now an amusing joke for our friends when they drive by.

Friend: "Wow, your hedge is HUGE!" *snickering*
Me: "Jeez, I'm surprise you can see me with all the height it has gained this year!" *voice dripping with sarcasm*
Friend: *hearty guffaw* and drives on

So this year, in its fourth year at our house, I decided that enough was enough! Some serious intervention needed to happen. It was time to finally start listening to the gardening gods and their infinite wisdom and take matters seriously in hand.
The hedge was weeded, mulched, and....here is where the fearless gardener kicks in....PRUNED!

We were told time and time again that a hedge grows much better when it is pruned. We would look at our piddly little plants and shake our heads, "Not these babies. They're too small!"

I waited for the perfect moment....Judah was playing happily, Willow was fast asleep in her carrier, and most importantly, my husband was off at work. The hedge, however crappy it may look, is kind of my husbands pet garden project and he was really very hesitant about even considering pruning it this year.

So with gardening shears in hand, I started cutting at the currents like a crazy woman, reminding myself all the way that this is just like a hair-cut for plants, and was just finishing up the last section when my husband drove up. Uh-oh! Can you say "busted"?

He took it much better than I thought he would. Once the shock wore off he agreed that it was high time it was done anyway.

Looking at the hedge today, while still not huge, it HAS grown an incredible amount in comparison to previous years.....just goes to show what a little fearless gardening can accomplish. Maybe it won't be 20 years before we have a big and beautiful hedge!

How have you been a fearless gardener this year?

Vegan Hamadryad Tam

Beat the heat this summer with a sweet Vegan Hamadryad Tam! It is hand knit from ultra soft and cool bamboo/cotton yarn and features a stiff peak to shade your eyes from the hot summer sun. lt also has an adjustable band so that no matter what activity you are participating in, be it hiking, soccer or ultimate frisbee, this puppy will stay put!

To view further details, please visit my site: http://sandandskycreations.com

Maritime Wool Socks PDF Pattern

My husband really loves hand knit socks which is a good thing because I love knitting them! Unfortunately, he says that most of them a little bit fancy because I usually can't resist throwing in cabling so I created this sock pattern just with him in mind. These socks are knit up fairly fast because of their simplistic design and they would be a fantastic weekend project. The light worsted weight yarn means that they are quite sturdy and should hold up to continuous wear and washing. Maritime Wool Socks would make perfect work and .hiking socks or just kicking-around-the-house-cozy socks for yourself of someone special.

For pattern specifics, please visit my website http://sandandskycreations.com

Murray Harbour Wharf

With lobster fishing coming to a close on Tuesday and fishermen starting to take in gear, I wanted to get a few shots of the rustic looking buildings along the wharf before landing day.

A picture from our daily walk.

New FO - Hanging Vines Socks

I found the pattern for these amazing socks at Knotions. I really, really, REALLY love this sock pattern and I'm planning on making a pair of fingerless glove to match when I finish up a few more of my WIPs. I've had them done for quite a while but only just took pics of them today *blushes*

Pattern: Hanging Vines Socks by Kelly Porpiglia

Yarn: Belfast Mini Mills Specialty Sock yarn
100% Superwash wool 1.5 skeins

Needles: Size 2.75mm/US 2

One of my favorite sounds.....

We went for a walk down Klondike Road a couple of weeks ago and I took this little video just for the beautiful sound of the birds singing.