Pinecone Park

After the sun went down last night, I went out and took these photos. I find it easier to see details in the flat light of pre-dusk. Have a tour of Pinecone Park (sort of), and remember there was no fence, no soil, tons of garbage strewn about, and only one plant. Everything you see is my work except the Salal around the bast of most of my trees.

When I exit my backdoor I cross my crappy deck (look at it!) There's
a big bushy Clematis on my right. This is what I call my courtyard.
On the right, is the shed, home of wood, chopping station and tools.
Across the way is my studio, soon to be re-purposed.

Now I'm on the other side of the deck, on the other side of the 8-man
hottub. The table's on the former fire pit, the barbecue is on a walkway
to the table. That's my Cherry tree beside the table.

This garden delights me. It's my blue garden, that isn't ALL blue. It
amazes me because I've managed to grow this garden on top of the
fibrous matt of Fir tree roots beneath it that eagerly soak up water.

Once everywhere there was lovely lawn. It just won't come back the
next year. I've tried, I've tried, and given up. We are now going natural
in Picecone Park and filling the landscape with plantings to that you
don't notice the crappy lawns.

This is my boardwalk—famous in my own mind. I got crates on the big
island and took them apart to get the individual pieces of wood. I treated 
them all with preservative, but some have gone. Still, it works. I have it 
for the wheelbarrow to the Forest Gate were I have a 15-mter wide strip
across my lot for all the crap I remove from the gardens and lawns after
everyWinter. This path may change to gravel next year.

This little garden has really come along this year with the
addition of soil and plants. This garden is beside the forest
gate and once was a native little garden of Campion, but
they died, so I did plantings.

I have big ceramic planters scattered around, I've included
photos of three of them; eight are not shown.

To think that once grass get here. My heart pounds. To my right is
what I call my orchard. (It's a joke.) This is what I call the Tree Garden
because it's under 5 of them.

This garden is slowly maturing. It still appears sparse, but over the past 4
years, it's beginning to look good. I have to say that this is a favourite 
garden because it has overcome challenges—growing on Fir roots
and getting hours of very hot midday sun.

So ... this is 'the orchard..' I call it that only because I thought I'd
have more trees here, but even though its's the sunniest part of my
fenced garden, it's not enough. But they always have little apples.

That's the shed in the back. And that potted big-leafed 
plant is a gift from a neighbour. 

I love this because I made the lifting with Pinecone Park on it, and 
I planted Ivy. I love the I've because it makes the place look old.

Oregano—lots of Oregano, Rosemary, Chives, Basil,
lettuce, Fennel and Dill. This is one of four raised
beds in my Edible garden. The other beds have Blueberries
(2 beds) and Raspberries (one bed).

New Dwarf Lilac (left), behind it unseen is the new little Italian
Plumb tree., Flame Maple behind the lounge chair, Apple to it's right, 
and my majestic Paulownia (4 years old).

This is Deer-Proof Garden. It's in the front yard where no one goes.

The Flame Maple went in last year. It is growing just
wonderfully this year. The Rhododendron in the back
is the only plant that was here when I came.

This is a north-facing wall. I hated the exposed concrete, I found
a plant to grown there and it's slowly providing a far more appealing
look for the front of my home. That's my bedroom window. It looks
out on the front yard and the Deer-Proof garden.

This is my baby lettuce that's heat sensitive.

This Thyme self-seeded here and the patch gets bigger every year.
It's right where I go every time I go out. I love it.

The sound of gently trickling water creates an unbeatable 
soundtrack for the backyard—that and birdsong. And the
bees and birds love it for drinking and washing. 

Petasites Japonicus, Elwin, a nice neighbour, gave it to me.

Digitalis self-seeded in the cracks of the courtyard.

Way in the back ... the hammock.