Mother's Day Comes Early!

Mother's Day is just around the corner and my family knows that when it comes to gifts, I don't need any jewelry or an expensive dinner at a swanky restaurant! Instead, they always get me gifts that show just how much they love me - a load of mushroom compost perhaps, or several yards of aged manure.. the good stuff! Nothing says 'we appreciate you' like a nice big truck full of aged poop!

This year, my hubby and I are finally tackling some of the landscaping around the property. For the past few years, all our gardening efforts (and budget!) have gone to the 2000 sq foot kitchen garden. Now, we're finally going to 'pretty up' the property with some more perennial and shrub plantings - so exciting! Therefore, my 2010 Mother's Day gift will be arriving in just a few more days - 14 cubic yards of garden soil! That should be enough for a few little flower patches!?

Then, over the next month or so, I hope to fill up those new beds with an array of perennials - daylilies, ornamental grasses, coneflowers, hardy bamboo and so on.. I'm also happy to take suggestions for my zone 5b property!

As well, there is an awkward shaded slope beside our back deck that has been left untouched for several years. I plan on adding a few stone terraces and perhaps turning it into a hosta garden.. that may not sound too exciting, but my neighbour has a sizeable hosta garden and it's lovely to see them all planted together so that you can truly appreciate the range of foliage colours, sizes and shapes.

Happy Gardening!