Summer Hollidays

The Humble Bungalow Garden

We have been away on the boat...and had motor trouble.
Repairs need to happen before we can go out on it again.

Midweek I drove upisland for a few days
with our son and 3 grand children.

Oodles of fun in the sun and a crazy thunder and lightning storm!
Mini Golf, bumper boats, pooltime, crafts...

Fresh veggies from The Humble Bungalow Garden and Greenhouse.

The garden is looking wonderful and we are starting to harvest vegetables.

Limelight Hydrangeas 

and

Himalayan Honeysuckle

I love the combination of colours and textures.

This wee green grasshopper hitched a ride from Victoria all the way to Parksville.

The views from our suite.

Sandy beaches and many lovely homes.

Abraham Darby

a stalwart David Austin Rose

very frilly and frothy 

a beautiful fragrance.

Second flush of sweet peas...

Monty Don said to cut ALL the flowers off and expect a flush of new ones.

I was skeptical but it works.

BTW 

I had an email from a reader 

saying that ads are popping up in the blog side bar 

that are related to the US election and the NRA.

I do not live in the US.

My blog is not political in any way, shape or form.

It is my understanding that any ads that do pop up 

are related to searches by the users of the device.

North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre is located in Errington, BC

near Parksville and Qualicum Beach.

The centre rehabilitates animals that are injured and then releases them back into the wild.

There are a few animals that are permanent residents. 

Their injuries were so severe

that they will not be able to fend for themselves.

The centre is clean

the cages are large 

the habitats inside are similar to the wilderness

that the animals call home.

Look at this precious owl.

Farley cannot fly, he was hit by a car in Prince George BC.

He underwent an operation but has never been able to regain the ability to fly.

We are enjoying hosting outdoor "Happy Hours" with friends and family.

It is a wonderful way to stay connected and remain safe.

How is your summer going?

The time seems to be flying by here...

I've got lots of things planned for the next few weeks.

Catching up with friends and a spa date with my baby sister who just turned 60!

Take care and stay safe.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Summer snippets 2020...

My neighbour's garden has some rare and unusual plants.

Artistic touches are evident throughout her garden. 

Her choice of colourful flowers make a bold statement and are often dramatic.

Our poppies are still putting on a spectacular show.

I am saving the seeds for next years blooms.

My neighbour across the street and I were out chatting and watched a doe

as she grabbed one of the seed pods and swallowed it right before our eyes!

The urban deer are a hot topic of conversation among the gardeneres at this end of the block...

(5 deer reside in the back yard of a home nearby)

Mom and her fawns are enjoying our front garden "salad bar" so much this year!

No amount of Bobex is stopping their munching.

A dear friend and I went out to an antique store last week.

We wore our masks and perused the shop

before we decided on purchasing these Canadian vintage sap buckets.

We both thought of creative ways that we could use them...

ice buckets, flower vases, planters, 

My friend is planning to use them to collect sap from her Elm tree.

John Paul II Rose

reblooming after getting planted in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

He shares the bed with Crocosmia Lucifer...

I wonder how they are getting along?

Dierama aka Angel's Fishing Wand

 in my neighbour's garden...ours has not yet bloomed.

Bought some new buckets and shovels for the sandy beach at Sidney Spit.

Hope we have some sunny days when we are there with the grandchildren.

We plan to build some sandcastles...

A friend dropped off some books the other evening.

I had run out of books to read.

To me that is a very dire situation...

I purchased The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy

it is a delightful book ~ a perfect beach read.

Am excited to read these other titles. 

They should keep me entertained for the next month or so.

Jude the Obscure with Lady's Mantle

Love the form and fragrance of this beautiful David Austin Rose.

Hubby and I are celebrating our 46th anniversary.

We were married young and were high school sweethearts.

So we have actually been together as a couple for 50 years!

Our friends treated us to a lovely dinner on their porch the other evening.

Look at the rhubarb pie!

Hope that you are staying safe, 

are wearing your mask when you cannot self distance...

our active Covid cases on Vancouver Island 

have increased since Phase 3 has been enacted.

It is quite unsettling hearing the double digit daily cases in BC.

We need to keep our bubbles "small"

and as Dr. Bonnie Henry reminds us

"more faces in bigger spaces."

Fresh air, blue skies, sunshine, birdsong and buzzing bees

just some of the 

JOYS 

of Summer.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Everything's coming up Roses...

I am spending much more time in our garden during the pandemic...

focusing on the flowers and plants.

Listening to the birdsong 

chatting with fellow gardeners on the street.

Many of us are dealing with the urban deer and their voracious appetites.

One doe visits the front yard every day and has decimated most of the Hostas.

You can see in the first picture that its looking quite big!

This is what is left of Sum and Substance a large variety of Hosta.

I watched her eat two "salads."

She's nibbled the hydrangeas and some of the rose blooms despite the thorns!

We are going to build a fence...

Constance Spry and Paul's Lemon Pillar Roses

on the pergola at the entrance to The Humble Bungalow Garden.

High enough that the deer cannot reach all of the blooms.

Constance has a very deep rich fragrance and Paul's Lemon Pillar is a more sublte citrus scent.

The Heart Flag hangs in honour of all the frontline and essential workers.

Jude The Obscure 

(my favourite David Austin Rose!)

a stunning repeat blooming apricot rose with an amazing 

and

intoxicating perfume.

The pink rose in the background is the McCartney Rose

a hybrid tea rose 

rich scent

repeat bloomer.

Sir Paul!

William Shakespeare

our only red rose in the garden.

"In joy or sadness, flowers are our constant friends."

~ Okakura Kakuzo ~

Roses growing at the Cottage on Pender.

"Flowers grow out of dark moments."

~ Corita Kent ~

No scent to speak of but very attractive.

"It’s ok to feel delicate sometimes. 

Real beauty is in the fragility of your petals. 

A rose that never wilts isn’t a rose at all."

~ Crystal Woods ~

Are you a gardener?

Do you have urban deer or other wildlife dining in your garden?

My current book borrowed from a friend.

What are you reading?

Take care and thank you for dropping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

My Cup Runneth Over...with thanks and gratitude.

Hey Jude!

David Austin Rose Jude the Obscure

 a favourite rose in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Those of you who follow me on Instagram 

will probably have seen the latest addition in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

It sits in the "work area" of the garden where we keep big bins of potting soil, the stakes, wheelbarrow and our bin filled with firewood.

My clever husband made this potting table.

I had shown him one I liked on Pinterest 

which was simply two sawhorses with and plank on top. 

 This deluxe table with shelves is what he designed and built!

I am VERY pleased and happy with this beautiful table!

I had fun getting things out of the shed and I made a trip to a vintage shop in The Cook Street Village called Kay's Korner.

With shop keeper Karin helping

we gathered together some charming pieces that will add ambiance.

The old broken pitchfork and shears that I have kept 

for whimsical garden accent pieces are finally getting used!

The shovel will be great for potting and repotting plants.

Karin sold me this cute chair which I spray painted black to go with the metal bistro table that I have had for several years.

It sits on the small north facing patio 

 in a "garden room" 

of hydrangeas, roses, lady's mantle, dwarf apple trees and hostas.

There was a knock on the front door as I sat reading my book 

 lo and behold it was Karin...

She brought me a gift!

Karin is a very talented artist and she makes cheerful whimsical greeting cards.

She made this sign for me to hang above my new potting table...

I knew she was one in a million and this just proved it!

THANK YOU KARIN

David Austin's Graham Thomas Rose

the former "star of the work area"

the potting table has taken that new title!!

Hope that you are enjoying your weekend activies...

There is a light rain falling here

we've been reading our books

spaghetti sauce is simmering on the stove top

birds are singing cheerfully outside the windows.

At this very moment feeling content and calm...

feelings are fleeting and temporary 

 golden moments like these are a welcome respite from the 

horrific events that continue to occur in our world.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Chatting about roses...and a look back at the Humble Bungalow "before pictures"

Rose Constance Spry and Paul's Lemon Pillar together on the arbour

 in front of The Humble Bungalow.

People often stop to chat when they see me out in the front garden.

I frequently invite them in

so that they can smell the fragrance of these beautiful blooms.

We get many compliments from passers by 

about the roses and plants in our small lot garden.

I have often wondered what it would be like to have an acre...

I know that we would need many many more rose bushes.

Currently we grow about 30 roses

 an acre would require hundreds perhaps thousands!

I would need to hire a full time gardener.

Jude the Obscure rose

a David Austin variety that has had me smitten as soon as we were introduced!

LOVE at first sight...

the apricot colour of those frothy petals

( the scent is amazing)

This bloom is about to open up fully.

David Austin roses

Jude the Obscure and Abraham Darby

both very fragrant 

mixed with lacy fronds of the chartreuse green Lady's Mantle

Set atop the The Humble Bungalow bathroom sink.

Graham Thomas is a bright yellow David Austin rose.

This one is planted in our "work area" of the garden.

It is growing up a black trellis in the corner where we keep our compost bins, extra pots, wheelbarrow and stakes.

Gardeners NEED a work and storage area...

we've tried to hide ours by installing a latticework screen.

When we moved into The Humble Bungalow Garden almost 38 years ago 

it was in shambles...

it was overrun with prickly blackberry bushes and invasive morning glory.

The clean up took months as we did it all ourselves.

The children were young, 

Jennifer was 3 and Stewart was 15 months.

We worked together most weekends when the weather was decent.

The design has changed over the years 

it has morphed into a cottage garden style 

which features mostly on David Austin roses.

I pick a few roses when they are at their peak and bring them indoors to enjoy.

William Shakespeare and Jude the Obscure roses.

Constance Spry and Paul's Lemon Pillar roses.

This is Iceberg and prolific blooming climber.

This is what The Humble Bungalow Garden looked like when we moved in.

We knew that there was a lot of work required to fix this bungalow.

It had great "bones" and the location was good.

Mr HB designed and built the deck and arbour.

This picture is about 5 years old...

the rose you can see growing up the lattice is Climbing Royal Sunset.

The bed below has been completely changed...

 it has 4 black pergolas with white Claire Austin roses and a boxwood hedge at the front.

Here is The Humble Bungalow before we moved in...

the transformation is unbelievable even to me!

The house next door has been torn down and a new one built in its place.

The benefits of gardening are many...

fresh air

exercise

a creative outlet

and a 

calming refuge from life's struggles and stressors.

I hope you've enjoyed the rose parade today!

I'll be back again soon...

thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~