The Gift of Home

 I have been spending a lot of time in my back garden. And I'm not alone. Along with the big black dog, we have many ducks.

 This is a really great mama.

 She causes me to pause and get my camera and really enjoy her babies' antics.

 And then I look more closely at the poppies which will not be blooming long (especially with the imminent rain)

 My radishes are happy and some even survived the first thinning. We plan to eat them and the carrots and the beets when they are just small. Because we can.

 This wild rose bush, one of my favourites, is from my neighbour when we moved in. I complemented him on his while I was picking up the mail, and he brought a sprout over a few weeks later. That was probably 17 years ago.

 The Solomon Seal is from a great gardener and friend of my sister who died many years ago. I sang "In the Garden" at her funeral. I've divided it a few times, and I'm always quick to offer some to my friends. The ferns and blue flowers are from the woods on the other side of the bridge.

 These irises are from my sister's farm. Her husband's grandmother planted them when she came over from Ireland and homesteaded near here.

And my herbs are in the sun. I set up a new cafe table and chairs for our morning coffee. Our large deck is very sunny. So I'm excited about painting my adirondack chair and planting up my white garden to enjoy the pad that used to hold the hot tub. I hope to share my garden this year with friends coming over for tea.