Thursday, April 16, 2020

#ThrowbackThursday: Spring Gardening

Our float cabin on Powell Lake, BC.
Wayne and I aren't at our float cabin right now due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. We've decided to shelter in place in Bellingham, Washington. We are safe, but I dream about my favourite place on earth. So I've decided to share some memorable times with you on #ThrowbackThursdays.

My original "garden."
On shore we have cliffs and forest. In addition, critters love to devour tender shoots. I've always liked to grow vegetables, so I had to think of a new way while living in a floating environment.

At first I had a "garden log." I added herbs and lettuce in the log's notches. The sprouts were doing fine, but one day when we returned from town everything was gone. The culprits were Canada Geese. I guess they love fresh vegetables too.


My float garden in Spring 2007.
In 2002, our good friend John built a float with four raised beds and a central walkway. He added netting and Mr. Owl to protect new sprouts from birds. When not in use, the float is pulled out to the log boom for protection. For easy watering, I have a solar powered bilge pump and hose. The perfect solution.

Here are some memorable gardening pictures from the past. You can also explore the Gardening category on this blog.

Bumblebees in my daffodils on a cold 2008 spring morning.

One bumblebee still sleeping and one that has crawled out to warm in the sun.

Bunny has been refreshed twice over the years in 2010 and 2014.

Wayne gave me Bunny on Easter 2002, the first year of my float garden.

My garden was highlighted on CBC Radio's North by Northwest in 2013

Willow Yamauchi, originally from Lund, come to do our interview for CBC.

It was also selected for the 2018 Powell River Library Calendar.

My float garden was "Miss January" in the Powell River Library 2018 Calendar.

The raised beds and walkway needed replacing in summer 2019.

New cedar boards outside and in.

This picture became Up the Lake's book cover and our company logo.

Blue sky, spring showers, a double rainbow and my garden up the lake.

Do you have any stories about gardening? Do you have any hints for gardening in unique situations? Let us hear from you. -- Margy


Want to know more about off-the-grid living? Take a look at Wayne's books Up the Lake and Farther Up the Lake. Both are in print and ebook formats at online booksellers. If you have a Kindle or the Kindle app, Up the Lake is free in most countries.

36 comments:

  1. We have spent more time in our Greek garden and grove this year than any other time before. I am loving it! While in the garden life feels so very normal and the sunshine and new growth reminds me that this period too will come to an end. . .so I should be using my 'found time' well and wisely! Loved your garden tour!

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    1. I stopped by to see how your olives were doing. It's a beautiful orchard. On our RV trip through California last fall we saw lots of young olive orchards. They were being trained to not grow grow tall, I assume for easy harvesting. - Margy

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  2. Your float garden! Yes, your little float home is truly paradise, I hope you can get back to it soon

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    1. We do too. Today the border closure was extended for 30 more days. We are not so patiently waiting for things to change. - Margy

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  3. I would never have guessed geese as the culprits! Beautiful photos.

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    1. We love to watch them as long as they stay away from my plants. When they get too near (and I'm home) they get a good tongue lashing. - Margy

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  4. I love your garden. Sorry you cannot be there.
    We have several kinds of geese on the lake. The homeowners association put up swan decoys to discourage them, but the resident geese are not fooled. They put up a fake owl too, which is supposed to discourage vultures from roosting, but it doesn't work either.

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    1. Geese are are real problem at the town swimming beach at the south end of the lake. Goose poop and playing kids don't go well together. - Margy

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  5. Hello, your raised garden beds are wonderful. It is a shame the geese ate your veggies. I am sure you are missing your float home now. The views are fabulous! Take care, wishing you a happy weekend!

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    1. I guess they have to eat too, but with all of the natural food around they shouldn't be hungry. - Margy

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  6. These are some wonderful memories of your garden! So clever and colorful :)

    I'm so happy that you joined us over at at 'My Corner of the World' this week!

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    1. John is a clever guy. I wouldn't have figured out how to built it. - Margy

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  7. Love these beautiful photos of your garden. They really brighten up my day,

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    1. If we can't be outdoors it's great to see outdoors. - Margy

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  8. That's a beautiful place to isolate!

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    1. It sure would be. A friend spent his 14 day quarantine at his cabin but had friends and relatives to help supply food. - Margy

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  9. I can certainly understand your wish to be there, with spring about. I sure miss our old cottage, which we sold.

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    1. You did have a great cottage, but your new place looks wonderful too. - Margy

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  10. What a beautiful place you have on the lake and the memories that come from living there. I love the float garden, how unique. Thanks for stopping by, take care and stay safe.

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    1. I've had so much fun with the float garden over the years. It also encouraged me to learn about canning my crops. - Margy

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    1. Thank you. It is very special to us. - Margy

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  12. Hello,
    your floating garden is simply clever! I believe you enjoy keeping it...

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    1. Being able to pull it out into the lake is a key to its success. My plants in containers on the cabin deck are accessible by critters and they get hit pretty hard if I don't put cages around them. - Margy

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  13. Your float garden is brilliant. It must be happy to welcome spring.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. It usually is, especially when the yellow daffodils bloom. - Margy

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  14. You're inspiring me to get a plot in one of the communal gardens this year if I can. What a wonderful place your float cabin sounds like, but sheltering in place where you feel safest is so important.

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    1. We have several community gardens in town, but are run by organizations and the produce is shared among the members. Here most people live in homes with yards. Only a few live in apartments and condos with no land for growing their own food. - Margy

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  15. Your floating garden is very cool and wonderful home!enchanting the landscape with the rainbow!!!
    Greetings Elke

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    1. The rainbow photo as one of those changes of being in the right spot at the right time. - Margy

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  16. I suppose lecturing the birds, squirrel (one thus far), and the feral cats about staying out of the veggie plots is not enough. Maybe I'll dangle CDs to keep them away.
    I love your adventurous Spirit, Margy. Take care. :-)

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    1. I have a plastic owl in the garden, but I have seen swallows sit on his head. - Margy

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  17. Margy - great throwback story. My love of gardening goes back to my childhood, when all seven of us kids served as (slave) labor in my Dad's vast vegetable garden. One of my favorite memories is that, at the end of the summer, he would let us have a tomato fight with the remaining tomatoes on the vine after the first frost.

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  18. I enjoyed your throwback story and all the wonderful views. It’s always nice to see some fond memories. Stay safe and well.

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    1. Having digital photos is nice. These days I rarely look back at old photo albums. - Margy

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We welcome your comments and questions. - Wayne and Margy