Saturday 16 August 2014

Cats, gardens, fences, mica


It's in the back, middle,
with a wee fence.
back, between the trees
-seriously, cannot see it from the deck!
I've been working hard on cleaning up and extending my garden.

It's always been my go-to therapy in summer, getting hands dirty, being creative!

Now, I'm thinking it might be a silly thing to do. I cannot see the garden from the house. There are many trees in the front yard.

But the garden was begun by the previous owners, there were three good gardeners, and it needed work. I have pretty much neglected it until this year, other things taking priority. I've sort of been taking it a bit too far.

The front yard is growing up!
The trick about Lanark County hills are that they are full of limestone rock. The ground cover is very shallow. The lovely fences, which I have written about on Friday, simply perch cleverly on top of the dirt and rock. The more I dug, the more rock I found.

I worked on the garden last week, and whilst watering, I spotted lovely wee pieces of Mica, embedded in the dirt. Now, Mica used to be mined in the early 1800s. It was used as glass, until people figured out how to make glass. You can see it in very old lamps and diving suits. I've got some terrific pieces here. It really is like gold, as it washes down the hill with the silt.

Mica
Mica


Lots of rock exposes
I managed to transplant a few plants from the other gardens, but you know how it is. You need plants that require a certain amount of tolerance for either light or shade, heat or cool.

Hubby had left at 6 a.m. to take the car in for service, in the city. I awoke at 5:00 with him, and it is amazing how much you can get done in a day, when you are gainfully unemployed.

Hubby came home at 10:00, planned his special cleansing diet menus, and figured he'd have to go back into town and get some stuff. He asked if I needed anything. I asked if he could pick up some annuals: zinnia, petunias, perhaps?

There is nothing like sending hubby, he does a fabulous job. They were out of these, but he came home with some pansies.

such shallow soil base
As I worked, the odd cat would come by and I'd stop and we'd mush.

Clumps of weeds, not so much a worry hitting a cat on the head!

Dorah followed me as I was weeding. Eventually, she got bored and Daisy came by. As I removed small pieces of sandstone rock I'd chuck them over onto the back side of the hill.
Unfortunately, Daisy thought it was a good sign of frogs or something, and would run after them.
Daisy and I sat and had a rest on the upturned plant pot. She had a short attention span, as did Dorah, and off they went. Even Buster, safely ensconced in the Muskoka Room (he must have had a good night on the town early this morning), was snoring happily.

Wee Daisy on the bench.
Saturdays C.#37
Dorah rests in the Muskoka Chair
Buster konked out in the Muskoka Room
-he eschews the cat bed...

12 comments:

eileeninmd said...

It is nice to see your yard and gardens. I like the names Buster and Daisy.. The kitties are cuties! Thank you for sharing your post with Saturday's Critters. Have a happy weekend!

DeniseinVA said...

Hard work but very rewarding I would think. Great photos!

Anonymous said...

Gardening is such good therapy and exercise, and on a chilly day (we've had a few of those latterly) it warms you up :)

TexWisGirl said...

good gardening help from cat and human, alike!

Unknown said...

Your cats are so cute doing what cats do best. :)

Christine said...

lovely time of year, perfect for your gardening!

Nancy J said...

Mornings are my favourite and best time ( I'm a true fowl), and the pieces of Mica, the last time I saw that was in my Dad's small workshop, he had a wooden bench and tiny pull out boxes of a sort, and now I wonder what he would have used it for? On a farm? No idea. But that was maybe in the 1950"s!!! Lovely to have the feline family out with you, good reason for a spell to stop, pat and talk a while. Take care, Jean.

William Kendall said...

Ah, so that's mica. I've heard of it before.

The cats look utterly comfortable.

Red said...

For a prairie boy like me it would be a surprise to find rock under the soil. We have nothing but clay under the top soil.

Anonymous said...

Such a beautiful garden you have. Digging in that rock must have been a real challenge when building the water garden.

Powell River Books said...

I love rocks and am always looking at my feet when I walk or hike. I've never found such large pieces of mica though. - Margy

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Cats of have got the right idea... &*> YAM xx