Gorgeous photo from my friend Mrs. S.

I’ve always viewed gardening as a fairly solitary activity, so the social aspect of gardening has been unexpected. I love having friends over to view my garden and I love seeing what my friends are doing in theirs. Many friends have been sending me photos of their gardens and describing their plans and projects. Unlike tweets and Facebook updates, which I usually ignore (sorry), receiving a picture or a description by email always makes my day.

One of my friends has a garden that always seems to be almost a week ahead of mine. When I see her photos I know that the same flowers will soon be blooming in my garden. Another friend has been experimenting with exciting new blooms…I hope she saves me seeds.

Himalayan Blue Poppy, Photo from Mrs. B.

Another friend received her mom’s greenhouse this spring and is in the process of moving it into her own garden. Her pictures elicit a strong emotional response as I remember the greenhouse when it was in it’s original location, and look forward to seeing where it ends up.

I’m excited by friends who are growing blubs on the balconies of their west end highrise, friends who are experimenting with novel space-saving approaches, and friends who are adopting community gardens. I hope that they will invite me over or send photos of their projects.

Some photos really bring out the competitive spirit. The Tomato King of Coquitlam has been sending me photos of his tomato plants, and I am filled with envy. He has gardening down to a fine art, and has shared a lot of his tomato tips with me.

Tomato seedlings from the Tomato King.

Although I will be away in the next few weeks (leaving my garden to the care of my kids, cat (!!) and husband) I look forward to returning to my own garden and opening my email to see pictures and updates from my friends. Happy gardening this month everyone!