Author Archives: Chrystal

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About Chrystal

This blog is my online journal to keep track of what is going on in different parts of the garden, different times of the year.

Alpine wildflowers

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Chrystal

Yesterday we hiked from the top of the Whistler Gondola, over the Musical Bumps and down Singing Pass trail back to Whistler. Although the hike is generally downhill – you get off the gondola at 1809 m and eventually get … Continue reading →

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Sam and Ellie: the perfect guests

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Chrystal

Besides gorging oneself on raspberries, one of the best things about having a garden is sharing it with friends. We enjoy having people over in the summer to eat, drink and chill out on the deck. The garden is also … Continue reading →

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Summer carrots

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Chrystal

Yesterday I blogged that my summer carrots still weren’t ready, based on one tiny carrot that I pulled up last week. How wrong I was: the summer carrots are ready! I don’t eat very many carrots especially since the orange … Continue reading →

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Winter carrots

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Chrystal

Although my summer carrots are still not ready, the planting calendar says that it is time to plant winter carrots. If feels a little early to plant winter vegetables, but a quick check with the Lunar Calendar confirmed that August … Continue reading →

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Plum Gorgeous

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Chrystal

One of my summer inspirations has been Romney Steele’s Plum Gorgeous – Recipes and Memories from the Orchard. This book combines recipes, writing, reminiscences, poetry and lots of lush photos of fruit, food and people. Although some of the recipes use … Continue reading →

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Nasturtiums

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Chrystal

Finally my nasturtiums, which I planted from seed, are blooming. There are many excellent reasons to plant nasturtiums. Not only are they easy to grow, but they fill up a lot of (empty) space, they grow in poor soil, they … Continue reading →

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Keep Out! Poppies!

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Chrystal

I love poppies. One of my favorite childhood books was “Keep Out”, written and illustrated by W.G. van de Hulst. This story, translated from Dutch, is about Ruth, Sally and Sally’s dog, Tippy. Ignoring the “keep out” sign,  the little … Continue reading →

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Rainwater reservoir

Posted on August 4, 2012 by Chrystal

I’ve blogged a few times about our rainwater collection/irrigation system. Okay, calling it a system is exaggerating slightly. Our “system” consists of a City of Vancouver barrel that collects rainwater running off our roof, six big storage barrels at the … Continue reading →

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Mint cage match

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Chrystal

My gardening friend, Dr. Mooks, dropped by for a visit last week. I don’t expect visitors to bring gifts, but I always appreciate when they do. Sometimes my guests bring wine (for me), chocolate (for my assistants), or cat toys … Continue reading →

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Transplants: something pink

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Chrystal

The most recent transplant to my garden is this pink flowering plant from my neighbor in the next block. I don’t know what the plant is called, but it has been blooming consistently since I planted it several weeks ago. … Continue reading →

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