Sunday, April 3, 2011

Bad, Bad Blogger!!

You know how you go into something with the best intentions, and things just almost immediately go pear-shaped. Well, that is pretty much what happened with this blog. I really did mean to share my enthusiasm and exuberance about my new locale with you on a regular basis, and then life got in the way, things got topsy-turvy, and the poor blog became very quickly, sadly neglected. But, I'm here to make amends. From here, I do truly mean to keep some sort of account of all the things to love about Halifax... well, the HRM really.

So, to bring you up to speed....

We bought a house. (Kinda explains all the topsy-turviness, doesn't it?) While it is not exactly in Halifax, it is still within the HRM. We are very fortunate to find ourselves a short and easy commute to work, all the urban charms of Halifax-proper, and to beaches and parks.

The last couple months have been spent making our house a proper home. Lots of little projects in the works. And now that spring is upon us, lots of hopes and dreams for the outdoors. I consider myself very fortunate. The previous owners seem to have had quiet green thumbs, and an apparent passion for gardening. As the weather turned warmed, and then cooler, and cold, and then warmer again, I have seen a vast transformation in the pockets of gardens tucked around the property. There are shoots and sprouts bursting through the cold soil - more everyday. Every morning I peer into the beds to see if anything new has decided to emerge, and hope that finally something will reveal its secret identity to me.

Yesterday, we went to the Halifax Home Show. Local gardening expert, Niki Jabour hosted a seminar on vegetable gardening in Nova Scotia. And, well, let's just say that my head is full to bursting with hopes and dreams for my own future gardens. Not knowing what to expect in the beds this year, I have committed myself to a summer of container gardening. I can reassess the situation as the season progresses. What really stunned me however, was the idea that Nova Scotia's climate is actually amenable to year-round vegetable gardening! Oh my!! Already I have projects in mind for my husband as plans for cold frames, and mini greenhouses crowd my head.

I must google Halifax Seed and make an excursion!

In the meantime, I have started from seed a selection lettuces, tomatoes, beans, peas, cucumbers, and Swiss chard. Morning glories have been added for a little charmed, decorative effect at the back of the property. This is my progress so far:

Mesclun planted less than a week ago.