Lois de Vries' Garden Views

Finally, always keep something in the kitty for unexpected opportunities. Readers familiar with the story of my Kwan Yin statue (click here) will not be surprised to hear that one of this year’s Christmas presents to ourselves was a carved stone entwined fish fountain that I’ve been looking at for three or four years. Now that the front garden is protected by deer fence, the fountain has a major role to play there. We also purchased a sitting female Buddha made of volcanic rock. Her appearance is so serene that she has yet to make it outdoors into the garden. For the time being, she rests in a spot that I pass multiple times per day, reminding me to meditate, breathe deeply, and relax. For us, the next big project is an experiment in growing vegetables in the Grow Camp a hybrid between a cold frame and a full-fledged greenhouse. As much as I’ve always wanted one, a greenhouse just doesn’t seem practical and I balk at the idea of having another house to keep clean and bug-free. Th...

Brush pile teepee bird habitat Spring cleaning in the garden can be immensely satisfying and provide a big visual payoff for a weekend of labor. But don’t start too early. You want to avoid compacting the earth by making multiple trips across a soggy lawn or flowerbeds. This is also the time to build brush pile habitats in out-of-the-way places. This is an easy-to-do project that even the kids will love. Gather up unwanted saplings and fallen branches and loosely pile them up, alternating the direction of the layers. Birds and small mammals will take shelter and feed here. If your property is challenged for space, try assembling the brush pile in the form of a teepee and plant pole beans, squash, morning glories, clematis, ivy, or other vines to make it do double duty.  Cut up fallen trees and limbs for fences or firewood, and stack them for later use. If it will be a while before you get to the reuse project, be sure to “stick” the wood to ensure air circulation and ke...