Quincey's Garden 2012

Every year SIL Quincey workes at his garden.  New things get added and old plants pulled out, but only if it looks like they'll never recover from the winter cold.

This year is no exception.  Lloyd and I were over visiting the family the other day and Q proudly showed us around the garden.

This hanging basket contains begonias I think.  Quincey knows what flowers he likes but he doesn't bother himself with their names.

There are two beautiful baskets of these hanging from the porch roof overhang by the front door.

Almost directly under the hanging plants, and a little bit forward, is a large bunch of these lovely peonies.  They come back every year and require little or no effort on the part of the gardener.

They are in all stages of growth right now, from bud to full bloom.

This is his overgrown front walk.  One needs to push aside the rose bush to get to the front door.  I have told Quincey that I'd come over in the fall and prune back his front yard bushes but he always insists that he loves the roses and wants them to spread out and grow however they want.  There's no convincing him otherwise. 

These pretty little flowers (petunias?) have a spot in his rockery by a little stream Q created.

These colorful little ones share part of the rockery and stream.



The little trickle of a stream falls from the gap in the rocks and tumbles over the rocky bed.

He has a couple of these bubbling rocks sround the yard.  The garden hoses usually aren't evident but Q had been working on the garden before we got there and hadn't finished clearing up.

And another view of the rock garden.

There are other plants and features in the yard but I didn't take pictures of them all.  Maybe next time I'm over.  Quincey is such a busy man that he really needs his yard to let him unwind and stop thinking about his work for a few hours every week.  Everyone benefits from his efforts.

Hockey Night in Canada!

In true Canadian custom, my 5-year old grandson, Max, is in his second winter of hockey. Last year when he started he could hardly stand up on his skates. He's a little better this year and can actually propel himself around the ice, swinging a hockey stick, a bit awkwardly since he's left-handed and using a right-handed stick. Today we went to watch one of his 'games'. There's no score keeping in the games with these little guys so everyone's a winner. Some of the 5-6 year olds are quite confident, easy skaters.

Our son-in-law (Max's Dad), Quincey, holding baby Quinn, and Max's Papa (Lloyd), both avid hockey players in their earlier years.

Max's baby sister, Dad, Papa, Mom (Sara), and Auntie Mary (blurred)

That's Max, skating toward us.

Max coming to check on us and say hi.



Checking out the action in the game in the other half of the arena.

That's Max in action - #2

Here he is with the puck on his stick winning the face-off.

Crouched down ready to win the face-off in the above picture

They rotate the boys through all the positions. Here he's trying his hand as goalie.

Waiting patiently for a puck to come at him for him to stop.

And, finally, as in the big leagues, the teams line up and congratulate one another before leaving the ice at the end of the game. Teaching them good sportsmanship as well as game skills.

It was a nice way to spend an hour or so on a Sunday afternoon.

Quincey's Yard

Sara's husband Quincey loves to work in his yard and garden. He can be seen early in the week-day mornings, dressed for work in suit and tie, out watering his flowers and plants. He spends nice spring and summer evenings and weekends visiting his favorite nursery and buying, planting, watering, mowing, and generally taking care of his front and side yards. His hard work has not gone unnoticed this year. His yard has been nominated for Edmonton's annual Front Yards in Bloom award and tour. Here's a few pictures of his project.

The sign that was put in the garden by the Front Yards in Bloom people. Something to be proud of.

All the rain we had this summer prematurely knocked the petals off of the roses. Quincey has planted a row of roses in every color imaginable. The large bush at the back right of the picture is Alberta's wild rose. The rose featured at the top of my blog is one of Quincey's from last year.

Under the large pine tree Quincey has created a waterfall, pool and rock garden. Keep going to see the close-up pictures.

The two upright rocks flanking the walk are water fountains, with water bubbling out of the top of them.

This creature stands on a low wall in front of the living-room window. It's animated beak opens and closes as water pours out into its basin.

This is the pool at the front of the rock garden under the tree. There's an animated crocodile who 'lives' in it.

This is the back of the rock/water garden.

This beautiful little antique tricycle holding a box of daisies resides in the rock/water garden too.

There are three large hanging planters at the front porch - same flowers, different colors.

I know next to nothing about flowers. Is this fuscia, or maybe bleeding heart?

This unique sculpture is the centerpiece of the garden in front of the porch. It matches the free form chairs on the porch.

This is one of the potantilla (?) bushes we planted when we lived in this house. It's nice to see it growing so well.

And here's the man himself, watering the plants on Saturday morning.

Part of the sidewalk border.

Close-up of one of the fountain rocks flanking the walkway to the house.

Close-up of the second rock fountain flanking the walk.

I love this Inukshuk - made of rock, of course - symbol of Canada's north. I want to get one to put in our yard in Arizona.

Behind the tree at the rock/water garden

The waterfall, which runs into the crocodile pond further along.

The crane standing guard over the rock/water garden.

They call this one the volcano rock. It's at the very back and to the right of the rock/water garden and it too bubbles water from it's top.

I didn't take pictures of all his rose bushes because they're past their prime right now. I've realized while doing this that Quincey's favorite of garden seems to be rose, water and rock. He's done a beautiful job with it this year.