Sunday. Morning comes early now. I’m sitting in the studio loft …. restless and wanting to be outside. It froze in the bottom of the valley last night. Maybe we should go check on the rhubarb I transplanted. What do you think? Yes? I thought so. You had better put on a sturdy pair of shoes. We are climbing down the 81 steps of the-stairway-to-heaven. Oh! A jacket too – it is still a bit nippy, even if the sun is coming over the hill.
Well look at that! The sheep are out.
It is awfully nice down here by the pond.
I am guessing our company thinks so too.
This field and the sheep we are looking at over the fence belong to Joyce Kallweit of Meadowmist Farm. She does farm tours. If you are ever on Mayne Island, I recommend you stop by. I promise to wave if you give a shout up.
Her barn looks particularly inviting through the trees this morning.
Now where did I poke that rhubarb in the ground? Hum. Let’s see. Ah, there it is.
Not too bad for a young plant. It seems to be coming along. I can see the deer have eaten three of the leaves off. Looks like I will need to fence it until it gets established.
Just about time to climb back up those stairs and get to work turning the garden over.
We had a couple of big alder taken down near the bottom right. It was necessary because it was rotting out and a new fence was going in to keep these babies contained.
I guess that is about it. Up we go. Time to go to work.
I started this yesterday. I like to do it by hand with a shovel. My planning is much like when I paint. This is the underpainting of my garden. There is no drawing or sketch for reference. I just pick up the shovel and dig in.
A few hours later you can see we have made some headway. This week, my painting is going to have some competition. I just have to get those peas and the greens planted. But I do have a painting in mind for a 24 X 36 canvas. It will happen.
Before we leave… let’s sneak up on some of those tulips over there.
Sprout question: What is the rhubarb in your creative week?
© 2011 Terrill Welch, All rights reserved.
Liberal usage granted with written permission. See “About” for details.
Purchase photography at http://www.redbubble.com/people/terrillwelch
Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.
FromMayne Island,British Columbia,Canada
Terrill Welch online Gallery at http://terrillwelchartist.com
Related Articles
- Rhubarb Pudding (bethtrissel.wordpress.com)
- A Friendly Farm Gate Chat (creativepotager.wordpress.com)
- Almost Time To Transplant Our Rhubarb And Other Things (hbb2obm.com)
Creative Potager 
Terrill –
Ohhhhhhh, I love the sheep! Does the wind sometimes carry the sound of their bleating up to your mountaintop home? And to get a sneak peak at the “underpainting” of your garden. Now that was a cool idea! The two-toned tulips are gorgeous and make me think of a song my grandma used to sing:
There are tulips in the garden
There are tulips in the park
But no two lips are sweeter
Than your two in the dark
Ha! That brought back a fun and distant memory.
Sprout question: What is the rhubarb in your creative week?
Because we’re traveling right now, it’s the photo aspect (as opposed to the writing aspect) of things. I’m taking an enormous number of photos that I’ll be able to use throughout the year in my blog.
I was just wondering if you were still traveling Laurie and asked as much on twitter where you shared today’s post. I am looking forward to you photographs. Always fun to travel through someone else’s eye. And yes we do hear the sheep and the roaster and the peacocks. They all make great neighbours at this distance 🙂
Terrill,
Nice journey around your back yard, we have had asparagrass from the garden so far. and I pick violets for the table…
When I saw your comment about the way you are gardening, I thought of Machaelle Small Wrights Perelandra Center, and her approach to nature and gardening ! http://www.perelandra-ltd.com/
Jeff what a great link. I went to Perelandra “about” page just to get my bearings. Seems like a perfect fit for this week’s post and Creative Potager in general. Thank you for sharing your find with us.
Hi Terrill, reading this has been a breath of fresh air.
Your approach to garden planning is exactly how I spent many years “growing” gardens. The plan would begin to unfold as the shovel went to work. It’s a wonderful way to garden and the results are usually glorious!
Good to hear Colleen. So glad you dropped in and left your encouraging words about gardening.
Since my little rhubarb got buried under 6 inches of snow this morning (highly unusual for this time of year here) and, therefore my weeding and yard cleanup plans have been put on hold, I think I will put the finishing touches on a painting that is very close to being done. I just need to stop procrastinating and do it. There is such a sense of finality when a painting is declared finished, especially if it has been one I have struggled with that I sometimes prolong the finale. Strange … that reluctance to let go.
Sue, I guess that darn snow just doesn’t want to give up this year. Good luck on the painting. I had one that got so bad yesterday I scraped it off and will try again. I have no intentions of letting it go either 🙂
Umm, what a nice journey through the country Terrill. Sheep are by far some of my most favorite animals. Ya, the rubarb does look like it could use a bit of fencing off, to keep those guys out. I’m wondering what you do with your rubarb once it comes in. If you make pies I hope you’ll photograph a piece. I haven’t had rubarb pie since I was kid and we harbested it from our own garden on a Vermont hillside. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Loved the tulips too.
As for the creative Rubarg in my week, hum I’ll have to ponder that for a bit.
Alison, I usually make simple stewed rhubarb which is easy and delicious by itself or over a heavy cake or homemade ice-cream. I am not much of a pie maker but my mom made a rhubarb custard pie that was very good.