Thread, Yarn and School Glue: the ties that bind.: What does a stupid rodent know anyway??

Punxsutawney Phil doesn't know what he's talking about. It's spring. Ok, it might be raining so hard these days that I'm contemplating trading in my minivan for an Amphibian. And it might be cold enough to see your breath in the morning. But I've put away our winter warm and woolies. And I'll be darned if I take them out again. Besides there are signs of spring everywhere. I saw my first bear of the season yesterday on the way to work (up from his nap I believe). My bulbs have sprouted (despite the fact I've been trying to get rid of the things and pulling tons of them out every year because I don't want them there anymore!!!). They are multiplying. My hellebores are swelling pink and are getting ready to bloom (nice bit of colour in an otherwise dreary landscape).

The most exciting part about this spring is that it has been over a month since I heard my sister whine that she "wants a garden centre". Seriously, weekly we'd have a conversation that ended in "I just want a garden centre." That has come to an absolute stop because she finally bought one. Yes! There is a new member of the family, Trice Farms. This has been a long held dream of hers, and it is so cool to see that she and Bill have made it their reality. You have to understand that we are talking about my sister, who, while I was inside playing Barbies or practicing piano, was outside earning Junior Gardener awards for the Fall Fair. Can you hear the theme song to the Andy Griffith Show? No we didn't grow up in Mayberry North Carolina. Yes, there was a Fall Fair (in fact I rode on the float in the Fall Fair Parade many a time dressed as a bird, or a cowgirl or something to that effect, also I played piano on a flat bed truck with Pinto Music school for the same parade). Man, I wish I had the pictures of Ren's 10 year old self with her wheel barrow of produce. Might be time to dig out Mum and Dad's old photo albums. Renata is too busy to kill me for putting them online right? Anyways, to make a short story long, we were really excited when we got the news that the purchase went through and that she was selling her townhouse and heading to live on 5 lovely acres of farmland in Maple Ridge.

I'm sure there will come a time when having boys around out there will come in very handy... she's got built in jo-boys in Matteo and Elio. But it'll be a few years before they are useful. Currently they are helpful like a band-aid on a corpse. And given my time is largely taken up by them, I've not been that useful myself out there. But I've managed to go out a few times to lend a hand when I can. I went out on Friday night and helped stock shelves. And for the first time it looked like a store. Things were cleaned up, rearranged, stocked and ready to go. It is still early of course, so full inventory isn't the name of the game yet, but they are certainly getting there. Long tables filled with beautiful plump primulas, hellebores, crocuses and racks of perennials make it official that spring has arrived.

This week they start planting their own hanging baskets. My dad came down today to help out with that project, and no doubt others too. It is pretty cool- the gardening Sensei himself is now working for his protege. What's better than that? Given he's Mr. Green Thumbs himself, I think he'll be tickled pink with all this.

Nosey-butt-in-skis that we are, we went looky looing around this morning... and paparazzi that I am, I brought my camera:

On Dewdney Trunk Rd., past 240th.

Primulas definitely mean spring.

Hellebores are so bashful. Aren't they gorgeous?

These roses are grown by Brad Jalbert at Select Roses. I splurged big time last year and bought 4 of them. These ones that Renata has in are climbers, mine are hybrid teas and miniatures. They are so beautiful and prolific. These plants are big and heavy, and already budding out. One just might find its way home with me soon.