Tastes like Spring…

Isn’t the first asparagus spear of the year always the sweetest? I took this photo when I was in Victoria in April. I wonder what surprises the garden will have for me when I return in July — I’m hoping for buckets of raspberries and some nice, ripe figs.

YouTube: Our house featured on “The Daily”

Check out this short video that aired on Shaw TV’s “The Daily” about our house in Victoria BC and the stone wall and sculptures in the front yard.

The wall is full of treasures, including old bottles, an antique sewer pipe and a replica orca fin. Repainting the fin will be a good project for my vacation in Victoria in July, along with a less fun task — putting a new roof on the garage!

Remembering Denis Fillion, my dad

One year ago, on April 25 2012, my dad, Denis Fillion, died here in our house on Caledonia in Victoria BC. It was fitting that he spent his final months and days here in the house he loved so much — he moved in in the late 60’s and bought the house in 1972. He was a biologist, a teacher, a gardener, and an artist, and this house is a testament to his uniqueness and creativity.

I miss him every day, but being here in his house, and working in his garden reminds me of all of the good times we spent together, and it makes me remember how lucky I am to have had such an amazing dad.

Somewhere under these weeds is a garden…

The garden today:

You can’t tell by looking, but in among the weeds are established potato and asparagus beds.

This photo is a reminder of some of the things that need to be done this year:

• Get rid of scrap wood
• Replace the garage roof
• Prune the kiwis
• Fix up the greenhouse
• Get the weeds under control

We also need to repaint the garage, but that’ll be a job for next summer!