the Informal Gardener

The Gardens of Ninfa, Italy

2012-01-06T21:30:00.000-05:00

I'm biding my time, as I wait for Spring, by revisiting programs I thoroughly enjoyed viewing this past year, like Monty Don's Italian Gardens, a 4-part series which aired last April on BBC Two.

In this excerpt from episode 3 - 'The South' - Monty takes us to visit the romantic Giardino di Ninfa. Set in a ruined medieval town in the region of Lazio, province of Latina, it's one of my favourites. Hope you like it too.

Thanksgiving

2011-10-08T11:15:00.005-04:00

Clearing, planting, dividing and collecting. Doesn't get any better than that !

Blessed with divine weather this Thanksgiving weekend. Hope everyone is having a glorious time !

The Guardian

2011-09-23T15:37:00.002-04:00

Nom nom nom ...

2011-08-31T14:28:00.003-04:00

LiG

2011-08-22T07:43:00.001-04:00

Rainy Day

2011-08-21T07:33:00.002-04:00

They're GRRRRAPE !

2011-08-20T14:57:00.003-04:00

Harvest

2011-08-16T12:28:00.001-04:00

Mid-August Potager

2011-08-15T18:00:00.003-04:00

Bzzzz

2011-08-14T14:12:00.002-04:00

Bring A Bigger Pot Next Time

2011-08-12T11:19:00.002-04:00

Dangling

2011-08-09T09:41:00.003-04:00

Unfurling

2011-08-08T14:41:00.003-04:00

Peekaboo !

Dreamy

2011-08-06T16:00:00.003-04:00

Lunch

2011-08-05T14:32:00.004-04:00

The Difference Between Work And Play

2011-08-03T13:01:00.003-04:00

Red

2011-07-30T12:08:00.002-04:00

Rud(e) Glo(w)

2011-07-29T08:30:00.002-04:00

Pink

2011-07-28T07:52:00.001-04:00

White

2011-07-27T11:15:00.002-04:00

Yellow

2011-07-27T10:56:00.002-04:00

Refurb

2011-07-14T17:00:00.000-04:00

Mush

2011-07-13T07:47:00.004-04:00

Before and After

2011-06-30T10:43:00.010-04:00

Fruity Acquisition

2011-06-09T18:58:00.005-04:00

All'Yum'

2011-06-07T10:09:00.002-04:00

Taking A Breather

2011-06-06T12:01:00.002-04:00

A Very Happy Easter Weekend (or Green, the final chapter)

2010-04-04T19:04:00.008-04:00

YES, we have arrived !

A T L A S T !!!

We never did get that rain but record breaking highs this weekend sent

E-V-E-R-Y last bit of WHITE the way of the worry-free ...

And I was able to swap

these --------------> for these !

and did a lot of this !!

Hallelujah !

Hope everyone had a lovely Easter ! :)

Snow (the real deal)

2010-03-27T22:57:00.041-04:00

No, it's not what you think. Flurry season is pretty much over in these parts, thank goodness ! But before I complete the transition from WHITE to GREEN, I thought I'd share a few pics of some "serious" snow (and amazing landscapes).

Whistler, BC gets an average of 33 feet of snow per year

Two years ago, my son set off with three of his friends to spend Winter in Whistler, British Columbia. They stayed five months and he hasn't stopped bragging about it since. Although our area abounds with ski hills and resorts, he says they leave him flat after tasting "la crème de la crème". (He actually prefers not riding at all rather than riding our "pathétiques petites pentes", as he puts it).

Two of his friends went back for another stint this year, but my son's studies kept him from tagging along. Ever so keen on visiting again, he did manage to hop on over there during Spring Break to meet up with his friends and indulge in some long-anticipated joy rides.

My son and a friend

( This one for Rebecca because I know she loves inukshuks ! :D )

Endless vistas

The four musketeers on top of the world !

Talk about spectacular views !

He took some footage of the peak 2 peak gondola ride and a couple of snowboard runs. I may get those up on a seperate post or update this post eventually.

* * * *

Stats:

Whistler Blackcomb Combined

Average Snowfall	396 inches/33 feet 10 metres per year
Total Terrain	8,171 acres/3,307 hectares
Trails	200 +
Longitude/Latitude	50° latitude, 122° longitude
Highest Lift Accessed Elevation	2,284 metres/7,494 feet
Whistler Village Elevation	675 metres/2,214 feet
Creekside Base Elevation	653 metres/2140 feet
Number of Lifts	38
Hourly Lift Capacity	61,407 skiers per hour

visit Whistler Blackcomb site

One Year On (taking inventory)

2010-03-27T12:45:00.030-04:00

Gardeners sure are a generous lot. This, I have witnessed first hand. As March marks bloggiversary "numero uno" for me, I'm taking a retrospective look and appreciating what the year has bestowed upon me.

Beyond meeting a plethora of fantabulous gardeners, who inspire me each and every day, here are some of the wonderful goodies I have received along the way, through gifts and trades.

First, from my HIGHLY talented group of vegetable growers, I got some beautiful Jerusalem Artichokes from Ottawa Gardener as well as some lovely Egyptian Onions from Mick over @ Oklahomegrownveg. I scored some great seeds through swaps with veteran growers Dan and Daphne, received a very special variety of spinach hailing all the way from Norway, and lip-smacked my way to the bottom of Emily's amazingly delicious quince jelly. Thanks again ! You are all such an inspiration to me. What would my veggie patch do without you ? :)

More recently, a trade with Kara @ Gardening Gaspé landed me a wonderful assortment of ornamentals, including a self-seeding annual blue flowering maple (as we'll refer to it for now). Can’t wait to see what this very intriguing plant turns out to be, Kara. Merci beaucoup ! :) (She used her blogger pages to set up a wonderful wish/trade seed list - check it out).

And lastly but most certainly not leastly, I won this magnificent book from Deborah @ Green Theatre. She raffled it off to celebrate her 100th post. Let me just say that winning was the furthest thing from my mind when I left some very sincere words of congratulations, Deborah.

John Brookes, Garden and Lanscape Designer

The career and work of today's most influential
garden and landscape designer, by Barbara Simms

I still haven’t had the chance to seriously dig into it, but from what I have seen, a very beautiful and interesting read awaits. Fantastic ! Thanks again ! :)

It goes without saying that every single name that appears in my bloglist is an inspiration to me. There's so much talent, knowledge and fabulousness out there, it boggles the mind ! Thanks to everyone who takes the time to share a slice of it. :)

* * * *

The book is available at Amazon.
You can also visit John Brookes' website.
And here's a timely post on the man himself @ Garden Design Guru's.

Green (Part II)

2010-03-20T20:52:00.046-04:00

We're half way there !

Ok, so there's still plenty of snow left, I know, but this is La Belle Province ! You know, Québec ? ... Renowned for its skiing, snowmobiling, winter carnivals and ice palaces ?

In keeping with the previous post,

look at 2010-03-19 (above),

now check out 2009-03-18,

and tell me this isn't MUCH better ?

I sure don't wish to complain about the glorious weather we've been having - it's been sun, sun, sun and more sun since the beginning of March - but with night temps still hovering around or below zero and days considerably warm but certainly not hot, those beautiful rays alone, however radiant they may be, cannot abracadabra the snow away. (Eventually, they might, but ...)

What we need now is a fabulous downpour ! Two solid days of rain would wash everything away. They (the weather people) promised us showers earlier this week but failed to deliver. (Is that such a surprise ?)

ANYWAY ...

So with Spring "officially" here, I poked around the yard for some sign of His Divineship's handywork. Hmm, still not much to show for, I'm afraid - a couple of buds here and there and a few leaves thrown in for good measure. But in all fairness, I'll cut the guy some slack. He's on a busy schedule rejuvenating forests, parks and yards all over the Northern Hemisphere. I'm not his only client. I guess I'll just have to wait my turn. :)

Happy Spring !

Green

2010-03-08T21:02:00.051-05:00

Ok, so I'm back from reading a few of my fellow bloggers and it seems they're all flaunting green !

I'm afraid there's not much green to flaunt here at the moment, except for that same little patch of sedum ... BUT the good news is, compared to last year, there's definitely less snow gracing each side of those steps ... AND, it's not even St-Pat's yet !

So there ! :)

(I'm clutching at straws here, can you tell ?)

Oh, and I did notice this little patch of winter savory peeking through the snow on Saturday. And today, a few sprigs of parsley were freed from their cover as well.

I'll take what is given !

Snowdrops

2010-03-06T20:55:00.019-05:00

Even if I had snowdrops in the garden, which I don't, they wouldn't be showing their pretty little faces here anytime soon. The snow cover is still much too thick for anything to break through at the moment.

Still, this being snowdrop season, here's my small contribution in showcasing this wonderful little bulb. In yesterday's episode of Gardeners' World, Dr. Ronald Mackenzie, galanthophile, offered us a peek at his collection.

Toby Buckland also went on to suggest a few varieties for the garden:

Galanthus 'S. Arnott' ; a tall elegant snowdrop with large blooms. Great stature and presence and also smells of honey. Definitely one of the best for perfume.

Galanthus 'Atkinsii' ; one of the earliest to flower. It is large and robust and has excellent vigor, perfect for planting in drifts.

And, of course, Galanthus elwesii (Greater snowdrop); with its broad glaucous leaves, it grows wild in Turkey and is good for dry sandy soils.

Enjoy your snowdrops !

* * * *

More on snowdrops at the CG magazine's website.

Friday Flick - Deeg

2010-02-26T10:05:00.000-05:00

Around the World in 80 Gardens - The Palace Gardens, Deeg

During the 16th and 17th centuries, Mughal society was at the height of its cultural and artistic sophistication. Akbar's tomb and the Taj Mahal are only two of the many magnificient gardens of that era. And while most now lie in ruins, all bear witness to that golden age of Mughal power.

Before the Mughals established their rule, India was a series of individual mainly Hindu states each with its own ruler or Marahaja. The Mughals were canny enough not to sweep away its existing culture but gave them wealth and power and let them keep their religion. So the Marahajas continued to build and maintain their own palaces and gardens athough their gardens were not devoted to Allah, but to pleasure.

Read about the Galloping Gardener's visit to Deeg.

The Day Winter Fell

2010-02-25T19:00:00.031-05:00

I'd say ~~nearly~~ as much snow fell in the last two days than did all winter !
And more to come tonight ...

So much for an early spring. :(

Film Flick Friday

2010-02-19T11:50:00.028-05:00

A few years ago, Monty Don set out on an adventure to visit 80 gardens around the world. The series was broadcast on BBCtwo, in 2008. It was eventually picked up by HGTV and ran some time in 2009.

What I enjoyed most about the series is the wide variety of gardens Monty set out to visit. Around the World in 80 Gardens is not just another offering of the most reputable and talked about gardens. From small and humble to grand, and weird and wonderful too, all are undeniably enchanting.

Today I present to you 'Las Pozas', Edward James' surreal garden in Xilitla, Mexico. Fascinating to say the least and one I would most definitely want to visit.

Many excerpts of the series are already available on youtube (including the one at Las Pozas, but I preferred linking mine). You can also catch Monty's visit to Mexico in its entirety (4 parts). The list of gardens visited in the series can be found at Wiki. If there are any, not appearing on YT, that you would particularly like to see, I'd be happy to oblige.

The book is also available.

Permeable Paving

2010-02-18T18:51:00.041-05:00

This post goes out to Deborah and her post about the handsome speaker she went to ~~hear~~ see last night, at Toronto Botanical Gardens. ;)

-- If you’re considering building or replacing a driveway, carport, or other paved area, think twice before you invest in plain old concrete or asphalt. New materials and methods will not only make your property look better–they are better for the environment.

The key is allowing rainwater and snowmelt to drain into the ground, rather than sending them–and all the pollution they carry–into streets and storm drains. Just a 30-by-30 foot patch of concrete can shed over 550 gallons of water in a one-inch rain. Multiply that by thousands of homes, and you’re talking a tidal wave of potentially tainted H2O. Permeable pavement can even lower the temperature around your house in the summertime because, while it absorbs moisture, it absorbs less heat. -- (Read more at Sierra Club)

Permeable paving allows rain to pass through the surface, either through gaps between individual blocks or through permeable material like gravel or porous asphalt.

(image courtesy of Hedberg)

This clip on SuDS (sustainable urban drainage system, as it is called in the UK) comes from last year's season of Beechgrove Garden (a favourite UK gardening show of mine). You'll be surprised to see how much water these permeable pavers can actually take on !

* * * *

I'm totally sold on the idea. When it comes to helping the environment, I'm all for it. I already pass the driveway eco-test since mine is all gravel and totally permeable, but I may want to resurface it someday. If I do, I will definitely consider a permeable paving system.

Think of the environment, go permeable !

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T10:28:00.018-05:00

How ever you define Valentine's Day,

have a very happy one ! :)

A Present

2010-02-12T13:10:00.028-05:00

I got a present the other day. A paper bag containing three books was left on my doorstep. The card at the back, (scribbled with a belated birthday wish and expendable X's and O's), revealed that it was from an ex-'boyfriend' who lives up the street. (He occasionally leaves stuff on the front lawn, front steps, front porch (and will sometimes even venture in the back yard !) in a bid to... win me back ??). Well, I'm not easily won over or back and I usually discard his offerings, but this time, the bait was actually worth keeping !

An English Garden in Provence (Natasha Spender),

Country Flowers (Rob Proctor) &

The Canadian Gardener's guide to Foliage

& Garden Design (Marjorie Harris)

Probably clearance sales or second hand books (I can see by the copyrights these aren't new publications) but hey, I'm enjoying the read !

(Thanks J-F !)

Fabulous Fabaceae (or wild about pea)

2010-01-28T21:55:00.037-05:00

Fabaceae or Leguminosae is a large and economically important family of flowering plants, which is commonly known as the legume family, pea family, bean family or pulse family. The name 'Fabaceae' comes from the defunct genus Faba, now included into Vicia. Leguminosae is an older name still considered valid, and refers to the typical fruit of these plants, which are called legumes.

Fabaceae is the third largest family of flowering plants, behind Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species, according to the Royal Botanical Gardens. The largest genera are Astragalus with more than 2,000 species, Acacia with more than 900 species, and Indigofera with around 700 species. Other large genera include Crotalaria with 600 species and Mimosa with 500 species. (Source)

I don't know, there's just something about the pea flower that captivates me. Whether it's the teeny tiny ones gracing the many clovers and vetches that grow in the fields, or the pretty ones dotted along the twining vines of perennial sweet pea. Whether I gaze (hungrily, yum!) at the gorgeous pea and bean blossoms in the potager, or dream of Wisteria's magnificent drooping clusters, there's just something about that bloom I find alluring.

sweet clover & cow vetch

crown vetch & bird's foot trefoil

Perennial sweet pea

Pea blossom (this one just about to give birth !)

Bean blossom

Wisteria Floribunda 'Alba'
(findmeplants.co.uk)

Last year, I purchased Wisteria for the garden. It never occurred to me to consider it. (I usually try not to torture myself by looking at, or even thinking about, plants that are out of my zone). In my mind, Wisteria grew in much warmer climes. Indeed, there are only a few varieties suited for my cold climate. The nurseries around here carry (Wisteria macrostachya) 'Blue Moon'.

I will admit that when I initially pictured Wisteria adorning the (~~imaginary~~ soon-to-be-built) pergola in the backyard, I saw white (think White Garden at Sissinghurst). Alas, circumstances have forced me to settle for something more along the lines of the famous Japanese bridge at Giverny. I think I can cope. :)

Speaking of fabaceae, you all know how much I love my Baptisia, well joining it in the garden this year will be (the bordeline hardy) Bush Clover (Lespedeza thunbergii) and Indigo Bush (Amorpha fruticosa).

* * * *

Tired of the same old climbing annual ?
Why not include Hyacinth Beans in the mix this season.

* * * *

I leave you with a clip from the wonderful BBC series A Garden in Snowdonia. One I enjoyed immensely. The head gardener, Troy Scott Smith, talks about Bodnant Garden's famous Laburnum arch, another 'Fabulous Fabaceae'.

Want more ? Check out The Tree Anecdote

Fabulous Fabaceae (part II)

2010-01-28T21:50:00.014-05:00

The Tree Anecdote

A few years ago, (while snooping at 'the Yard'), I noticed a small branch, or sapling, with an interesting leaf growing out of the brush. (Decidedly, I'm not just taken by fabaceae bloom, I'm charmed by the (usually) pinnate leaf as well). I thought I'd bring it home and 'experiment'.

Back at home, I planted it in the 'Lab'. (That's a six foot strip of dirt between the two basement windows at the side of the house. This sheltered spot with its SSW exposure is most favorable to growing plants). Well, the darn thing grew to 25 feet before I could say Locust ! Yeah, turned out to be a Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). Quite disappointingly though, I never saw it bloom (or did I just happen to miss the short 10-day blooming period ?)

The experiment ended last Spring when, unfortunately, it had to go. I spent so much time deciding on where to put it, time flew by and the poor thing just got too big to transplant anymore. (On the bright side, I got loads of lovely wood chips). AND, as luck would have it, three new shoots emerged from runners during Summer. By Fall, they were already 4-ft tall and were moved to a holding bed where they await trial. I'm still debating if I should keep them or not. It's a tad challenging, you'll agree, finding a spot (let alone three) for a 70-ft tree in a small garden ...

Pity.

A few Robinia pseudoacacia facts:

Although similar in general appearance to Honey locust, the Black locust lacks that tree's characteristic long branched spines on the trunk, instead having the pairs of short thorns at the base of each leaf; the leaflets are also much broader.

Native from Pennsylvania to northern Georgia and westward as far as Arkansas and Oklahoma, but has been widely spread. Reaches the height of seventy feet with a trunk three or four feet in diameter, with brittle branches that form an oblong narrow head. Spreads by underground shoots. The leaflets fold together in wet weather, also at night; some change of position at night is the habit of the entire leguminous family.

Black locust is a major honey plant in eastern USA, and, having been taken and planted in France, is the source of the renowned acacia monofloral honey from France. [...]

In Europe it is often planted alongside streets and in parks, especially in large cities, because it tolerates pollution well. The species is unsuitable for small gardens due to its large size and rapid growth, but the cultivar 'Frisia', a selection with bright yellow-green leaves, is occasionally planted as an ornamental tree.

Black locust has nitrogen-fixing bacteria on its root system; for this reason it can grow on poor soils and is an early colonizer of disturbed areas.

In 1900 it was reported that the value of Robinia pseudacacia is practically destroyed in nearly all parts of the United States beyond the mountain forests which are its home by locust borers which riddle the trunk and branches. Were it not for these insects it would be one of the most valuable timber trees that could be planted in the northern and middle states. Young trees grow quickly and vigorously for a number of years, but soon become stunted and diseased, and rarely live long enough to attain any commercial value.

More at Wiki

A Rainbow Invitation

2010-01-22T16:18:00.044-05:00

Rebecca from In The Garden came up with this wonderful idea to post a garden flower rainbow. She's asked us to join in.

Red: Bee Balm (Monarda 'Panorama Red Shades')

Orange: Nasturtium

Yellow: Globe Flower (Trollius 'Lemon Queen')

Green: Tomato (Aunt Ruby's German Green)

(How could I not include a vegetable ? :D)

Blue: Lavender (Unknown variety)
(Been in the garden a while. All I know is it's zone 5
and I'm always surprised (and thrilled) to see it come back)

Indigo: False Indigo (Baptisia Australis)
(Deserved two pics 'coz it's a fave !)

Violet: Clematis (Unknown - Jackmanii in all likelihood)
(I nicked this one from the neighbour's yard when she moved away ! :D)

I said earlier I thought indigo would be a challenge. What am I talking about ? Baptisia is one of my favourite plants ! (for those who don't know, I have a Fabaceae fetish. And it is 'indigo' after all, albeit 'false', although that refers to the genus, not the colour !) Anyway, I bumped it out of the blue spot and put lavender there instead. In the end, violet was the real challenge. I hope this clematis is violet enough ?

Fun post, Rebecca ! Thanks for putting it up. (Enjoyed it so much, I may just go ahead and post a vegetable rainbow on the other blog ! :D )

The Seeds Are In !

2010-01-01T12:45:00.087-05:00

Full details here

Third Time's The Charm

2009-11-30T18:21:00.033-05:00

Ahem. Well, define charm. As far as getting the job done, I believe Mother Nature has succeeded this time around. From the looks of it, offering number three is here to stay. I'm not complaining, mind you. I clearly recall being under a foot of snow a week earlier last year. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

Full post

Have a Nice Weekend

2009-11-14T10:58:00.042-05:00

The Fall cleanup is complete !

The leaves have been mulched ...

the pretties put to rest ...

... and the compost bins are brimming.

The vegetable beds were amended and protected ...

while the cover crop soldiers on ...

... and my relic of summer remains.

The weather has been so cooperative for the Fall clean-up this year, I couldn't have asked for better, or more... but more is still to come ! The temperatures are expected to hover in the teens again for the next couple of days and now that the work is done, the weekend is all mine.

To all, a very nice one !

Gathering Leaves

2009-11-09T20:52:00.155-05:00

The former owners who built this house bordered one side of the property with a row of maples. Now, twenty years on, the benefits are all mine. In addition to providing a privacy screen in Summer, I get a fabulous display in Fall and plenty of compostable material for the garden.

My precious leaves. Some have been composted,

some will be mulched and others will sit the winter through.

As the beautiful weather continues, I finished gathering the leaves today. I never do them all at once. I divide the workload over the 2 or 3 week shedding period. And contrary to many of my fellow bloggers, I LOVE raking leaves, lol ! (I'm amazed how many of you out there seem horrified with yard work ... is it a veggie gardeners thing ?)

I personally love yard work. It's a meditative experience for me. I love turning my compost and mowing the lawn, pruning and clipping and all that jazz. I love being outside in the garden. It's my sanctuary.

Think of it as a harvest, folks. It's just another crop.

Happy leaf gathering !

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It's woolly aphid season !

How cool are they, decked out in fur ...

Are any hovering around in your garden ?

A Lovely Day

2009-11-08T19:54:00.074-05:00

Today was a perfect day for a country stroll. The weather was spot on. We reached a balmy 15C here in the Laurentians. The same is expected for tomorrow.

Heading out on the trail, I passed Nathalie and her wonderful miniature pony, Echo. She usually takes him out to the baseball field for a little workout. Echo is one of many animals she owns. Nathalie a zootherapist.

She also has two lovely dogs, one of which (Zoey, a beautiful golden retriever) is a total scamp ! She runs off at the slighest opportunity and generally ends up at my house. That's how Nat and I got acquainted.

Echo grazing away, sporting his winter coat

On my way back, I stopped at the municipal yard to scrounge for more goodies. As I peered over the bank's edge, behind the heap of blooms, I discovered about fifty discarded wire baskets.

Most of which were pretty mangled, but I managed to straighten and salvage about a dozen. So there !

All in all, a lovely day.

Cat Love

2009-11-08T17:44:00.032-05:00

Taz got a haircut yesterday.

Whoops, how rude !

pardon me ...

... that's better

A bit late in the season, I admit, but his fluffy disposition gets him otherwise tangled up in knots. Averell, his lickin'-mad lover, couldn't resist having a go at the freshly clipped feline. (These two are inseparable, but poor Averell does all the lickin').

As the amorous ritual was taking place, Babe looked on, befuddled ...

"What the ... ?"

"Mama, what are they doing ?"

"Have they no shame ! ..."

If you're all wondering what Taz looked like before the trim ...

This post goes out to Nic over at Nip it in the Bud, who wanted to see my black cats. She has a great post about them in which she also features her own black cutie, Mikey. Please, have a gander.

So for you my dear Nic, here's the rest of the black pride:

From L to R: Slim Shady (aka Schizo), Oreo, Kong & Puce (french for flea)

Superstitious me ? Nah ...
Cat crazed lunatic ? Absolutely !

* * * *

You know you are a cat fanatic when ...

White (take 2)

2009-11-06T12:07:00.029-05:00

It happened again.

This second offering should not linger very long either as the temps are expected to climb back up in the next 3 or 4 days providing a 'Last Call !' opportunity to finalize the fall clean-up.

Last of the Fall Colours

2009-10-27T22:35:00.008-04:00

The trees are bare. The show is over. Only a few specks in the landscape remain. Larches for the most part.

Peeping through the fence at the neighbours' larch.

Finding Treasures (in odd places)

2009-10-27T22:03:00.064-04:00

Meet the city's municipal yard. Not a pretty site, I admit, yet if you look hard enough, you might find a few treasures.

'Le garage municipal' - one of my favourite horticultural hunting grounds
(mouse over to see where the treasures lie)

On the left (not seen in the wide shot) thrives an enormous drift of reeds.

Common reed (Phragmites australis)

* Featured in Canadian Gardening magazine as one of the top five most invasive plants in Canada for the province of Quebec. (Check out what's invading your province)

At the very back, behind the hangar, lies the treasure trove. There, load after load of blooms and plants are relieved from their seasonal duty of adorning the city. Annuals for the most part, but trees, shrubs and perennials on a few occasions as well. This time a prunus, a weigela, and a clump of heuchera were on site. (Although this time, the shrubs were actually planted which led me to believe they were reserved for someone or something).

So I turned my attention to the heap of spent blooms (free for the taking) and started rummaging when the city guy came along to dump another load. We chatted for a few and he concurred that the shrubs had been replanted for future use, but he graciously offered I take the heuchera and I most graciously accepted.

1. Discarded trays and cell-packs

2. Heuchera (gift!) 3. City truck unloading vegetation

Heap of spent blooms ...

... including the ever so popular (and so very municipal) ornamental kale.

When I returned the next day (to get the heuchera), 4 more weigelas and half a dozen cedars had equally been dismissed from their municipal duties. Oh, so very tempting ... I'm sure I could squeeze a few more weigelas in the garden, and a couple more cedars to screen off the neighbors would be perfect !

You think he'd notice if one (or two) went missing ?

Meanwhile, back at the house ...

Reeds in flower boxes, kale and dried flowers in pots

Martha Stewart I ain't, but I do have fun trying. It doesn't cost a penny. :)

White

2009-10-22T18:45:00.003-04:00

The inevitable has occurred.

First snow - 2009-10-22

Here today, gone tomorrow. Fortunately.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-10-12T09:30:00.017-04:00

It's sunny and chilly here this morning. Night temperatures fell to -4 last night and some parts of the country got quite a bit of snow on the week-end. Thankfully, we were spared.

The order of the day (after checking up on the crops) will be raking ! Yesterday's high winds scattered much of the Fall glory around.

Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general.

So, what am I thankful for ?

In one word: gardening ... and obviously all that comes with it - discovery, awe, fascination, wonderment, hard work, enjoyment, fulfillment, reward and most of all sharing, for a passion is pointless if it is not shared.

So thanks to all fellow bloggers who share their passion and inspire me every day ! Thank you. :)

Now off to the hardware store to get a new rake !

Happy Thanksgiving Canada ! :)

Contrasts

2009-10-09T15:00:00.015-04:00

It's been cool and rainy for the most part recently, with one or two warmer sunny breaks. Today, it's raining.

A short stroll in the garden reveals stunning contrast as remnants of summer linger amid Fall's indisputable presence.

Tomato still putting out blooms. Pea still producing. Globe flower up for second (albeit modest) flush of blooms.

Amazing.

Today's Fall Pics

2009-10-02T15:45:00.038-04:00

My one and only strawberry

Strawberries in October ?

These strawberries were started from seed back in Spring. I planted them in a fancy basket and hung them on the very end of the grapevine arbor. Only, half the time, I would forget to water them and by August, they pretty much looked like goners. Well apparently I was wrong ! They've made a comeback and are flowering away. I'll have to find a permanent spot for them in the patch. I think I'll let the little fella grow some more (and possibly ripen) before making the transfer. Let's hope he does !

Images are tagged, mouse over for info.

Sunflower says summer is officially over.

Compost Post

2009-09-11T10:48:00.169-04:00

Meet my compost bin.

It’s an old garbage bin I converted by taking the bottom out and latticing the top for ventilation. The top is handy for keeping the animals out. (That lattice desperately needs a revamp, lol ! I may use chicken wire next time around).

My compost cycle

My compost harvest is done once a year, about this time, once the leaves have fallen. (I’m a bit early this year). I empty the bin, use what I need and bag the rest (if any). I then start a brand new batch which consists of all the plant material from the Fall clean-up (green & brown) and a good bunch of leaves (brown). There are seven maples growing on that side of the yard which provide plenty of leaf material for composting and mulching. The bin is relatively small (45"W x 28"D x 30"H) and fills up pretty quickly. Whatever excess material I collect gets piled beside the bin to add in later.

So by mid-to-late October, once the Fall clean-up is complete, the pile is good and ready to sit Winter through. At this stage, I don't bother mixing it, although I have taken some care in alternating brown & green while filling the bin (but that's just my artsy way of doing things).

By Spring, the pile has compressed to about half its size. I then top it off with the kitchen scraps (green) I’ve been saving througout Winter in a garbage bin on the balcony. Once everything has thoroughly thawed, I give it a good turn. I skip the watering process since it's already moist and cover it up with a tarp to get a little heat going - not too much though, since this is not a hot system. (More on that below).

It takes about 2 to 3 months to break down and by mid-July, it's ready to harvest but instead, I keep it going by adding kitchen and plant waste (green) throughout the rest of the season, which break down quickly in an already active pile. The extra plant material I saved earlier in Fall (mostly brown) is used to adjust the brown/green balance if needed.

Things I do to speed up the process:

I cut plant material and food scraps up into smaller pieces.
I add worms. Can't say how many. I add the chunkier ones I find while doing the spring digging/dividing. Maybe 20 or 30 ? It takes no time for numbers to multiply and by the end of the season, there are hundreds.
Although a well designed compost heap (hot or cold) should not require much turning, I turn mine frequently. Why ? Coz I enjoy it ! Honest ! It’s not a huge pile so is quite easy to turn, plus I love keeping an eye on progress.

So technically, I guess I have a wormery. My system doesn’t rely on heat at all to decompose waste (except that little push in Spring). It sits in full shade, under the maples, and stays relatively cool throughout the process. (Worms would fry in a hot system).

More on Hot Composting vs. Vermicomposting

This year's harvest

This year, the bin yielded about of 130 L of compost. Not bad ! Next year I should get twice as much with the additional veggie patch waste. I’m now using the potato bin as a second composter. I may experiment with a hot heap in that one.

As far as keeping certain things out of the compost like eggshells or lemons, for instance, I don't follow the rules. Everything goes in. I find lemon peels make the compost smell great ! Rotting onions don't however. Pee-eww !

I never sift my compost either. I think the chunks add a great dimension to the soil, especially my heavy clay. I can see why sifting compost destined for the vegetable beds is fitting though, particularly for root veggies, as a homogenous and lump-free mix is more likely to promote straight growth.

I sifted a batch yesterday. I'll be sifting more today. This year's harvest will probably entirely be used for the vegetable beds. (My pretties are giving me evil looks).

Bee Happy

2009-09-08T20:08:00.057-04:00

I didn't participate in the Great Sunflower Project this summer, but I'm happy to say I'm seeing lots of bees lately. There has been plenty of bumblebees in the garden this season, but hardly any honey bees. There's no denying numbers are in decline.

They started showing up as the sunflowers started to bloom. And lately, they've been visiting the sedum. Today I counted no less than eight honey bees gathered on one plant. (Edit: Aug. 09 - make that 20!).

Did you know ?

Honey bees or apis mellifera are not native to North America. Apis mellifera and its subspecies originate from Europe, Africa and Asia.

Mason bees or osmia lignaria can be found throughout North America in different climatic environments. They are most well suited to the northern areas due to the blooming fruit trees.

Bumblebees are native pollinators in North America. There are about 250 identified species predominantly found in the northern hemisphere, but they can found worldwide. Bumblebees are close relatives to the honeybees and hornets.

more>>

Maybe numbers are in decline because they're all going home ? ;)

Let's encourage our natives too:

Build a home for mason bees

[source]

or make a bamboo nest.

You can check out more bee profiles at Pollination Canada and this lovely page on Bumblebees - The Essential, Indefatigable Pollinators.

Wild About Berries

2009-09-07T18:35:00.028-04:00

My Mountain Ash is just teeming with berries at the moment. Well, it was ! The robins have been gorging on them all week. It's the first time I can remember the tree not bearing fruit over winter. There won't be any left.

I've rarely witnessed such a bustle of birds. As many as twenty at a time, sometimes. Wings a-fluttering, treetop a-rustling. Spooking each other out. Hopping around and picking a spot. Gobbling a few then taking off, and coming back to gorge some more.

What a spectacle.

There are three little saplings growing under one of my spruce trees. I think I'll dig them up and plant them around the yard.

Can't have too much free bird food around !

Sunflower Splash

2009-09-04T23:30:00.006-04:00

Easy Peasy Seed Harvest

2009-08-30T22:55:00.008-04:00

Many flower seeds can be gathered by shaking the dried flower heads topsy turvy into a bag. Columbine is one of them.

Now how easy was that ?

Gather your Columbine seeds. There's no excuse not to. Don't need the seeds ? Give them to friends !

Nature Imitating Nature

2009-08-30T18:06:00.006-04:00

GBBD - Old Reliable

2009-08-15T22:30:00.041-04:00

Gardeners sure love their daylilies. Many out there own dozens of varieties. I have but 3, including this old boring variety I got as a freebie back in the day. (Someone was giving it away, um, getting rid of it I should say). I believe it's 'Autumn Red' ?

From a distance, it looks quite commonly orange but is actually red with a yellow throat. And however common-looking it appears, this very prolific daylily has served me well over the years. It's been divided and relocated countless times, shared with friends and used as a filler in many parts of the garden. It's a late bloomer, but a very good one, and the best part is, it smells nice too.

This lot is growing in the front garden, covering a large corner area where the front steps meet the driveway.

Never look a gift horse in the mouth, I say. Here's to you, old reliable !

Fun in the Pumpkin Patch

2009-08-14T11:51:00.004-04:00

Inspired by matron, I scribed a few of my pumpkins.

As they grow, so does the pattern, making for fun pumpkins. :)

Nasturtium seed harvest reminder

2009-08-12T16:18:00.012-04:00

They're starting to drop...

For free flowers next year,
don't forget to pick 'em up ! :)

Stop and Smell the Weeds

2009-08-07T19:23:00.047-04:00

Take a look at this field.
What do you see ?

Just a big ol' patch of green with a few specks of color, I bet ?

Well look again.

There's more variety than meets the eye. This is just a fraction of what was out there when I went perusing the other day. Most of these are considered weeds and many are non-native and/or invasive, but they're all splendid nonetheless. :)

Out of all the beauties on display that day, this had to be the show-stopper:

Perennial Sweet Pea (Lathyrus Sylvestris)
(aka Flat Pea-vine, Narrow-leaved Everlasting-pea)

It got me doing a double take. At first, I thought someone had planted garden sweet pea in the field ! ... But no, it's the perennial variety.

Lovely, innit ?

Pea pods

These last 2 photos were taken today. I've been keeping tabs. It's a good bloomer (june-aug) and smells nice too (certainly not as fragrant as annual sweet pea but nice just the same).

Now, I know from past experience growing wild flowers in the garden can be somewhat disappointing. Quite often, they look and do better in the wild. Some become invasive. (You should see the sumac around here - what a mistake that was !) But I like to experiment and I've just the spot for it. I'll be harvesting pods for seed and perhaps try a cutting or two.

Finally, do you recognize this (nasty invader) ?

Click to see if you did

(Lame animation, I know ! lol. I was merely trying to recreate the mood here. It was glorious, this afternoon, when I took the pic - the sun was a-shinin', the breeze was a-blowin' and the puffs were a-swayin').

* * * *

Have you gone wild flower gazing lately ?

Tornado !

2009-08-04T19:01:00.019-04:00

Québec might not be located in 'Tornado alley' but gets its share of tornadoes each year (about 6 on average). Minor ones for the most part (F0's and F1's). Still, even small ones cause considerable dammage. This afternoon a tornado touched down in the city of Mont-Laurier, a community just 1h30 north of here.

"MONT-LAURIER, Que. - A tornado ripped through the Laurentian community of Mont-Laurier on Tuesday, uprooting trees, damaging buildings and toppling power lines. Environment Canada confirmed the tornado after looking at images sent to different media by residents of the town 240 kilometres northwest of Montreal. A number of residences were also damaged. An emergency measures team met at the town hall to take stock of the situation. An Environment Canada investigator also headed to the scene. The weather service had put out a severe storm warning for the Laurentians, the Outaouais region in western Quebec and the Lac-St-Jean area about 250 kilometres north of Quebec City." (Source)

Skies were sunny and clear in my area when it happened, but we're sure getting it now ! Thunder, rain and wind - lots of it !

OMG, is that a funnel over there ?!

* * * *

In the United States, "tornado season" generally is in the spring when tornadoes are more prevalent from April through July, with May and June being the peak months. (As many as 400 a month !) But like thunderstorms, tornadoes can form any time of the year.

* * * *

Updpate:

* Environment Canada has confirmed F2 tornado, this morning Aug. 5, 2009.

S as in ...

2009-07-19T10:23:00.081-04:00

S hasta Daisy

S ilver Princess

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day

2009-07-15T21:26:00.044-04:00

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is almost over but I thought I'd post a few snaps anyway. (I didn't even register !) This event is hosted by May Dreams Gardens.

What a gorgeous sunny day we've had here today (finally !). Everything was just splendid. There are plenty of blooms in the gardern but the prettiest around had to be this fabulous Valerian growing wild in the slope at the edge of the yard. (I always find lots of wonderful things growing there).

'Valeriana officinalis'

Huge drifts of pretty flowers upon tall hefty stalks, some as tall as 6 ft !

What a beaut ! So lovely and fragrant. Absolutely splendid. :)

History of Traditional Use of Valerian

This plant is native to Europe but was readily cultivated in North America in the early 19th century. Every eclectic medical text consulted listed this plant as a “cerebral stimulant” when used as a "simple" or single herb administration. It was also referenced as being a sedative, antispasmodic, nervine, and antiseptic. The Native American Cree Tribe was reported to use the indigenous species of Valerian as a chewed poultice applied topically for earaches. The preparation of the fluid extract from the rhizome was official in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1820-1936 and in the National Formulary from 1888-1946. It is still used to promote healthy sleep in many European Countries, North America, and The Soviet Union and is included in the World Health Organizations monographs on herbs as well as the German Comission E Monographs.

Source

Menom

2009-07-08T08:54:00.031-04:00

It's raining again. Sunday's sunny break was short lived. We've had rain since Monday. Tomorrow's forecast is calling for SUN. (Here's hoping !)

What to do on a rainy day ... Oh, I know ! Here's a fun rainy day game. It's called pin the pattern on the slug.

First, you pick a slug (a snail will do just fine):

Then, try to guess who's been eating what.

You first ! :)

* * * *

I'm not fussy about slugs nibbling my hostas but if you're not into playing the "pin the pattern on the slug" game, you can always select slug-resistant varieties for your garden or try one of the various methods of controlling them. (Find out how)

One thing I am fussy about, however, is the bloom. I'm not a big fan of those tall spikey flowers, so I always cut them off. I do have one or two varieties with shorter spikes. I sometimes leave those on.

Spooky totally agrees. :)

A Wet, Wet Week

2009-07-05T20:11:00.029-04:00

A pure delight seing the sunshine this morning after a week of rain that culminated in considerably cooler days, especially the last two.

How wet has it been, you ask ?

Wet enough for my shoe to sprout ! I leave this pair of garden work shoes outside on the back balcony. Three little seedlings (weeds no doubt - looks like dock !) grew out of the tiny bit of dirt caught in the fabric. Ha !

At least the pretties are happy...

And last but not least ...

2009-07-04T18:42:00.024-04:00

Mountain Ash Sawfly

Before I bore you to death with my bugs stories, I'll sneak this last one in; the mountain ash sawfly.

This recurring visitor doesn't faze me as much. It's easy to spot and quite easy to control. Some years, I don't even bother with it. It all depends on how much defoliation is going on. When I do intervene, I simply cut the branch off and dispose of it (them) in the nicest way possible.

"The young larvae are greenish with black dots down the sides,
and with black legs and a head. As they reach maturity,
the head and legs become distinctively yellow-orange"

... and they poop alot !

"The larvae feed on the leaves and devour all
but the mid-ribs and larger veins"

(Full factsheet)

So there you have it, the last of my tree pests. The rest of my trees don't host anything major, 'cept for the maple spindle gall mite, the birch leafminer, and a few occurrences of tent caterpillar in the crabapple ... LOL !

But I'll save those for next year. ;)

More Tree Pests

2009-07-01T12:26:00.071-04:00

The pine webworm

So it wasn't the budworm infesting my pine tree after all. Although both worms have similar habits, the pine is hosting the webworm and it's back in action.

Luckily, my tree isn't so bad compared to ...

... the neighbors' tree.

From what I gather, the pine webworm usually attacks one and two year seedlings, but will infest saplings and large trees. My tree is about 15 years old, theirs is roughly 5 or 6.

As for the budworm, I managed to catch a fair number of them, but ultimately there were just too many for me to handle. It's too late now anyway, they've already gone through the cycle. They've turned into moths and have started going around laying their eggs for next year's generation.

The empty pupa and the moth

Damage to the fir tree

I'm a little worried, actually, because I've never seen so many. They're flying all over the place, visiting trees that weren't infested. I really can't see myself trying to keep them all in check. There's over a dozen spruce and fir trees in the yard and all, but these four, were clean so far.

Since infestations are often cyclical, let's hope we're nearing the peak and numbers start dwindling ... SOON !

Fortunately, not all caterpillars wreak havoc in my yard. These haven't caused any damage ... yet ! ;)

Here's a Mourning Cloak Moth caterpillar scurrying through the grass.

And I found this Gypsy Moth caterpillar in the hollow of a bamboo pole.

Cute ! :D

More on :

Pine Webworm (or false webworm)
Gypsy Moth
Mourning Cloak

__ . __ . __ . __ . __ . __ . __ . __ . __ . __ . __ . __ . __ . __ . __ . __

Happy Canada Day to all !

Plant News

2009-06-30T20:30:00.001-04:00

As far as plants go, I really don't need anymore. If anything I'm paring down. But who can resist buying at least one new item every once in a while. This year, I treated myself to a Wisteria.

I never imagined owning one. For years, I thought this gorgeous vine only thrived in warmer climes. Fortunately for me, 'Blue Moon' variety is hardy to Zone 4.

Of course, it will take years before it looks anything like the one at Giverny, but that'll give me plenty of time to build the pergola I'm planning to grow it on. ;)

The new addition this year, Wisteria 'Blue Moon'

Mmmm, Heavenly !

The Weather Report

2009-06-28T21:34:00.060-04:00

They're calling for rain this week. Looks like it's going to be a wet one for the most part (until Thursday I believe) which means plenty of leaf licking action for Tom.

My cat Tom loves licking the water drops off Hostas

Lick away little one !

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day

2009-06-24T09:25:00.030-04:00

La Fête nationale du Québec

The National Holiday of Quebec (French: La Fête nationale du Québec) is the National Holiday of the Canadian province of Quebec. A paid statutory public holiday covered by the Act Respecting Labour Standards, it is celebrated annually on June 24, St. John the Baptist Day.

In Quebec, the festivities occur on June 23 and June 24, and since 1978 are publicly financed and organized by a National Holiday Organizing Committee (Comité organisateur de la fête nationale). June 24 continues to be celebrated as a festival of French Canadian culture in other Canadian provinces and in the United States.

Origins

The feast day of Saint John the Baptist or Midsummer was a very popular event in the Ancien régime of France, and it is still celebrated as a religious feast day in several countries, like Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The tradition landed in Canada with the first French colonists. According to the Jesuit Relations, the first celebrations occurred on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River on the evening of June 23, 1636 with a bonfire and five cannon shots.

(Wiki full article)

* * * *

In honour of La Fête Nationale, I'm featuring something blue; my Baptisia - and wouldn't you know it, the name fits !

Baptisia australis (Blue False Indigo)

Bon jardinage à tous les Québécois ! :)

The Joys of Barefoot Mowing

2009-06-21T22:26:00.016-04:00

Budworm

2009-06-19T07:32:00.019-04:00

June is budworm season and they're back 'en force' !

The spruce budworm

It's not uncommon for conifers to host budworms, but my yard's been hit quite hard these past few years. The first budworm party took place about 4 years ago in the pine tree. This wasn't your average luncheon, it was the all-you-can-eat buffet. I'm pretty lenient towards pests in the garden, but trees are precious and I have to draw the line somewhere. After all, these guys have been known to decimate entire forests.

I'm not a great fan of chemicals, so I decided to try BTK to get rid of them. A biological insecticide designed for a host of caterpillars including budworm, but it didn't seem very effective at all. The little beasts never keeled over. They just kept chomping away. So in the end, I opted for a chemical solution (Malathion).

The pine is doing much better but last year, 4 other trees showed signs of infestation; 1 spruce and 3 firs growing in a clump a couple of yards away. This year, the firs are looking quite bad.

The firs

There's a row of spruce trees growing in the neighbor's yard. They were planted really close together and have noticeable defoliation in the mid-sections. My worry is that, even if I get mine under control, the problem will persist if there's a colony thriving next door. The moths will lay their eggs anywhere.

"When fully grown, the caterpillar changes into a brown pupa

within the web and, about 10 days later, the moth emerges to mate

and lay eggs for the next generation."

A dangling budworm

Chemicals are out of the question this time. It's a large area to spray. It would affect other insects and be hazardous to birds. I could try BTK again or arm myself with patience and do what I did last year - use water.

I found that if you give the tree a real good soaking, the budworms drop from their web dozens at a time. They just dangle on their threads waiting to dry off and climb back up. I catch them with a small bucket and transfer them to a large tub filled with water.

I spent about an hour a day for a couple of days hosing them down until they stopped dropping. I didn't count them, but I surely got a rid of a couple hundred budworms and the spruce is looking much better this year.

* * * *

Articles: Pesticides and Wild Birds

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day

2009-06-15T21:19:00.101-04:00

I have a few flowers in bloom but thought I would feature a tree in dedication to Oklahomegrownveg's persimmon.

Flowers are really pretty but trees are an important part of the garden as well. They add so much to a landscape and provide food and shelter for wildlife.

The Rowan or Mountain Ash in bloom at the moment

(genus Sorbus, family Rosaceae)

I would only hazard a guess if I said this Moutain Ash, which came with the house, is the 'Rossica' or Russian variety. What I do know is that the birds enjoy it very much, and so do I. I love sitting under it, in the dapple shade, watching the birds come and go. It's one of my favourite spots to relax.

The bloom attracts many insects including bumble bees.

Come fall, it is covered with fabulous clumps of red
orange berries, providing plenty of food for the birds.

The berries stay on long after the leaves have fallen,
throughout the winter if the birds don't get them first.

Good luck with your new plantings, Mick !

* * * *

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is hosted by May Dreams Gardens

The Story Of Lucky

2009-05-24T22:24:00.028-04:00

My niece's boyfriend works at a lumber yard and almost every year, a racoon family nests up in the warehouse's roof. Their way of disposing of these cute bandits is by bashing their heads in with a 2x4. How despicable ! ... :(

Sadly, both parents and 10 or so newborns were brutally slaughtered. Rest assured her wildlife-loving boyfriend didn't partake in the massacre but was unable to intervene arriving late at the scene. Gutted, he went up to have a look around hoping to find some sign of life. As luck would have it, 2 babes nestled in a corner had gone unnoticed. He kept his mouth shut and went back at the end of the day to get them.

Consequently, my niece has become a surrogate mom. She's been bottle feeding and raising them for the last 3 weeks. I say "they" but, sadly, the little female didn't make it. She was found lifeless yesterday morning, * :'( * , so only one remains.

There's a wildlife organization in the area that prepares wild animals for reintroduction in their habitat. He's still too young to join the program but should be ready in a couple of weeks.

Awww, what a cutie ! :)

Go Lucky, we're rootin' for ya !

How green is your grass ? Let me count the blades

2009-05-18T22:32:00.055-04:00

It's that time of year again ...

Dandelion season !

What's in a name

The English name dandelion is a corruption of the French dent de lion meaning "lion's tooth", referring to the coarsely-toothed leaves. The names of the plant have the same meaning in several other European languages, such as the Italian dente di leone, Spanish diente de león, Portuguese dente-de-leão, Norwegian Løvetann, and German Löwenzahn.

In modern French the plant is named pissenlit, which means "urinate in bed", apparently referring to its diuretic properties. Likewise, "pissabeds" is an English folk-name for this plant, as is piscialletto in Italian and the Spanish meacamas. In various north-eastern Italian dialects the plant is known as pisacan ("dog pisses"), referring to how common they are found at the side of pavements, while in many other northern Italian dialects it is known as soffione ("blowing") referring to the blowing the seeds from the stalk.

The same is true for German, where Pusteblume ("blowing flower") is a popular designation. Likewise, in Polish it is called "dmuchawiec", deriving from dmuchać ("to blow"). Whilst in its flowering form the Poles know it as Mlecz, a word derived from "milk", due to the plant's milky sap.

In Turkish the dandelion is called karahindiba meaning "black endive".

The Hungarian names for the plant are kutyatej ("dog milk"), referring to the aforementioned white sap found in the plant's stem and gyermekláncfű ("child's chain grass"), referring to the habit of children to pick dandelions, remove the flowers, and make links out of the stems by "plugging" the narrow top end of the stem into the wider bottom end.

The Lithuanian name kiaulpienė can be translated as "sow milk". Similarly, in Latvian it is called 'pienene, the word being derived from piens - milk.

In Finnish and Estonian, it is called voikukka and võilill, respectively, meaning "butter flower", referring to its buttery colour.

In Swedish it is called maskros ("worm rose"), likely referring to its low status (being mostly considered a weed) despite a fairly pleasant appearance.

In Dutch it is called paardebloem, meaning "horse-flower".

In Chinese it is called "蒲公英" (pronounced pu gong ying), meaning flower that grows in public spaces by the riverside.

Source

Dandelion might be a weed in most people's opinion, but as far as plants go, it's rich in vitamines (A, B complex, C, and D) and minerals (iron, potassium, and zinc). And beyond its medicinal virtues, it's widely used in a variety of culinary preparations. I remember my Granny enjoying her dandelion salad !

Dandelions are also important plants for bees. Not only is their flowering used as an indicator that the honey bee season is starting, but they are also an important source of nectar and pollen early in the season.

Like 'em or lump 'em, I've learned to live with 'em 'coz my lawn is loaded with 'em.

A sample of my lawn

Dandelion, clover, wild strawberry, dock, cat's ear ... Simply put, my lawn is anything BUT grass.

For me, dandelion season means the first trim of the year, so my real mower was called into action.

Yep, I am a push-reel convert. I bet you're thinking I switched over for environmental reasons, but in actual fact, it was laziness. You see, my gas mower is getting old and the engine seems to be running slow, of late. It's in need of a major tune-up. Factor in the hassle of purchasing gas, filling it up, checking the oil, and dealing with the noise and fumes for at least one and a half hours a week, a girl gets to thinking ...

I saw this reel-mower last summer advertised at 99$ in the Home Hardware flyer and that sealed the deal. Not without some trepidation, however. Flashbacks of my childhood and my Granny's old push-reel mower came to mind. Eeek ! A jammed old rusty thing that was impossible to work with ...

Well, with one year of reel mower experience under my belt, here are my thoughts:

Pros:

no gas,
no oil,
no cranking,
no noise (or hardly),
in short, no hassle.

plus I can mow barefoot ! :D

Cons:

Mows in a forward direction only
Doesn't cope well with long grass (it tends to flatten rather than cut it). So mowing regularly is essential in keeping your lawn looking good.

And I must admit, this $99 model is a little rickety. I'm thinking of upgrading to a deluxe model (some go for as much as $300, whew !) but green or not, all things considered, I think it's well worth it.

I haven't parted with my gas mower just yet ! It's still very handy for mulching (as you've noticed) and it occasionally gets summoned for a really neat trim.

And btw, it still needs a tune-up.

Who's that honking away in the distance ?

2009-05-09T11:47:00.031-04:00

They're baaaaackk !

After a week of overhead traffic, I finally managed to snap a pic of my beloved Canada geese. (The cam was either out of reach or the flock too far away). This morning had to be the busiest I've seen (or heard!) all week. At least 5 formations flew straight above the house within a couple hours.

This is one of them. (I need a tele-lens asap !)

Although they will stop, rest and feed during their Spring flight back home, a mere fly-by is all I get to see from my house.

When and how do they migrate

Canada geese usually start migrating south when the ground begins to freeze in the fall. The trip to the wintering grounds is a quick one—scientists have tracked geese that have flown up to 1,000 km in one day!

Spring migration is a different story. Starting in late winter, the geese make several stops along the way to feed and rest before reaching their breeding grounds throughout Canada.

Scientists believe that the characteristic “v-shaped” flock of geese migrating serves two purposes. First, it creates a current of air along the lines of geese that makes it easier for individuals to fly. Second, it may allow for better communication and unity of the flock while in the air.

Source: Ducks Unlimited Canada

Now that to me is the true sign of Spring ! I'm always thrilled to hear those yaps. I've been so busy in the yard, I really haven't had a chance to go out enjoy nature as much I usually do.

I'll have to make time for it ! :)

Digger day

2009-05-08T22:59:00.041-04:00

So I finally got this out of the way.

This cedar was moved from the front of the house to the back. I needed more privacy at the back and trees take years to grow. Who's got time to wait ? Not me. Purchasing a mature cedar and having it delivered is beyond my budget. I'd rather hire a digger to move this one.

I guess I could've saved some dosh and done it by hand. A cedar's rootball isn't all that big but keep in mind this fella stands over 10 feet tall. I've done worse. Two years ago, I moved a 12-ft multi-stemmed maple by hand. Well, the digging was done by hand. It took me over an hour to free the roots and knock it over. When it came time to drag it over to the new hole (only a few yards away), it was a case of no-can-do. The thing weighed a ton and even three of us couldn't budge it. I finally had to resort in getting the neighbor to winch and drag it over to its new location with his 4-wheeler.

Well that neighbor and his ATV are long gone and I was just making good use of the digger (getting my hour's worth) since it was actually hired for this:

The unsightly stump

Getting rid of the old stump on the front lawn. Now that, I could NOT have done by hand ! ;)

It was a doozie !

So big in fact it wouldn't fit it in the truck,

so they dumped it in the hole and buried it.

They're thinking "job well done",

I'm thinking I got to clean this mess and sow some grass ...

Done !

Perfect timing since the next few days called for showers and it was best getting the job done while the ground was dry to avoid imprinting the yard as much as possible. In turn, the freshly transplanted cedar and freshly sown grass would benefit from the coming rain.

Days in which I got busy finishing digging and amending the pumpkin bed and moving the plants from the corn bed back to the 'creche' ... and guess what I found ? Remnants of the inadvertent potatoes, shooting away beneath the soil. Ha !

These grew inadvertently from compost mixed into that bed.

I won't be keeping them since I ordered a fresh lot.

Come to think of it, they should be arriving shortly.

But with rain comes mud and now ... I need a shower !

C Ya !

I'll cut you to shreds

2009-05-03T20:17:00.038-04:00

Spring cleaning means branch debris and whether you get them from pruning or whatever falls naturally, you've got to deal with them. I used to pile them up beside the shed and burn them when the pile started reaching the roof. But last year, I decided to look at shredders.

What's out there ?

Well, you could always hire experts with industrial equipment, or go for a semi-industrial model at about $1000 a pop if you got the dough and fancy gas powered equipment. Or you could go for this:

Yardworks Garden Shredder

Compact, electric and affordable.

Twin high-speed durable steel blades chip branches and tough debris
14A motor with 1-5/8" cutting capacity
Additional safety features include paddle-style on/off switch and push stick to provide extra pressure while shredding
Stand allows for easy mobility

Paddle style on/off switch

Knob screw to open hood

Twin high-speed durable steel blades

Fresh chippings

As you can see, it does the job. Although it claims to have a 1 5/8" cutting capacity (that's the actual size of the feeding holes), it starts groaning a little when fed branches bigger than 1" in diameter. It also has a tendency to clog up when shredding very green stuff like fresh cedar (leaves and all) but other than that, it works perfectly fine.

That entire lot of branches was shredded without a hitch and yielded about a garbage bin's worth of chips. Great organic matter to use as mulch or to add to the soil. I also finished mulching what was left of the leaves and got a bin's worth of those as well. All of which will come in handy when I start working on the pumpkin bed.

* * * * * *

Yardworks Garden Shredder.

Retails at $249 but goes on sale at least twice a year.

Available at Canadian Tire.

Emergence

2009-04-30T18:51:00.036-04:00

A peek at a few things coming up in the garden at the moment ...

Chives


Peonies	Sedum

Globe Flower	Telekia

Honeysuckle	Mallow


Daisies	Lysimachia

Bellflower	Daylilies

Columbine	Dicentra

Pachysandra in bloom

So nice seeing you all again ! :)

A spade Is Not A Shovel

2009-04-26T17:36:00.033-04:00

Why the new shovels you ask ?

Well, reason number one would be because of this:

The 'Iceberg Rock'

Yep, the iceberg rock. Maybe you've heard of it, or even encountered one. This is a rock that appears smaller than it actually is. It is also renowned to break shovels especially when the shoveler is unaware of this fact.

Once out of the hole, (this is achieved by working up a nasty sweat and getting your pulse way up there trying to pry it out of the hole with a couple of 2 X 4's), it becomes obvious the shovel didn't stand a chance ...

Out of the hole, it's plain as day !

RIP my little friend. :(

The second purchase (Mr. Spade) was to undertake this:

Time is a-marching on and I had to get busy organizing those beds. All the fancy stuff will be going in raised beds, but the 'big' crops, like the corn the pumpkins and the sunflowers will be grown here.

Part of this bed had already been dug over last year. I just made it bigger (3X). It's holding the plants from the back balcony bed. They were taken out last Fall to make way for the back balcony make-over. (Lots of stuff going on this year). They were joined by the plants from bed 'D' (which usually houses my sunflowers) but was serving as another holding bed for yet more plants that are in limbo at the moment. The reason those had to come out is because the digger will need to access that corner of the yard when the cedar gets relocated next week.

Need I remind you:

Cross cut of my beauti-(aw)-ful soil
First 2-3 inches is top soil (poor at that), the rest is fabulous gray clay. :)

Just look at that !

Betcha you're jealous ! ;)

So as usual, the soil was amended but only temporarily. I just proceeded to a quick fix to get the plants in there. Luckily I have 7 beautiful maples that border one side of the yard and provide oodles of leaves to mulch and help break up and lighten the stuff.

In addition to the free mulch, I added some peat moss (Shhhh !) and ended up with an acceptable soil for now. When the plants come out and the crops go in, the soil will be enriched and amended further.

But the dirtiest job of all this week had to be this:

Every year, the same thing ... :(

As much as I enjoy Spring cleaning, (I really, really do !) this I could do without. The streets here are sanded in the wintertime and that sand inevitably gets plowed back onto my lawn.

Once the snow has melted

Nice, eh ?

What makes matters worse is that the land is lower than the street so don't even think about sweeping it back up there. I actually sweep it downwards and make piles which I haul away by wheel barrow.

I stopped counting after 6 ...

But in the end ...

* * * *

That's it for now ! Next week, I'm tackling this:

Stay tuned ...

Yard prep

2009-04-19T17:42:00.106-04:00

SNOW-FREE at last ! Yes, we have turf ! ... The yard is finally workable. And with the fantastic weather we've had, I've been out and about clearin' and diggin' away !

JOY ! :D

I'm finally set on a design for the vegetable garden and a few adjustments had to be made to the the existing space. Sadly, two birch trees got the old heave-ho, the other got the old switcheroo and the crabapple had to be relocated, just a tad. I planted these trees a few years back. Luckily, they were still quite small and relatively easy to move. ;)

Discarded birch trees bundled up and ready to go.
They will be relocated or donated.

Trees are precious and the best part of landscaping. I'll go to lengths to save them. If I can't find a new spot for them in my garden, I'll do my darndest to find someone who will. Last year, while clearing the slopy side of my yard (the one behind this fence actually), I managed to salvage seventeen 3 & 4 ft. spruce saplings. I then convinced a neighbor with a big piece of land to take them. Luckily, he did.

Working the soil for the first time this year sure felt great ! :D I love digging and planting so you can imagine the hardship I face in dealing with a clay-heavy garden. It's just so ... yucky ! Waterlogged most of the year and rock-solid in summer. YUCK !

Amazingly, the worms don't seem to mind it. In fact, they seem to thrive here. Turn over the soil anywhere in the yard and a handful pop up. How on earth (or in earth !) do they manage to tunnel through ?

Reinforced snouts, perhaps ?

Well happy to see yaz but no time to chat...
In the compost youz go !

On the bright side, clay's 'retainability' properties makes it rich in nutrients. So by amending it, you actually end up with some decent soil.

To condition my clay, I start by breaking it up thoroughly, getting rid of all the clumps. I then incorporate new soil, leaf mold or mulch, sand, small wood chippings and homemade compost, turning and mixing everything thoroughly. I also like to add a couple shovelfuls of peat moss as the final touch in achieving the perfect fluff. But with the peat issue starting to make waves on this side of the pond as well, I decided to test-drive this product instead:

Beyond Peat from Home Hardware's 'Natura' line.

As you can see, it's made out of coir (coconut fiber) and this 5 Kg package of four (4) 12" x 12" x 1¼" slabs is equivalent to 3 cubic feet of peat moss.

Just add water and let it expand.

2 gallons (9.75 L) of water per slab

I figured this giant 'jiffy pellet' would fluff up instantly, but it didn't. After a while, I kinda got bored of watching it soak and couldn't resist crumbling it up to speed things up. So I did:

[ close-up ]

So how did it measure up ?

Hmm ... it's not as soft, light and fluffy as peat (although it was still damp when I worked it in) but it's nice and manageable and without a doubt, a good substitute.

But were the cats impressed ?

Babe couldn't care less ...

Pearl tried it as a fur conditioner ...

... and Mouse was more interested in soaking up the sun.

I don't blame him, just look at that sky...

Heavenly blue !

I'll end with this image of coltsfoot. I noticed some growing in the sand pile right after reading about it at WiseAcre. What a coincidence ! :)

Cheerio !

To Peat Or Not To Peat

2009-03-30T22:54:00.066-04:00

'Peat-free' is a term that comes back time and time again in UK gardening shows. Peat bogs are seriously under threat over there and by 2010, 90 per cent of composts and soil conditioners should be peat-free, if government targets are met.

"94% of the UK's lowland peat bog has been lost and less than 5,000hectares of lowland peat bog now remain in prime condition in the UK." more>>

Although Canadian bogs are 'supposedly' not at risk, the European issue is making me self-conscious about using the stuff.

"Unlike European peat bogs, Canadian bogs are forming peat moss at a rate 70 times faster than it is being harvested, which means that more carbon dioxide is being stored than is being released from the harvest and through its use. It would take many hundreds of years of harvesting before Canada's peatlands could be totally exhausted. But that will not be allowed to happen. Even with their vast reserves of peatlands, Canadian peat moss companies treat their bogs as a sustainable resource by restoring those that have been completely harvested."

Phew ! But is this information reliable ? "Forming 70 times faster than it is being harvested"... Hmm, hard to believe - it is said peatlands grow only 2mm per year and take thousands of years to form. "Canada has more than a quarter of a billion acres of peatlands, of which only 45,000 acres has been or is now being harvested." ... I guess that's why there's not as much awareness over here about peatland depletion and the environmental effects of harvesting.

Peat is readily used in many types of mixes at rates of 65% and up. I'm a green advocate but will confess I get a great big bag of peat moss every year to use for potting but mostly as a conditionner for my heavy clay.

As far as pots go, peat pots are sold as a green alternative (a bit of a contradiction) and are very practical (biodegradable / replant pot-and-all) but I noticed they tend to get moldy especially when used for germination.

- _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ -

A paper alternative for starting seedlings: paper pots !

If you're not into making them from any cylindrical-shaped object lying around the house, go for one of these:

The Paper Potter

* Ingenious Paper Potter.

* Green Apple Environment Award Gold Winner.
* Made from FSC certified turned Oak.
* Make biodegradable pots from old newspapers.
* Easy to use, the paper pots literally take seconds to make.
* Transplant seedlings in their paper pots without damaging tender roots.
* The Paper Potter is environmentally friendly and money saving.
* A favourite with organic gardeners.

Also available in 2 sizes at Veseys, the N-Viropotter.

We have GREEN, yay !

2009-03-18T15:00:00.038-04:00

Looks like St. Patrick left his mark - I finally caught my first glimpse of GREEN !

As you can see, there's still lots of snow, but a little patch of sedum has been released from its cold white cover, thanks to the beautiful weather we've been having these past few days.

How pretty and uplifting ! :)

Seeing it reminded me of the tiny creature I managed to snap last summer on that very plant.

I knew it probably wasn't fully developed yet, but failed to see what it could turn out to be, so I contacted the Entomological Society of Canada to find out. They identified it as the nymph of a Buffalo treehopper (Ceresa sp.).

Here it is as an adult.

Now that I recognize ! I see them around the yard quite regularly.