Me On A Monday - July 31st

Wishing Harry Potter a very happy 43rd birthday & post birthday wishes to Neville Longbottom who celebrated 43 yesterday.

Not a lot happening on or off the patio.  The garden continues to enjoy all the rain we are receiving. Regionally it has been a wet July. The garden will go into August not looking so strained & exhausted, as in previous years. 

Mushrooms growing in the grass - a lot of rain in July

My daylilies are still providing a riot of colour & the phlox is now coming into bloom along with the purple coneflowers.  

This year I tried growing in a pot, canna lilies & they have started to bloom.  I bought a variety package; so far, I have 1 peach, 2 red, 1 yellow in bloom & still 3 unknown colour spikes to bloom.  I am researching how to keep over the winter once I dig out of the pots.

Unknown Colour Spike (I think it will be yellow)

As for reading, I got a book from the library that Deb had recommended & once I started reading when I realized I had read before; The Night She Disappeared. Thankfully I have more of my Louise Penny books to read until the next few requests come through at the library.

Last week Mr Man had another eye surgery & it went well. Different eye as to the one in March.  We also had to go for follow up appts every day!  We don't know yet what the schedule is like for this week. 

At church we have been having some fun with colours.  Each week someone picks a colour for the next week for us all to wear that colour.  This Sunday it was blue which coordinated with The UN's Day Against People Trafficking colour choice. This coming Sunday (Aug 7th) we have the challenge of wearing polka dots. 

I hope that everyone has a wonderful week ahead of them.  

Me On A Monday - July 24th

 Greetings & Good Morning.  In this region the weekend was a perfect summer time, not too humid & just enough of a breeze to keep the insects at bay.  Late Sunday afternoon we did get a heavy downpour of rain, which I was grateful for ... I'm house/garden sitting for a friend & it makes life so much easier than having to lug watering cans about!!

The garden continues to astound me with the abundance of bloom.  My "Villa de Leon" clematis is coming into full glory. It's such an amazing colour.

We had a little adventure off the patio last week.  I was going through the SPSH list & thought we could find a few good examples in a town north of us.  It was a 40-minute drive & traffic wasn't too bad at all.  We had a wander through the community gardens & on to main street which led us back to the gardens.  There is a fair amount of ongoing prep for the upcoming Fergus Highland Games, a 3 day festival in August.  They claim to be the oldest festival of its kind in North America (according to their Wikipedia page).  We have tried for years to get tickets to the Friday tattoo - alas another year sold out before we could snag tickets.  Although there are still lots of other events with highland dancing, pipes & drums & all things plaid. 

I'll leave you this week with a request - does anyone have a good cold macaroni salad recipe they care to share with me? 

Happy week to all & to all a good summer's day ...  in 5 months it will be Christmas Eve!

Me On A Monday - What's in Bloom

 Good Morning Everyone.  

My garden is currently a riot of colour from the many varieties of cultivated daylilies that I have in the garden.  They are one of my most favourite flowers.  Roses may be known as the Queen of any flower bed & I've said my Tree Peony is the Duchess, so that must make my daylilies the Marchioness of the garden.

And just for some variety, this is one of my clematis vines, it is having a spectacular summer.

As I work or wander in my garden, I continue to marvel at nature's handiwork.  I know that I am very blessed to be living here & give thanks, daily, for my many blessings. I often wish for a longer growing season so I could enjoy more. While there is always something to do, some task that needs seeing to, I've been very deliberate this July to take more than a few moments to just sit in the garden. 

Wisdom - Photos In The Garden

 Yes there be photos!  And while I can - photo heavy.  There is definitely Wisdom to learn from nature.

 

 

 

White Poppies

Pink Poppies

Red Poppies

I go to nature to restore my self & I defrag, clear the cash & up date drivers to "fix" my photo in Blogger. 

Me On A Monday - May 15th

 An amazing weather weekend this side of the pond - a perfect Sunday to celebrate Mother's Day.

Currently In The Garden: this past week it was all about my garden & getting some professional help with the out of control, beyond my doing, goutweed removal!  A team of three very strong energetic young lads, dug out 97% of the goutweed & other invading plants. They put down some heavy duty landscape fabric as a barrier & then put lots of mulch on top.  Some of my plants had to be dug out, so I could sift through the root base to pull out the goutweed & replant.  Right now it does look a little stark, but many of the plants will fill in the space.   Any of the goutweed sprouting up now in between the leaves of my "wanted" plants, can be easily plucked out. 

Looking West

Looking East

I also had them remove a Forsythia shrub that was taking up way too much real estate in the garden for so little return of either beauty or value.  They also cut down a one sided stunted evergreen, which was occupying a lot of space & interfering with a peony bush.  

We have made up a natural weed spray; 1 gallon of cleaning vinegar  (I did not know there are different types/strengths of vinegar), 1 cup of Epsom salts & 1/2 cup Dawn dish liquid soap.  Mix all together & spray on the offending plants.  This is safe to use around animals & people.

My vision for this year is to not fill in spaces, but to live with some emptiness & see what fills in with existing plants. I would like to have more visual calm in my garden.  I have lived with so many "gifts" from friends & family, that this year I de-cluttered my garden space with a rather firmer hand than in previous years; gone are those ornamental things like plaques "bloom where you are planted" or "gardeners know the best dirt", even the little fairy girls are gone.  What is left is Meredith my angel that I made in ceramics class several years ago & my swinging monk, who makes me laugh every time I give him a push to swing.  

Currently Watching: caught up on the very brief season 3 of Grace.  We finished all 5 seasons of Blue Murder & we are just starting White Chapel.

Currently Reading: well nothing at the moment, as I need to get to the library to pick up my latest request; Smitten Kitchen Keepers.

Currently Healing: Mr Man's eye(s) continue to heal, slowly. At last week's follow up appointment, the tests show the bubbles in the right eye (most surgery) are diminishing & the inflammation is reduced.  Yeah! 

I hope everyone has the opportunity to get outside & enjoy Spring.

Me On A Monday - June 6th

The late spring season is being very generous with many blooms.  So many of my whites are taking centre stage. The white dogwood is just beginning & the Bridal Wreath Spirea is also just starting to making a showing.  There is no where I'd rather be than in my garden during this glorious bloom time.

And speaking of centre stage & glorious times ... I, as a royalist, was thrilled to see so much of the Platinum Jubilee coverage from London, England over the 4 days of celebrations. I think the most emotional time for me was Sunday when Her Majesty, The Queen, in a gorgeous green outfit,  made a surprise appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.  I cried several tears when the crowd roared with delight & then sang "God Save The Queen"  & then cheered again.  It was a historical moment.

And now to my garden.

White Daffodils - a few late bloomers

Mini Early Iris

Solomon Seal - clumping in abundance

Lily of the Valley - strangely tall

Star of Bethlehem - small

Siberian Iris - solitary & struggling

White Bearded Iris - mid way through

White Poppies - just beginning

White Tulips - still blooming

Me On A Tuesday

 ... over heard in an argument between Ms Spring & Old Man Winter, he was heard shouting "and another thing ...!"  He threw down 5-8cm of wet snow. 

Me On Monday - April 18th

Good Morning. Spring is arriving slowly in my garden & region & it makes my heart glad.

The  chipmunk living under our front steps has been doing some house cleaning ...

 

Tulips, my red & whites planted for Canada's 150 birthday - there's hope for another great showing ...

 

The neighbours smoking out the neighbourhood with their wet wood & leaves fire ... 

Daffodills also with a promise of glorious bloom ...

 

And the Hellabores with blooms about to open fully ...

and the ospreys are back at the lake ...

 

And I will leave you with my thought for the day and/or the rest of the month ... " I admit I need professional help; a maid, a cook, & a cleaner should do the trick!"

....

Me On A Monday - June 15th

Hello, good morning & greetings to all. 

Blogger, which is the platform that I use to write this blog, has decided that for my benefit they have made changes.  Apparently I've been asking for these changes although someone will need to jog my memory as to when I asked for change. So far I am not liking these changes.  Those using Blogger, what are your thoughts?  Worth struggling through?   Not sure where Blogger & my relationship is going ...

Currently Wearing: as of Friday June 12th our county has made it mandatory for all to wear a face covering/mask when entering a business.  Outdoor patio restaurants & farmer's markets are exempt. Although  all business whether indoors or outdoors must also adhere to the 2 metres apart rule & limit the number of shoppers at any one time. Of course true to human nature there is a lot of debating & bitching about these rules, particularly over the wearing of masks.  I find the argument of "it doesn't protect you from the virus" rather lame at this point.  It's for protecting others against you; you possibly having the virus & spreading, so if everyone is wearing a mask it cuts the chances of spread way down. There is now lots of hard science to back this up.  The number moist droplets we spew out even in just talking is quite mind blowing, let alone how far those droplets travel & linger in a sneeze or cough.  Also moist talking is a Canadian joke & refers to an early in April COVID press conference our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau gave about moist talking.  You can find it on uTube. It is the one time he has made me laugh.

Currently In The Garden:  the plan I have launched this year against three overly aggressive plants in my garden felt like one part of my garden was partially won back.  I am in a fight with Violets, Lady's Bells & Grout Weed.  I marked sections of were I will focus the effort to ripping/digging out by hand of these three plants.  In one section I discovered several other desired plants; Daylily, Sedum, Lady's Mantle hiding & barely hanging on because of lack of light.  There were also two large Hostas but they just pushed their way through but now I can at least see them clearly.  Our easterly neighbours got a truck load of free tree mulch dumped on their driveway Friday & on Sunday offered us what was left from his needs.  We got about 6 wheelbarrow loads, which now that it is down, smells like we are in a forest.

The Three Not Wanted: Violets, Lady's Bells, Gout Weed

Discovered Lady's Mantle

Take Notice Thursday - Plant Visitors

In an effort to notice more of the ordinary in my life, I have decided to share what I have noticed this week in Take Notice Thursday.   The idea is to take photos that are linked some how; by theme, by colour, by date, by moment,  by points of view. There is no formal link in but please feel free to join in.   
What have you noticed this week?

It seems to be that at this time of year in the garden, that the plants I want to admire close at hand, have visitors, some of which are way too close for my comfort.  I'm sure you can easily tell which ones I'm not keen on!

Take Three Thursday - It's Like A Buddy System

In an effort to notice more of the ordinary in my life, I have decided to share what I have noticed this week in Take Three Thursday.   The idea is to take 1 - 3 photos that are linked some how; by theme, by colour, by date, by moment,  by points of view. There is no formal link in but please feel free to join in.    What have you noticed this week? 

See what others have noticed this week:  
 Maggie at: Farmer's Wife Day by Day
Karen at Random Reflections


This week what I've noticed,  is all the threesomes in my own garden.  It's like a buddy system of flowers.  I know that science has something to say about grouping things to please the eye & making in easier for the eye to "see", is in 3, 5 or 7 - with three being the ideal.  I guess nature proves once again, it is in charge & does know best.

So I give you three of my floral amigos 

The Three White Knights Have Fallen Together

A Purple Haze

 

The Red Queens Have Nearly Lost Their Petals