And the green grass grows all around, all around...

One of the hardest things to leave behind is my garden. Not because it loves me as much as the people and dog I'm leaving behind - I will miss them all certainly more than the mess of plant matter I call mine - but because I'm afraid that I'm the only one who loves the garden enough to invest time and effort it needs to keep going - especially if this wet spell passes into dryness... I have these horrid visions of crispy and wilted plants, ravaged unchecked by slugs and aphids and lily beetles (I can't really say anything about weeds.. half of what I've planted is probably considered weeds somewhere.)... So to my family who will be taking over my charges... please water the plants when they get limp - preferably in the morning - but early evening will be okay - and for goodness sake... don't use the jet setting on the hose - soaker works best for narrow beds and shower+center works bests for lots of things together like behind the cherry tree and the main bed. If things are looking munched - you can either try refilling the beer traps for the slugs or putting insect repelling soap on the leaves for everything else - just don't spray the soap on the nasturtium... it says so on the instructions on the bottle. Okay... I'll trust you - as long as you provide me with a bit of photographic proof that it is still alive... :D

Other exciting news... well. Melissa Gilbert is playing Caroline Ingalls (Ma) in a musical version of Little House on the Prairie in the Midwestern States... but it doesn't start until long after I leave - and somehow I don't think it'll travel here at any point.

There are still no spots on the sun - but August 8th is still supposed to be the best hope for viewing the Northern Lights in the near future.

Another one of the cool red and white poppies opened this morning, but by the time I got back it had been pretty much mashed by the rainstorm. However, I will have to post a picture of the Lobelia tomorrow. Its opening up nicely. We have now officially had the wettest July on record at the Airport since 1937.

Otherwise... a side from a zillion things to do and plan and think about and finish up and tidy... life is actually pretty quiet in this end of the world.

Stars of Hostaville

I think I might just nominate these for the coolest hosta flowers. Although it is hard to tell from the photo, they are actually quite large and they look a bit like stars.

Some other stars to be nominated:

Best Colour: Sundown Echinaea
Biggest growth: Raspberry (no shocker here)
Best comeback from near death: Serviceberry
Most popular with the bees: Catmint
Most Popular with the slugs: Lupine
Nicest leaves: Coleus
Most flowers on one plant: Mallow (zebra and pink)
Most aggressively invasive: Strawberry (we are up to 4-6 flowers now)
Most entertaining leaves: Nasturtium
Best Flowers in the Shade: Jacob's Ladder
Bushiest Plant: Lemon Balm
Most plants planted: Echinacea
Least Growth: Bunchberry
Most Eaten: Lupine
Biggest Surprise: Blood-Spattered Lily

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Sunshine on a rainy day

Well, a brief moment of not rain following more days with at least one episode of rain. Yesterday was the only sunny day in the last week, and also the first time I'd driven up to Guelph in a while. Took the backroads home, which made for a nice drive. Today.. it is threatening to rain - but it hasn't done anything yet. The wind just has that sound and feel that I associate with weather before rain.

Lots of exciting garden news...

• everything is in the ground - yeah!! I'm sure a few of the plants that had been waiting in their little pots for weeks to get planted are happy and a nice rain should really do them some good at getting settled
• I removed the suspected poison ivy - although I did find one of the bigger plants that had 5 leaves increasing the chances that it was just demented Virginia creeper - as opposed to something more sinsiter.
• things are starting to look chewed on again. Since its supposed to rain I held off on spraying the leaves... but I did reset my beer traps.
• the lobelia is nearly in flower
• the chamomile is flowering
• the wildflower garden has a bunch of flowers all at once and is finally looking like a garden rather than a collection of leaves.
• The strawberries which only produced 2 flowers all summer have gotten another 2 unexpectedly
• Two new colours of daylily are open in the daylily bed
• The first tomatos are starting to grow into tomatoes The plants are getting absolutely huge and I did some more staking today
• I'm still waiting for obediant plant to flower
  

Sunspots on a rainy day

Everything got a good soaking today - including our poor dog - although I think she appreciated the cooler weather. So in honour of the gloomy weather I threw up this sunny little Sundown Echinacaea. I've only observed the garden through the kitchen window today - so I don't know if there is anything new or exciting. I did notice that a few more lillies were open. Yesterday there were signs of digging in the box on the deck rail and something completely dug up a viola which I tucked back into the dirt, but I don't know how hopeful I feel about its survival.

There are still no sunspots on the face of the sun - however - there is official word that this is completely normal and all the folk theorizing global cooling due to reduced solar activity can give it a rest for a while as Nasa expects the solar maximum to occur sometime in 2012. In the meantime, the sun is going into its third week of spotlessness, however the rate of the solar wind is up today and there is a 30% chance of auroral activity in the next 48 hours - at least if you are a bit further north - Say Ottawa at a minimum. I'm tempted to road trip, but I unfortuanately have other things I need to do... so perhaps some of you northern folk will have to let me know how it went. Here is the forecast from the Alaska University.

Today, I'm officially 1 month from heading north - where I won't need to consider road tripping when I want to see the nothern lights!!! Here is to lots of sunspots and auroral events for me to photograph in the coming years. :D

Jennith

The Day the Lilies Bloomed

So, far only the 2 yellow daylillies on the back corners of the bed have bloomed. I'm sure they are getting a bit more shade than they'd like owing to the crab apple tree's ongoing expansion - however, most of the other plants are finally starting to send up flowering shoots... so hopefully pictures of red, salmon, peach and orange daylilies to follow soon. In the meantime, this one plant is making up for the rest of the bed. Today, I also found the first nasturium flower - orange and yellow hiding under a mop of wobbly foliage and curly stems. The beebalm is slowly unfurling and the next mystery plant has flowers buds - but no flowers yet. I did assume that it was a returning blanket flower, but in fact I now believe it is the dwarf brown-eyed susan. Hopefully, I'll find out soon. In the wildflower section, the seeds have produced a mass of greenery and now a few flower buds. I have no idea what to expect - but some guesses include: buttercup, poppy, asters, chickweed and willowherb - but really - I'll have to wait for the flowers. I'm also still waiting for one last overwintered geranium to flower - because I'm hoping it is one of my favoriteones with white petals and pink edges - the buds show promise that this is indeed true. Also there is finally (several months later than last year) a single flower bud growing on my african violet.

Otherwise, nothing new to report. I'm going to procure a can of colt 45 for the slugs and earwigs and I'll have to do something about the powdery mildew on the columbine. Its another day of bright sun and warm temperatures today and that can bring quick changes.

Hosta La Vista

Here is the first hosta to flower.

Peaches and Cream?

I'm sure that this was supposed to be a "Peaches and Cream" Lily - it (cough) appears to be another colour entirely.

The Asian Lily Openeth

After waiting with much anticipation for these guys to open - here is the first of the second shade of lily to open in the centre bed.

Sundown Echinacaea

These flowers have slowly been filling out and gaining colour. They are one of 3 shades of echinacaea that I'm growing.

Mullein - Jackie Hybrid

This is still one of my favourite additions for the year. In the background you can see two types of "tutti-fruiti" yarrow - one in a soft reddish melon and the other in a crimson.

Blanket FLower

I added just a few more things to the garden yesterday - finally getting the Astilbe, Iris and Hosta planted that I've had for quite some time. (Growl at the dratted clay for making this a considerable chore). I also picked up quite a few different types of blanket flower. I can't remember what this one is called - but I also got a yellow one, a burgandy one, and an "oranges and lemons" one. They added some much needed yellow and red to my pink and purple perennial bed.

Mystery Solved

This is my new mystery plant - for a while I assumed that it was brown-eyed susan - becuase I did actually plant some in the vicinity of this one - however, my new guess is that it is Mondara and I have finally got my beebalm after much trying and ending up with lemon balm. It is definately a mint with its nice square stem and slightly fragrant leaves - and so hopefully the flowers will open soon for final identification.

Daisy Fleabane

This was the once mystery plant - now identified as daisy fleabane - although that may not be quite its exact name.

Astilbe Stuns

Well, here is a much needed burst of colour in the summer for my woodland garden. Its currently in good company with the heuchara and the Jacob's ladder.

Public Enenmy #3 - Random Weeds

My first thought is that these seedlings were Poison Ivy - however upon further investigation it seems likely that this is a Virginia Creeper seedling. It can also cause dermatitis in some people - but it is less evil that poison ivy. The other random weed is of course the dreaded maple seedlings - which I'm still battling at this time.

Here is a fun site called "Is it Poison Ivy?"

My last thought for the day is that its been over 2 weeks since there as been any sunspots - so much for my taking northern lights pictures. For those who are keen - the best guesses by the forcasters for the next month and a half are July 12-13th, and August 8th... otherwise... all is expected to be quiet....

The Killer Bunny about to Bolt

Public Enemy #2 - The Dreaded Killer Bunny

Okay - this fellow, unlike my earwig friends - is hard to hold a grudge against. He is probably more destructive and I don't like the places I've caught him hanging out (although he hasn't seemed to have eaten any daylilies yet) - however... so cute is he - that he melts any anger I bear towards him. He's actually pretty small - so I'm guessing he was born this spring. Hopefully, he keeps my plants out of his stomach or I'll have to let the dog chase him around a bit so he finds some other garden to hang out in.

Fly Boys Discuss Next Mission

Okay - I really have no beef with the flies - at least none known. Just thought they'd fit in well with the earwigs.

Earwig Eats the Daisy

See - I'm not kidding and we won't even discuss how many I found in the center of some roses....

Pests #1 - The Earwig

I think a shocking amount of the insect problem's in my garden can be blamed on the earwig - certainly the roses and the daisies have been under seige. All my life I've defended the lowly earwig to my campers. I tell them not to kill them because they are only ugly - not harmful and to save their murderous urges for things that bite - like mosquitos. Little did I know.... Still at camp really - aside from grossing out even "Nature Girl Jennith" once and a while (nothing like putting on a "clean" t-shirt" only to have 5 or 6 wriggly earwig crawl out... or putting your hand into an innocent looking oven mitt only to feel squiggling at your finger tips) - they aren't known to bite people or as the urban legend insists crawl into peoples ears. I'll post a picture of one munching on one of my daisies shortly.

The Kindergarten's Were Playing with my Geraniums

Well - maybe not quite - but who would of thunk that I'd find splatter paint geraniums!!

New Mystery Plant

Not sure what this is going to be... but its nearly open, so I'll let you know when I do.

Climbing Jacob's Ladder

This is one of the best new plants that I've learned about this year - and now its flowering. The leaves are pretty cool and it has thrived in terms of growth - but the flowers leave me even more impressed.

Sprung from seeds

Everything on the right hand side of the photo (well most of it) was grown from seed. Except the mint and echinacea (returnees from last year), rose bush (long time resident) and bushes in the background that you can't see. On the left hand side is a box of annual that I planted this year and behind are 2 zebra Mallows and a Brown-Eyed Susan that I planted this year. I'm curious as to what exactly is growing fom the wildflower seeds that I sowed. One is near flowering... I'll keep you posted.

Echinacacaea Alone

Echinacaea Entering

3 more echinacaea flowers nearly in bloom.

Forestry Practice

I went to battle with the closing canopy in our back yard, hopefully buying our cherry tree a few more years now that it is only shaded on 2 sides rather than 3. I cut down the tree growing through the fence that the city told me to get rid of. It was this particular tree that was shading the cherry tree from the side and the top. Hopefully, the tree will look a bit healthier now that it should get a lot more light. Its made a small gap in the canopy in that spot, but there are 3 small maples on the other side of the fence that will fill it in shortly, and then the cherry tree will be in trouble again. I also trimmed a few small limbs off the lower part of a few of the silver maples, which should give the center perenial bed a touch more light in the morning. I put up some hangers on the maple that had been growing through the fence and hung a geranium basket from it. Its actually worked out not badly. I'm a touch worried that I was outside too long and may have managed to get a nasty sunburn. So far I'm okay, but I was out for quite a few hours. Granted that our backyard is still fairly shady, but I was in the sunny part a fair bit. I'd better get back out - with my big floppy hat and sundscreen and get the flowers watered. I skipped out on the gym, but I think 5 hours of cutting, sawing, climbing, hauling, baling, sweeping and pruning should make up for it - especially if I do a couple of squats and sit ups. I'll come back in a bit with a few more pictures of everything all tidied up.

Saint John's Wort

The coolest thing about these plants is the pin-sized holes in their leaves that you can see when you hold them up to the light. Another plant I'd love in my garden.

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind

Its nice having a camera that blurs the background again.

The only butterfly I caught

Well, the swallowtails, admirals, monarchs and other large butterflies were not cooperating, but this little guy did sit still look enough to get photographed.

Butter and Eggs Please

Wildflowers are so often underestimated - few of the fancy plants match this one for sunniness.

HAPPY CANADA DAY

Daisies on the edge of the escarpment at Mount Nemo. Today was the last day on my pass, so I got up early and took a short hike on the Bruce Trail. I won't be renewing my pass this year because I'm moving so far away, but I guess having the pass run out now will push me to hike in some new places.

Wet on Wet

Actually, this would have been nigh on impossible to paint with watercolours. I'm hoping that I'll actually get mine out someday soon and get back into painting. I kind of miss it.

Ice Mullein

Alright, another case of incorrect colours working out better than the real life version.... :D

Mystery Plant

Here is the unfurling bud of one of the mystery plants. Probably I planted this last year, but I haven't a clue what it is - although I'm starting to suspect that it is some kind of daisy flea bane.

The next round of lilies

This is one of 3 asian lillies I planted last year. This year they've grown back with reinforcements and the one type is finally flowering (there are about 5 open at this point). The other two plants are not far behind and I'm still waiting for the cream and suger lillies to open up although they may have another week to go.

2nd Echinacaea

Here is the second echinacaea flower of this summer - however, many more will follow shortly.

Right on the Button

I can't remember the name of this aster - I think its actually blanket flower.

Roses are wet, the violets are wet too - if you come outside, you'll be wet too

Well, unless you have a big umbrella

And down came the rain and wash the spider out

Well, I definately don't need to water today we got enough rain to make serious puddles... all clear for at least 2 or 3 days.

Feed them, and they will bloom

Its amazing what a single bit of feeding will do overnight to the apparent health of ones garden. My pansies and geraniums are looking less sprawling and several plants burst into flower today. There is a mystery plant near blooming and the first of the lilies from last year are just starting to open. On the concern list - is that something seems to be devouring the centers of the daisies and I haven't had any more of the yellow evening primrose yet.

Evening Primrose

A star in the garden