Inspired by the wild

Obviously, I've been lucky enough to spend a bit of time hiking about in my favourite garden - nature. Above, another shot from Awenda Provincial Park, a bunch of hepatica has burst from the cover of dead leaves in a cheery bouquet. I'm getting ready to plant my own garden - largely perrenials at this point - including a woodland shade garden. I've tried to pick native plants as much as possible - although there are a few hard to resist plants that have come from afar. I've got bunchberry, jacob's ladder, ostrich fern, maiden fern, periwinkle, veronica, woodruff, violets, geum, ajuga, bleeding heart, lily-of-the-valley, echinaecea, and quite a few others. I'm pretty excited. I'll be posting pictures soon as one of my goals is to photo document my garden (with instructions for my parents for next year). I'm still toying with ideas to includes some rocks (mainly for a spot to stand so I can water the plants) and what kind of border or paths I want. In the mean time, I've been working hard in the daylight hours I've been free to do so to reseed the patches of lawn that need it (i.e. the entire back yard and a good chunk of the sides in the front.) and work 3 jobs. Funny, I'm actually loving being busy. Cheers, JP

Warped Trilliums

I wonder what is wrong with them... They were the only ones that we saw that looked like this.

Dutchman's Breeches

I haven't seen any of these yet on the Bruce Trail - but there were plenty at awenda.

Catching another trout (lily)

Trout lilies are fickle to photograph - either they are blurry or cool - rarely in between.

Awenda's flowers blew me away. I really enjoyed them.

Odd Green Trillium

I'm not sure if it is a mutation, a virus or just some strange strain. This is super-kiem trillium.

Trilliums at Kelso

Red, White and Unusual Trilliums seen while hiking with Gabe the other day. I've never seen one like the bottom trillium, although I've seen similar ones with green streaks. I'll post a nifty one from Mount Nemo next.

The Coltfoot Calvalry Heralds the Coming of Spring

See what a supply of photos can do for the frequency of my posts. I'm trying not to use them up too quickly - life is rapidly getting busier. There are so many things I want to do, and barely enough time for the stuff I need to do.

Coltsfoot is a cool plant and usually the very first I've seen in spring, crocuses and dafodils aside seeing as they grown in our neighbours yard. This shot is also from Inverhuron's MacIntrye Park. :D Yeah for Spring

This years first trillium picture for Lothyn

Well, its not quite open - but here it is - the first trillium of the year. Vifa nia ramma squafa, yamma nia kiem.

So after seeing all these grat wildflowers - I'm back to trying to plan my woodland garden. I'm going to pass on the spring ephemerals, but I'm hoping to plant mostly native species including some favourites like twin flower, bunch berry, solomon's seal and wood fern. All I have to do is figure out how much leaf matter to mix in with the dirt (oh yeah, and move the dirt into that corner). I'll be sharing pictures as I get around to working on it between my thesis and everything else.

Bloodroot - Mount Nemo

These are often the first spring flowers to bloom. The leaves are really cool - and this picture just worked out well. They were the first we saw on our hike, a good omen for sure!

Butterflies in Deep River

So I've completed my journey to Deep River for the wedding. It involved freezing my feet in the Wilmot to get some data (silly girl - rain boots would have been a good idea), meeting the head gardener of Marmora, Shopping in Arden and a lot of wandering around downtown in Ottawa and a yummy steak sandwich. I even got to try out my funky bathing suit.

This was taken this morning by the Ottawa River... I hope that it stays dry... The sky doesn't bode well for this afternoon. Cross your fingers...

Jenn

Visions of Cataract

Just upstream from Belfountain is this charming stretch of the credit river winding through a meadow. Encrusted with the jewels of a thousand jewelwings and decked in flowers and trees - it was a treat to spend a few days there.

Purple Spiked Water

I have to admit that the name of this one eludes me and I haven't had a chance to look it up. I'm yawning and trying to look forward to another day in a chilly lab - but I'm excited about my trip this weekend and a chance to visit with a bunch of people I haven't seen in a while - which is of couse why it has to coincide with the one weekend this summer that my best friend happens to be in town. I guess there isn't much to be done except eventually visit her later. Well, I'm not free until this assignment is done... so no more procrastinating.

I hope the chinese man with the facial tumour is recovering well. We're the same age. It shocks me that he hasn't had medical treatment already. Disfigurement is horrible enough, but the impacts on his health and well being were surely enough to warrent intervention years ago. I guess I should double count my lucky stars - to be relatively healthy and live in a country with public health care. It amazes me the terrible things that people suffer through.

Cheers,

Jennith

Lilytrio

Hmmm. I've always really liked white water lillies. There is something magical about their ability to float.

More Pink Corydalis

There.. now you can get an idea about the leaves too!

Pale Corydalis

Another cool plant that I haven't seen often. It was growing on a rock outcrop near the lake. I had a tough time getting my camera to focus on it for some reason. The foliage is light green and interestingly fingered. This was at our second break on the hike. One bad thing about the hike is that there are lots of places to stop near the beginning, but we had to do most of the second half without stopping especially with the rather ravenous bug population tormenting us to hike faster, nevermind stop.

Dwarf Rattlesnake Plantain

Here is Goodyeara Repens - with an amazingly cool pattern on its leaves. We missed the flowers, but the leaves are unmistakable. We did not see any rattlesnakes :P.

Leaning Over

Here is another shot of Silent Lake during the day - this red pine valiently clinging to the rock as it leans gracefully over the water. Our 15 km hike was pretty good - but I think it would have been even better in the fall with all the hardwood trees turning colour amongst patches of green (hemlocks, pines etc). Besides.. unlike some other provinces I know - this part of Ontario is generally bug free in September.

Sunset Over Silent Lake Provincial Park

Perhaps not the most inspiring sunset ever, but the first one I watched set over a lake. I am really spending too much time in the city. It looks like I'll have at least one more day furtively battling computer software in the Lab (brr...)

Silent Lake Camping Trip

I've returned from Silent Lake via Bobcaygeon, Fenalon Falls, Mount Albert, Sharon, Bolton and Whaley's Corners to name a few towns. I feel revived after spending a weekend doing things I was good at... camping, hiking and canoeing. We did a pretty grueling 15 km hike and a pleasant canoe from Silent Lake to Quiet Lake - which oddly enough lived up to their names. I didn't take nearly enough pictures and I'm sure another week in the woods would be healing, but work calls, so back to the city am I... and now off to bed too. More pictures to be posted tomorrow.

Evinrude Has Mighty Mouthparts

Man... I wouldn't want to get bitten by a mouth like that - okay... I don't really fancy human teethmarks on me either. I though Erin might get a kick out of this one.