Waiting for their humans to return.
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Don sculpture, Don watershed, Evergreen Brickworks, Toronto, Toronto Evergreen Brickworks, urban landscapes
A luminous sculpture (of the Don watershed)
There's no way that my photographs can convey how magical this (living and dripping) sculpture was (at the Evergreen Brickworks in Toronto -- a reclaimed old brickworks space that was a wonderful and inspirational place to visit).
The sculpture depicted the Don River watershed in pipes, water, and plants -- dripping continuously.
It was remarkable.
Monday, 1 June 2015
Serviceberries
I've really enjoyed foraging serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.) that have been planted as ornamentals around our mountain town. They hadn't been on our radar before, but the nearby visitor center has lots of trees (planted for their spring flowering interest), but often loaded with berries in June.
I managed to harvest berries from two sites, before leaving town.
Interesting to note the difference in cultivar color in ripe berries!
These collections were both converted to low-sugar jam....
I managed to harvest berries from two sites, before leaving town.
Interesting to note the difference in cultivar color in ripe berries!
Sunday, 31 May 2015
Front vegetable beds
With a forecast of mild days and afternoon thundershowers ahead, I went ahead and sowed climbing squash seeds on the front trellises, with some trepidation.
They're mildew-resistent varieties, so I'm hoping they'll look decent (unlike a few years ago, when I had huge squash leaves to "edit" constantly in the front, as they were so unsightly....) They're also unusual varieties -- an Indian C. moschata cultivar called Tinda and another C. moschata cultivar from Mexico called 'Tatume'--hopefully both will resist the squash vine borers!
I'm also going to plant tromboncino squash later on-- it's another good alternative for traditional summer squash (which ALWAYS succumbs to borers here, at least without exceptional coddling and row covers, in my experience).
Here's a selection of tromboncino (and other) squash musings from previous posts. It's always revealing to look back on what happened in previous years. Hmm, it was the tromboncino that I had to keep editing the old ratty mildewed leaves, and vowed never again....
Saturday, 30 May 2015
Battening down the vegetable garden
This is NOT a good time to be leaving my vegetable beds for a couple of weeks, even if it'll be a glorious time to be visiting gardens in Toronto during the Garden Blogger's Fling.
The sugar snap peas have just started to produce (amazing for late May). I've underplanted them with beans, which have emerged quite nicely, but they'll really need the gardener's hands to be trained up the trellises. I've harvested all of the young perennial leeks of any size, leaving more than enough to spread around when I get back.
I'd like to sow squash seeds now, too, but am worried about enough moisture supporting them while we're gone....so I'm going to wait. It's been so cool this spring, it hasn't really been good planting weather before now. The tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are in place and growing well, so that's good.
The tiny basil seedlings in flats that have just emerged... hmm, what was I thinking? Time enough to sow another round when we return. They're on their own.
Yes, we have folks keeping tabs on the house and indoor plants, and a friend will water, too, when she's in town on market day, but the swapping of cool season to warm season is not so easy.
I harvested all of the "outside" lettuce and kale leaves today, and all of the turnip greens, along with the sugar snap peas that have matured so far. The greens and peas were a lovely addition to our dinner this evening, eaten at home after a number of days eating out, with guests, programs, etc. and before a couple of weeks of the same ahead.
The sugar snap peas have just started to produce (amazing for late May). I've underplanted them with beans, which have emerged quite nicely, but they'll really need the gardener's hands to be trained up the trellises. I've harvested all of the young perennial leeks of any size, leaving more than enough to spread around when I get back.
I'd like to sow squash seeds now, too, but am worried about enough moisture supporting them while we're gone....so I'm going to wait. It's been so cool this spring, it hasn't really been good planting weather before now. The tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are in place and growing well, so that's good.
The tiny basil seedlings in flats that have just emerged... hmm, what was I thinking? Time enough to sow another round when we return. They're on their own.
Yes, we have folks keeping tabs on the house and indoor plants, and a friend will water, too, when she's in town on market day, but the swapping of cool season to warm season is not so easy.
I harvested all of the "outside" lettuce and kale leaves today, and all of the turnip greens, along with the sugar snap peas that have matured so far. The greens and peas were a lovely addition to our dinner this evening, eaten at home after a number of days eating out, with guests, programs, etc. and before a couple of weeks of the same ahead.
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| Welsh onions from a couple of years ago |
Thursday, 28 May 2015
Remembering the mountains
They were spared the digital version of our "slideshow" from the trip, which actually would have been quite nice; I would have enjoyed it!
Posted with BlogsyFriday, 22 May 2015
A robust hemlock and flame azalea in full flower
Adding plants...
This Eastern hemlock and Rhododenron calendulaceum (in flower) have flourished in the side garden between our house and the neighbors.
We're flanked by a rental house on one side and a probably century-old brick apartment building on the other; we've been cleaning up and gardening on both sides (with the owners' blessings), with lots of native plants and others, since we first bought this house over 7 years ago.
It's amazing now to reflect on what a transformation that it's been so far.
That's the magic of gardening!