I don’t know what this photographer is taking a picture of, but little does he know he’s missing out on a photo op right behind him!
I wonder if the penguin went up to him and goosed his behind?
Random Thoughts about life in general, living in the big city of Toronto
by Tricia
by Tricia
I’m really enjoying my garden this year. In the past two years, since I seem to be feeling worse and worse due to Crohns, I wasn’t going out into the garden to do yard work or pruning etc until I really couldn’t put it off much longer. I’d buy annuals to plant in my many planters and let them sit for two weeks (or longer), until they were almost dead before I’d summon the energy needed to plant them.
The garden still looked good, because I put a lot of work into it over the years and many of the perennial plants are at least five years old and well established … but still … my illness had taken my passion for gardening from me.
I’m still sick, but this year somethings changed. Maybe it was the much warmer than normal March we had which caused the snow to melt early or just my longing for Spring, but as soon as I could I got out this year and started cleaning up the garden. Something sparked a fire in me.
Since I started tidying up the garden earlier this year there’s less work to do than there normally is at this time of year so I can actually enjoy watching my plants grow and flower instead of toiling away.
The few flowers that have bloomed so far have been gorgeous! The crocuses were vibrant in purple, yellow and white. The tiny yet beautiful Danfordia irises were a gorgeous deep royal purple and now the hyacinths are beginning to bloom in pink, dark blue and coral, oh and the scent that they are producing is beautiful as well. I just love the smell of hyacinths in the garden!
The hyacinths just started blooming on Friday, so unless it gets really hot I think they’ll last about two weeks. By then I’ll have other lovely flowers blooming too!
The glories of the snow are in bloom too .. I have several clumps of them in the front and back garden beds in white, blue and pink colors. They seems to last for about three weeks to a month depending upon the weather.
Do you garden? If you do, what plants or flowers are the stars of your yard right now?
by Tricia
Can you tell that I’m happy that Spring has finally arrived? Ok, so it’s felt like Spring here pretty much since mid-February with the exception of a few very cold days here and there, but now it’s actually starting to look like Spring outdoors.
I just spotted my first crocus in my lawn earlier today. That, to me, is always my first true sign that Spring has truly arrived.
I used to have snowdrops in my garden as well, but they’ve either died out or they are blooming under the leaves that cover my garden beds. LOL However I do know that there are Snowdrops blooming in the area because my husband spotted some earlier today while out walking the dog.
My chives are also up and several of my other plants appear to be coming back to life as they are greening up and developing leaf buds.
Hmmm … I wonder if Raccoons like chives? I’ve spotted a raccoon in our backyard several times over the last week (the back yard security light goes on whenever there’s movement out there), and the raccoon is always near the Chives and where the first crocus has come up whenever I see it. Of course I scare it out of the yard … but I wonder if it’s nibbled on the chives?
I guess it won’t be long now before flowers like these tiny irises, hyacinth, muscari, tulips and other plants start to make an appearance!
I think I might do a little yardwork today if I can get this pesky high fever I have to go down.
by Tricia
Ok Spring I’m ready and waiting for you … where are you? Oh sure, we’ve had a taste of Spring this week with above normal temperatures, but true Spring is still a bit away. I’m tired of waiting!
Oh well … at least it won’t be all that long before I start to see beauties like these lovely purple fringed tulips coming up in my garden …
Aren’t they gorgeous? These are truly one of my favorite tulips that I grow.
Another spring beauty is the Chionodoxa. They produce lovely small flowers and each year the bulbs seem to spread beneath the soil so the clumps of Chionodoxa that I grow get larger and larger.
I have pink, blue, white and purple Chionodoxa in both the front and back flower beds. If I didn’t grow so many other lovely flowers I’d almost be happy enough to have these fill my flower beds each spring.
Speaking of Spring … for those of you in North America – remember it’s day light savings time! So don’t forget to set your clocks an hour ahead or else you might end up being late for work on Monday! Oh and it’s also a great time to check your fire alarm batteries!
by Tricia
We still have about a month to go before Spring will finally be here, and given the weather we’ve had the last two days it might feel like a long wait! With the windchill factored in it’s currently -16 Celsius or only 3.2 F! Brrrr
Since Spring will soon be here and I’m trying my best to ignore the cold I thought I’d show you one of my favorite spring flowers. Now I think most people think of tulips when they think of Spring. I do too, but for me … Peonies are probably my favorite Spring flowers! Too bad I have to wait until late Spring -almost summer before mine will bloom!
Here’s a lovely almost white Peony called Peony Pecher:
This peony produces large double petaled blooms each June. They are just a little smaller than a bread plate oh and the smell … they have that lovely light peony scent. I just adore these flowers!
Last year I planted three new peony plants in my garden. One is in the front flower bed and two are in my planted boulevard – so if they survived the winter I’ll have 6 peony plants in total! Hopefully I’ll also have an abundance of flowers!
Do you grow Peonies?