Thursday 28 May 2020

Gardening in a time of COVID–19

This is part three of our Monday! I've had nothing on the trailcams. The phoebes ought to hatch in a week, perhaps June 4. The wood duck eggs should be mid-June. The robins are still shuffling nesting materials, and haven't gotten down to it yet! 

I decided it was time to find some flowers. The containers look pretty sad, even with the milkweed plants in front of them.


Bob V covered up the empty planter with his hat.



Town was pretty quiet on a Monday morn. We had a plan.


Signage in front of the hospital, boosting essential workers.



The flowering trees are amazing. I caught a man taking a photo of this one. I took it through the front windshield, and held my breath.  



It was pretty sad. The first store didn't have any petunias. It was only about 1/5 of usual stock. The 2nd outlet had very little stock, as well. It was discouraging. Staff were vigilant, wiping down carts. I saw one guy take one cart, wearing a mask, then changed his mind and took another cart. Hereby potentially infecting both carts. 

 We ended up going to Canadian Tire. They had more stock. Also, long line-ups for COVID–19 protocols. There weren't too many people, quite a few wearing masks. They regulated the number of people allowed in both the store and the outdoor gardening section, keeping the two separate. 

Quite a few were wearing masks, but standing too close. It was bizarre. It's as if it gives them more confidence to get closer. I felt safer in the outdoors.


Sadly, the flower on the upper right has kicked the bucket. I'll move a petunia in that spot, I guess.


There! That feels better! Except for the mosquito and black fly bites. They are horrid. The black flies got me on the back of the ankle. I sprayed my legs before I began, and put baby oil on my arms. That was followed up by a shower.

The lilacs are beautiful everywhere. 



The fish are doing well. I have 6 left. They've not been good at reproducing. I had 2 or 3 dozen babies a couple of years ago, but they didn't last indoors.



10 comments:

Tom said...

...I was out early tilling a shot for a few vegetables!

RedPat said...

I lined up yesterday for plants and the pickings were slim. Went to a few places and managed to get what I needed right now. Planted up my planter out front and during the night someone stole a large coleus. It certainly hits hard that people would do that.

Karen said...

Plants are in relative short supply up our way too. Cdn. Tire doesn't have a green house this year. I found my red geraniums at Home Depot. There was no line up. They had TWO hangers left in the color I wanted, and they were greatly reduced because they were getting gangly. When we got home I gave them a good soak and a trim and hung them out. They will come back like gang busters, and with any luck, the trims will root too, giving me a third basket.

Anvilcloud said...

Do you think perhaps some people don’t have a concept of a metre?

Powell River Books said...

I had a telemed annual physical here in the States. Went really well. I needed to pick up a prescription yesterday and was shocked to find the parking lot at the medical building next to the hospital was full, just like normal. I saw a woman without a mask helping her mother out of the car, also not wearing a mask. I would say the percentage is about 1/3 to 1/2 with no mask. It was the same when I went to the drug store. Our county is not being allowed to go to Phase 2 because of a recent increase in case numbers following Mother's Day weekend get togethers. - Margy

Christine said...

I was wondering what it was like getting plants at the garden stores.

Nancy J said...

Garden centres must have had a lot of stock to throw away during lockdown. We saw one report on TV, a renowned lily producer mowing down hundred of stems with buds and flowers, at least he had the bulbs to start again. Our garden stores are open now, and Hugh did get new rhubarb plants last week. Hope your bright flowers flourish.

Lowcarb team member said...

Here in the UK it's only recently that garden centres have been allowed to open …
I always think it nice to see summer bedding plants, but I don't think there will be as many around this year.

Always enjoy your photographs, thank you .

All the best Jan

Red said...

My gardening is the same with or without covid.

DUTA said...

After restrictions have been lifted, we've got now a rise in the number of infected people. It's frustrting and scaring!