Flower time!

As I prepare this post, we have glorious rain! Thunder and lightning. 

It cleared off in an hour.

My canna lily was tipping over, it's been hot and dry. 

I've been watering in the cool of the afternoon or morning, depending upon my schedule. It seems to be helping. This morning, 16.5 mm of rain, only 21 mm this whole months. Usually we get more than that.

We have had grandies, and critter posts. Time for some flowers. The petunias in the basket are doing well. The primrose is good, but much of the garden has needed watering.

Clover, the deer, has decimated my hosta, but I have saved the lilies with the fence. Cluny named the momma doe! 

 My other rose bush isn't doing well. It was decimated by the caterpillars last year, but regrew later in the season. I was sure it would come back.

 One out of two ain't bad. Look at my roses! It's a bush that has hung in, after the LDD caterpillars attacked in 2021.

Monday morning the roses were gone, but not the lilies! Hah! Fooled you, deerios. At least I have photos! Isn't nature grand?! 

Caitlin and family are flying from Istanbul to Athens this morning. They took off around 6:20 our time. There is a 7 hour difference. They'll spend several days in Greece before taking a ferry to Heraklion.

Caitlin has a whole spreadsheet of their 3-week travels, with their flights, accommodations, and planned activities. The adventure continues.

Spring flowers!

Yellow Wood Poppy

After yesterday's bear encounter, I confined myself to the garden!

I love this time of year when the garden wakes up. My Orchid cactus was a gift from Nancy, and it likes being out in the sunshine.

 I have some plants that were new from last year. I'd forgotten about the jack-in-the-pulpit in that post. I hope it sprouts. They are from a native and rare plant nursery in southern Ontario. This Wood Poppy is one of the plants.

Marsh marigold - poisonous

Lilacs are ready

Orchid cactus

daffies

tulips

primrose

forget-me-nots

iris

Linda, AKA Crafty Gardener, has kindly ID'd the last flower as giant allium. I really don't remember buying them (there are two), let alone planting them!

The red trillium in the woods are still blooming. Nancy, my friend in Muskoka, writes about the difficulties of trillium spreading, as they depend upon critters, like ants!


The white trillium, in the garden, had a bit of a trim. This is a consistent story! At least they left me two blooms this year. Last year, Daisy guarded them for me!

May 2016

Daisy, fern, trillium, 2015

May 2014

Last year, I planted two apple trees, the last two that sat on the lot at our local nursery. Bambi has trimmed them, but they survived! I placed broken pine boughs around it to discourage them.

My horse chestnut has flowers this year. It didn't do well last year. It is heart-warming seeing everything come back after winter.

What a cold night!

My early bird of play with
Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent!
(Mother's Day gift to myself!)
The bird was made by Mr. January!

Nudes of Mississippi Mills Calendar 2012: Mr. January!

We visited him last at the 

Arnprior & Beyond Arts Discovery Tour

After a massive frost warning in Southern Ontario, some are taking drastic measures. One orchard hired a helicopter to fly over and raise the temperature again. They did it in 2012 and it worked, raising the temperature from -2 C. to 3! It cost $1300/hour, but saved their spring crops. last year we had an early thaw and early spring, followed by a frost. I lost my precious rhododendron, and my rose bush buds.

Apple farmers fly chopper over orchard to fight frost

May 14 - 2013 Frost warning was in effect for much of eastern Ontario

2012: A helicopter saved the apple crop - Farmers Forum MOUNTAIN — For three nights, the two orchards hired a helicopter pilot from Montreal to...

My backyard thermometer reads 0 C. exactly!

I covered all of our plants. I planted some petunias in planters, after a mad fit of double-digit, summer-like temperatures. No worries. Also, basil and some tomatoes. What was I thinking?

I worry more about the trees in flower. We have a cherry tree, lilacs, and the horse chestnut.

May 14, 2012 – no sign yet this year!

I haven't wandered too far from the house, the cats were desperate to get out this morning at 5:30. They have winter coats!

When it warms up, I'll have to do a look about to see if I have damage.

The forest will be fine, as the ground is warm, and retains the heat of the days. The grass thrives, too! The goldfish seem a but chilly!

I changed the hummingbird feeder sap, still no sign of them, but I am ready!

Horse chestnut leaves
and bloom look droopy!

Sad, sad leaves!

The primrose looks tipsy

Peony droop somewhat, as well!