A change of pace, for a moment.

For those of you who know me, you know I'm an avid bird watcher. I love to feed them and look and admire them, and of course, hunt them with my camera. I'm blessed to have quite a variety where I live, perhaps not as much as further south, but I've no complaints. Blue Jays by the 30s in the winter, nuthatches, chickadees (hand fed one once!) hummers of course, grosbeaks, woodpeckers (from the great Pilated (HUGE!) to the downy ones, indigo bunting (wicked awesome!) goldfinches, purple finches, robins, sparrows (ALL of them, or so it seems), snow buntings, and many more! I have a ton of feeders, one of which, my fave, is a cast iron mesh black sunflower seed feeder that holds about 5 lbs at a time. Its usually empty in 3 days in the winter and early spring. I started feeding birds in memory of my grampa, and its turned into a passion from the day I moved into my new home, and was greeted at breakfast by 2 curious blue jays on my deck. I put toast out, and they came right back, and we greeted each other every morning for the rest of the summer. I now have a peanut feeder for them in the front. (and they have me well trained to refill it when its empty! lol!)

All this to say, I'm always on the lookout for new birds. I saw my first loon just a few weeks ago, though you can hear them at night when the wind is very quiet. I've seen my first duck (wild) last year, and got up close pics of Canada geese. But this picture, that I wanted to share, is very special. It took a while to figure out what she is. She was crossing the busy highway when we were driving by. My pastor and I both love bird watch so we were out of the van and running after a photo op real quick. She was headed towards a turnoff, where vehicles usually come in pretty fast (as least I do, and so was the guy coming in that day). So my pastor chucked the photo op and stood in the middle of the road, to let mama and her 8? younglings get by safely. The gentleman in the truck looked confused at first, and then laughed when he saw her, and thumbed up my pastor.

Judging by the bad hair day, it must be quite the job to raise so many little ones. I appologize for the poor quality, but this was shot on the quick (and I don't have my zoom lens yet).

So, I present to you, the Common Merganser. I just LOVE the "hair" it cracked me up! and those little ones booted it after mama, no problems following! It was the coolest thing to see! :)




First pic, taken while van was still moving.


She's heading towards clear lake, just beyond those trees.


Them little ones sure are burning rubber! They were SO cute!



Gotta love the hair! LOL! Andy, my pastor, herded her down further towards the lake, and away from the ever present danger of cars.

I am very grateful, for both Andy (who had the presence of mind (unlike me!) to herd her, and stop the traffic. Could have been dangerous for him, but I honestly don't think he gave it a second thought. But he's that kinda guy! And I'm grateful for the pickup driver who stopped. (and "got it" and laughed (as opposed to curse and send hand signals). Thanks guys!

And in case you are wondering, I've never seen her since, but I go through that area almost daily, and I always glance (wistfully) around. I'm going to take my dog to clear lake one day soon when I get my zoom, and we'll go hunting with the lens!

Today's pics

(I finally figured out how to put the darn text so its not all over the place! YAY!)

We had a brief but thorough rain storm yesterday, and it kept me from taking the pictures I wanted (should have) taken while it was sunny (I have a good camera, but it ain't waterproof ;)

But, I got to take these, which I think are just as good, if not better.

You can see in one of these the poppy seed pod. It does not take much to get these beautiful flowers to lose their petals. In fact, the pink one is now naked, with only the seed pod left. I've had so many requests for "babies" of this plant that I will let it go to seed, and give seeds (poppies have a carrot-like root, and thus transplant poorly unless you are super careful - read, they are a total pain to transplant.)

Enjoy!

Been a while, but I've been busy with the camera.

I'm only going to post pics for a few days. I have an arts and craft show and I need to MAKE things lol! :) Please comment on these, I'd really like to know what you think! Thanks!

Hummingbirds...

Little flying jewels that speed through the air, and beware if you're wearing a red hat, you may get zinged along the way. But they mean no harm, in fact, if you're lucky (blessed) enough, and they are brave enough, you may have one come drink directly out of your hand. I've had that experience _once_ and it was pure magic!

This year, I decided to put the feeders out, again, as usual. Though I don't have the many many feeders I normally have (gave some away, the bear broke one, I broke one, argh!) I bought 2 mini ones at a store, and have since decided they are the best thing since sliced bread! Seriously, they keep the food fresh (I refill mine every 2 days - sometimes day and a half!), it does not take up a lot of space, and its awesome for window boxes or flower containers.

I used a huge shepherd hook, and hung one directly on my bedroom window, and it faces inward, so the birds get some relief from the sometimes insane winds. And you hear them comin'! At first, I kept forgetting and I'd be omgosh a BEE! but soon, I learned to turn real slow, and watch with pleasure as they drank and drank. The feeders don't come with perches. I made these myself, as I felt bad that the little guys had to remain in motion while drinking. It took a couple of tries and readjustments but voila!

If you are wondering how to attract hummers, plant red flowers, especially tubular ones (those with a deep throat, such as, columbines, honeysuckle, geranium even, bee balm is a favorite (of butterflies too!). And there are many more. Not only will you get to see these gorgeous tiny birds, but they will work their magic and eat TONS of bugs for you! (same with dragonflies they loooove bugs!) consider planting a flower garden designed towards hummers and butterflies and songbirds, and when fall comes, let the plants go to seed, and don't clean everything up antiseptically! leave the seedheads up, to serve as food for the birds during the winter! Its well worth it.

If you do put a hummer feeder out, give it a week, sometimes 2 for the birds to add you to their feeding route. Sometimes, its same day service, so keep a lookout. Change the feed solution every week at the most (usually, I do mine every 2 days as they are empty), however, keep a close look for mold, sirupy texture, or fermenting smells (like wine or yeast) that is a wayyyy overdue feeder. Clean it thoroughly, but without harsh chemicals and rinse it really really well. Think of it this way, would you feed your baby (or yourself) through that bottle? if not, clean again. They can get sick easily, and you are attracting them to feed them not kill them. If you see hummers land at your feeder and take off right away, check the solution. More times than not, its bad. (and it will happen at first. Live and learn :)

So, I thought for today's post, I'd share some hummer pics with you. If I can find the ones from last year (which are really bad lol!) I'll post them as well. Oh, and if you wear any red, be prepared to be investigated. (they don't hurt, they just look like a massive Bee)

Here you go! Enjoy! I sure do!

ps. these were taken about 1.5-2 feet away from the feeder (I'm sitting on my bed, and the camera is on my headboard - but its unfortunately noisy- this guy is getting used to it though. And used to my moving around inside. Soon, I'll lock the cats outside the room and remove the screen. soon. very soon. lol!)

Also, there are 2 hummers that visit this feeder. Scarab, the one with what looks like a scarab on his shoulder, and another that comes and steals a couple of sips (before getting chased away!)

I've always loved Geraniums. Regardless the color, or the flower type. I'm one of those weird ones that actually like the smell. You see, it reminds me of my childhood, of my Grampa's greenhouse where he grew and sold bedding plants. It reminds me of transplanting stuff for my dad in his solarium. It reminds me of... so many things, summer, warmth, gorgeous plants that are easy to care for (who does not like those?!!!)

So, here's a little story. Last summer, I went to our local hardware store, and saw the most amazing lavender colored geranium in a hanging basket. I had the lady working there put it aside for me, and I'd be back for it in 2 days. A very nice person (NOT!) took it even though it had a hold note on it, and I lost out. I was not happy, in fact, I was very very sad.

This year, I went back to said hardware store (there's only one here). And lo and behold, what do I see? A gorgeous beautiful STUNNING lavender colored geranium. So I bought it, there and then! They only get 1 each year so this year its MINE! lol!

Geraniums are fairly hardy, not hardy enough to spend the winter outside, but hardy enough to tolerate the weird cold wet weather we've been getting. They are also very forgiving, at least in my experience with them.

Water them when dry, dead head (remove spent/dead flowers) regularly, or if you want seeds let them go to seed. (The seeds look like little black teadrops, with fuzzies all over them, as if they are growing a beard). If they get too tall and lanky, do like my dad once told me to do to my beloved red geranium. CUT IT DOWN! It took everything for me to do so, even though I knew my dad knew best.

So, if you have a geranium that's getting long in the legs, cut it down, KEEP the cut portion, and remove the lower leaves, and stick THAT part in the ground. In a short while (I'd say maybe 1-1 1/2 months) you'll have a new geranium, and the other part that got the haircut should be sprouting new growths.

These guys are perfect for so many area, baskets, containers, garden, ground, less than perfect flower beds. Forgiving they are, and simple to care for.

When fall rolls around, you can either recycle them in the compost heap (noooo!) or bring them in for the winter. Some people cut theirs really short, and put them in a dark cool place. I brought in my neighbor's geranium (which she was going to throw out), and stuck it in my kitchen on a rolling pot holder. It was right in front of the patio door, but also right above the heating duct vent AND in front of the stove. I also have 3 cats and a dog. So imagine the abuse. Well, during the winter, it bloomed the most massive bloom! and it hardly ever got watered (only when I remembered!) It grew to monster proportions. At its highest, it reached my hips (I'm 5'6")! and it got moved here there everywhere!

I took cuttings when spring rolled around, and gave back a baby to my neighbor. The local hummingbirds loved it when it was out during the summer too!

To take a cutting, you select a thick healthy branch with plenty of leaves. Remove any flowers (they will sap the energy otherwise needed to make new roots). You cut the branch just below a node (a bump) and either stick it in earth (and remember to keep it moist NOT wet) or in water and let it root. I like the earth way better as you don't have to "retrain" the geranium to live off the earth.

I only have my ONE geranium this year. But I'm most definitely NOT recycling it to the compost bin. And when I bring it in for the winter, I have the peace of mind that, my cats who normally graze anything green, will leave it alone! yesss! Look at those pics! at that color! yes, you are drooling. :)

Blue Columbine

This is a blue columbine I got for my garden. I really like the color, its so different than the other columbines I've seen/had in the past.

This one is rather tall, the flowers towering over the blue-grey leaves. The spurs on the back of the flower are fairly short, but its lovely nonetheless. It was planted today, in my front flower bed. We'll see how it likes it there :)

As the season progresses, I'll post about harvesting and saving your own seeds. Keep your eyes peeled, it might save you some money!

Wild Morning Glories

In my previous post, I wrote about the morning glories, and how they can make a really ugly spot look awesome. I also warned about their cousins, wild morning glories. I've taken pictures from my own back garden where some are growing - coming from the neighbors - who try as they might, cannot eradicate them. You'll see in these pictures why they are called strangle weeds. (look at the stems of the plants and the twisty plant is the morning glory.

The fourth picture is a wild morning glory (wmg) climbing up a lily I have growing. (The only bulb I got from Brecks that actually grew).

The 2nd and 3rd picture are wmg climbing up grass stalks.

The 1st is what the stuff looks like as its starting to grow.

Get rid of them, as fast as you can. They are as bad, IMHO, as dandelions.

What to do when you don't like Cedar Hedges

Well, I'll admit it. I really don't like Cedars. Especially when they are not trimmed or cared for properly. When I lived in Ottawa a few years back, we had such a hedge that ran along the walkway to our parking lot. It was never really cared for, and as a tenant, it was not my responsibility, but it drove me NUTS! So, one year, I had the bright idea to plant Morning Glories, and see what would happen. See the picture! I had people stop and tell me how much they loved the sight, and how they looked forward to seeing if new flowers were open on their way to work in the morning. Other people would just stop and gawk (either at these or at the 13+ feet sunflowers I had in front of the hedge.)



This pile gave me seeds by the thousands! I would give out handfuls to whomever would ask! Just bring a paper bag I'd say.

So what is so special about Morning Glories? Well for one thing, they cover up ugly stuff! For another, the flowers last only a day or so, with new ones blooming pretty much right under your nose. There is also the neat fact that they are one of the few flowers that have the much coveted BLUE color.

The flowers range in size, from tiny to fairly large. Colors are as varied as the rainbow. Some are pink with a white center, others are white with splotches or streaks in them, blues, dark purple, white rimmed, funky shaped (look for the Japanese ones - oh drool to have some of those!)

The seeds can sometimes be costly, but only if you buy them in home reno stores or the like. You can get seeds at the dollar store, our home hardware here is selling them for 25 cents a packet this year!

Depending on the color/species/type you get, the number of seeds in a packet will vary. Be aware that some colors/species will in-breed, and thus may muddle your color scheme. Try to stick to at least the same species.

They are Annuals, you have to plant them every year (or do you?) I've heard that years after I left the old place, the seeds I'd not plucked off were growing the next year. Note, this is an exception rather than the rule! However, don't be discouraged, they give off so many seeds, depending again on the species/color, you may never have to buy seeds again!

You can tell the type of species by the look of the seed too! If the seed is like a little clementine slice shape, those are usually the small-medium red/pink/mauve ones. If your seed is shaped like an elongated pear, those are the more exotic ones, like the blues, the flying saucer, and maybe the Japanese (I'd give a lot to try some of those. If anyone has seeds to share, please email me!)

I will instruct you below how to plant, care and reap the seeds, and I will also try and keep a photo journal of the steps, so that maybe just maybe you'll want to do this along with me. I'd love to see what you come up with!

So, the first step (after buying/obtaining seeds) is to soak them. In room temperature water please. And for best results, overnight to a maximum of 2 days (any longer and you'll get high just smelling the water - trust me. Been there done that!)

Some people say you have to scarify the seeds. Scarifying is a technique consisting of scratching the seed with a sharp/cutting object such as a nail or a knife. I'll be honest with you, I've _never_ done that and ALWAYS had excellent results. I also let my seeds soak for a good 36 hours, then they'll kinda look crackled and ready to go.

You sow them, about 1 - 1.5 inch deep, cover, water copiously, and way. It does not take very long, and soon the tender green shoots will come up for air and sunshine!

While you are waiting for the magic to happen, work on building a climbing structure.

Use string, yarn, twine, a trellis, anything they can climb up. I've used giant Russian sunflowers as climbing posts (you plant the sunflowers about 2 weeks before the Morning Glories, give them a head start. I've strung twine in the cedars here and there, and as the vines grow, you very very GENTLY coax and guide them around the string. It does not need to be "tight", so long as the plant "gets the idea". Be aware these babies can grow to about 12 feet high/long, if not more. So have plenty of guides ready. You can also use a tee-pee structure, that will eventually be covered with the vines and flowers (very neat!) I don't recommend using netting. I've found birds stuck in the darn stuff, (fortunately, they were fine when I released them) and the thread is very fine and so easily damages the shoots and vines.

Oh, and try and use a string color that blends with your background. I've used cotton string (the type used to make dishcloths and stuff). Its strong, and when the growing season is over, you can compost it as it will break down rather easily.

Ok, so the vines are growing and you're guiding them along. What next? Water them. It is a rule of thumb. Water deeply, infrequently. Use common sense. If you have 7 days of 40 degree Celsius weather, water them. If you see them droop, or if the leaves are floppy to the touch, give them a good drink.

Another rule of thumb. Use rainwater as much as possible. Not only will you save on your water bill, but rainwater has no chemicals in it (well, none added by the city). Well water works well too. If you don't have rainwater, please consider putting up rain barrels. Believe me, they will pay themselves off within a year!

So the blooms are starting to form, and you're just waiting to see what color you'll get. The best time to view the new blooms is early in the morning. They will start closing up around 4-6pm. (well they did for me). New blooms will form the next day.

Once the bloom has fallen off, you'll notice a little ball like structure where the bloom was. These you can remove to promote even more blooms, but not after the end of July if you want seeds for the coming year. The seeds will form in little pods, in clusters, almost like grapes.

Each little bright light green ball will contain 2 (exotics) to 8-10 (common) seeds. Leave them alone. DO NOT remove them until they are brown and papery (like onion skins). I've tried harvesting the seeds before they'd ripened on the plant, and only 25% or so grew the next year.

At first, when the seeds start to ripen and dry, only a few will be visible. BE PATIENT. Don't despair. Soon, you'll have more than you'll know what to do with.

When the seeds are nice and dry (brown and papery), and its been sunny for a couple of days (NO picking wet or humid seeds. BAD BAD BAD!) take a paper bag, and collect away! I usually pluck the whole pods/twigs/etc and dump them in the bag. Depending how many you originally sowed and which variety, you may have thousands when you are done.

Now, go somewhere quiet, preferably outside, with a nice cold glass of (insert drink here), and a large rimmed plate. Dump the seeds, a few pods at a time, and with your fingers, fritter away the skins. Rub the pods between your fingers, letting the seeds fall on the plate, the skins and leftovers can fly away in the wind. If you have skins in with the seeds, simply blow GENTLY on them, and they will fluff off.

So, now you're all done separating seeds from pods, and other junk. What next? Take the seeds and spread them either on a cookie sheet, or in between a couple of layers of newspaper or paper towels and let them dry completely. They may have felt dry, but call me paranoid, I still dry them further, just in case. You can do this in a cool dark basement, or outside (where the wind and birds might reduce your collection to zero.)

Once really really dry, store in a paper bag only, and if you have them, put some of those little packets of stuff you sometimes get with new shoes. (I think its silicon). Write on the bag the year, the type/color/variety of seeds and flowers, what the actual plant is (I've forgotten to do this many times, so I had a surprise bag of seeds), and also how these grew for you, and where. This will help you decide the next year where to plant them. Put only 3 cups max of seeds per bag. Use only paper bags, or if you're stuck, a cardboard box. The idea is, the seeds need a dry, "breathable" environment. A plastic bag will only cause the seeds to condense their humidity and therefore, eventually rot and mold.

Put the bag(s) in a dark cool spot. Tell 45 people where you're putting said bag, in case you forget. And leave it til spring. IF you think about it, every once in a while, give the bags a shake.

And if you have tons, share. and share some more.

Now, I know what you're thinking. If these darn things grow to 12 feet high, how to I get the seeds at the top (and there will be tons believe me). The simple answer is, you don't. There was an old diddy about farmers and planting. 1 for the bird, 1 for the farmer etc.

Leave the seeds that you can't reach where they are. Either they will fall on their own (and might grow next season) OR you'll do the nature around you a huge favor by providing seeds for the birds and other critters to pull them through the winter. (this pretty much goes for all flowers that have seed heads).

I strongly suggest you pick only the seeds you feel you need. Let the rest go to nature. The birds will reward you with beautiful songs, they will eat pests out of your garden, and provide endless entertainment for your cats/dog/yourself.

When spring comes around again, wait until the last frost has passed, and start anew.

These guys are almost foolproof. ANYone can grow these. And I would hate to see anyone buying them already started at their local greenhouses. Its so much more rewarding doing it yourself, and its really very little work (especially if you don't care about the seeds!) Then you can use the money saved to buy something else really nice... :)

A word of caution.

There are "domestic" Morning Glories and wild ones. The wild ones are also known as strangling vines. That's _exactly_ what they do. They run rampant, and THEY definitely come back by self sowing. The flowers are pretty, white and fairly small. But they are undesirable in the sense that they are nasty nasty invaders. And once they set in your garden my friend, good luck getting rid of them! Weed and weed some more.

Don't let this frighten you away from the domestic ones however. These are well behaved, and won't kill your other plants when you're not looking! Planted in mass, they make stunning displays! And you'll be the envy of the neighborhood.

I think that pretty much covers it. I've had seeds keep for 5 years and still germinate and grow. Its of course better to use fresh seeds whenever possible.

A last tip. If you see a glory that has a funky color, tag it with something, a piece of tape, tie a piece of colorful yarn around its vine to remind you that this is a special one. When you harvest the seeds, make sure you put its seeds in a separate special bag, and voila, total funkiness in the next growing season.

Keep your eyes peeled for the pics as I document my growing attempts this year.

Good luck! Cynthia

A blue Columbine with a red and white one too!

Columbines, taken with Canon Rebel XS 1000D
Hardy to at least zone 3a (Greater Sudbury area)

Columbines are one of my favorites. When I lived in Ottawa I had over 60 different ones, some very similar, others very different.

They are early blooming perennials, blooming mid-spring to mid-summer. If you are lucky, they will give you another small flush of blooms before summer sets in. They are perfect for SHADE gardens, and will withstand partial to full sun to some extent. If you see the leaves are starting to crisp at the edges, or if the plants look miserable, be a good gardener, and move them to a more suitable spot.

They have VERY FEW ennemies and very few health problems. These guys can take it in, and still come out breathing. You may notice at times however, there are little beige-yellow lines like wild roadways criss crossing the leaves. These are caused by tiny little worm-like critters called leaf-miners that live IN the leaves. You may be tempted to remove the "infected" foliage, but trust me, you'll end up removing it pretty much all. From my experience with these flowers (13 yrs +) I found that these lines in the leaves did not really hinder the plant. Personally I thought it added character :)

They self seed readily. If you don't want them to do so, dead head regularly. When mine go to seed this fall, I will take pictures and post on this blog how to gather and keep the seeds for next year. Like most flowers, the more you deadhead, the more she'll bloom for you!

Note that some columbines have very long spurs, (those long leggy things in the back. Others have itty bitty ones. If you look at the red and white columbines, you will see what I'm talking about.

Some are dual colored, others only one. Be warned that certain columbines cross-breed in between. So if you have cherished blue ones, don't plant other colors nearby, as they will mingle and you'll end up with who knows what.

These guys are fairly short about a foot and a half at the most. The McKanna Giants are really tall almost 2.5 feet! The may appear spindly when the plants are young, but give it a couple of years and you'll have a beautiful large stand of color! The best part? The Hummingbirds LOVE them! (they love any tubular shaped flowers!)

These guys have yet to be planted. I'm considering the right front bed, where there is partial full sun during the day. The one plant I had was actually one I'd given my father's wife, who then gave it back when I moved here :) THAT one is pink and white, and from the looks of it, it LOVES where it is! I'll definitely take pics and post them!

These babies are fairly hard to kill. They also don't demand much in feeding and watering. If you treat them right, they'll repay the favor by tons of blooms. Give them time to grow into their roots, and keep an eye out at first. They'll let you know if they don't like it where they are. But they're not fussy. Try one, you'll be like me, hooked!

June 6th, 2009

Picture of the day: Dwarf Iris
Camera: Canon Rebel XS 1000D w/ EFS 18-55mm lens


Irises have rhizomes, thick roots that shoot up slender flat leaves in spring. They are perennial, coming back every year for our enjoyment. Available in various sizes, from giant lunch plate sized flowers to the miniature wild irises, there is something for everyone, and in almost every color too!

It is said that the rhizome should have its "feet" uncovered, meaning, part of the rhizome should be left exposed to the sun for the iris to bloom. I can't confirm this, as I've seen irises bloom with and without the foot left exposed. But, that may be why some of mine in my other flower beds are refusing to bloom. As far as I know, these do not smell. Their stunning beauty more than make up for this.

This particular specimen is a Dwarf variety. Its still in its store container, blooming happily. Lets see what happens when I plant it! I'm thinking of putting it in the right front flower bed in front of my home. There are other irises there that refuse to bloom, maybe this guy will get them going.

Hardy to at least zone 3a (Greater Sudbury area)

* In memory of my sister Line, who left us this day, 10 years ago. *

A new beginning... a flight of fancy

A new beginning...

this blog will have pictures of favorite flowers, animals and maybe people as well as info relevant to them.

I'm going to blog about plants/flowers I have and have had and plan to have. I've been gardening for quite some time and it runs in the family. Some plants will have more info, personal comments and tips depending on my experience with them. Questions and comments are more than welcome. As are suggestions for plant selection.

Please note all pictures are copyrighted, however, print are available for sale. Please do not copy, post or steal these images. If you want to show someone, send them directly here. Thanks!

Comments and feedback are most welcome.

Have a most excellent day!
Cynthia