At Day's End

Monday started out to be a lovely day ... calm, sunny, warm but no humidity. Just after lunch time, when I was working in the garden, it started to cloud over and all of a sudden we had a heavy downpour of rain. This put an abrupt end to my weeding. But after the rain had finished the weeds were much easier to pull out of the ground.

Late afternoon and evening were quite sunny and just after 9 pm I was able to get some good sunset photos.

And wouldn't you know it, when I looked at the photos there were two of things ... just perfect for 2sDay posting.


The photos were taken from just in front of the house with my Olympus SP-55OUZ digital camera using the sunset setting. Here I captured two of the hydro towers that run through the farm fields across the road. They are about 4 fields back from the road.

This one was taken from a slightly different angle and captured two of the hydro wires.


And in this one I captured the two wires and the two towers.

Today, Tuesday, the weather is supposed to bring scattered showers and perhaps some thunder storms. It has already rained overnight as everything is wet outside.

Last night I worked on the baby blanket, it's almost finished.

Labels: 2sDay, sky

Wind Twirlers

I love twirlers to hang in my garden.

They are fascinating and relaxing to watch.
They are made with 7 count coloured plastic canvas, various size beads, plastic lacing, fishing line and wire from an old coat hanger.

Here is a pdf pattern file for this blue and white twirler. This was a free pattern that I picked up in a craft store so I don't think I'm breaking any copyright laws by posting it here.

The pattern says to cut 57 pieces of plastic canvas in strips 5 holes wide, but it doesn't clarify the length of the pieces. Look at the directions and you will see that you need pieces ranging from 5 holes long to 61 holes long. You will two of each length.
I've got a few more twirler patterns that I will try to post in the next little while.

To view some other twirlers, please visit my personal website, craftygardener.ca or click the link below to see what I have posted on this blog.

Labels: Crafty in the garden, twirlers,

Black Eyed Susans

Rudbeckia or Black Eyed Susans are a long lasting plant.

They grow about 45 to 100 cm. high in full sun and will tolerate dry conditions. It is sometimes listed as a perennial or a hardy biennial. This is a plant you very often see growing wild along the sides of roads and in fields.

Blooms appear towards the end of June and last right through to fall. The plant will attract butterfiles.

This bud is just about to unfurl.


And throughout the garden they will be moving gently in the breeze.
Be sure to continually snip off the spent blooms to encourage more.

At the end of the season let bloom dry out on plant.

After the flower petals fall off, pick the seed head. Running your thumb nail along the seedpod will give you the tiny rudbekia seeds.



I also just tuck the seedpods in among the remaining stems of the plants and it will reseed itself the following year.

Leaving the seedpods on the plant over the winter will provide food for the birds. The plant will also self seed itself.

Labels: sow then grow

Beautiful Dragonfly

My digital camera is my constant companion while I'm working in the garden, walking by the water, or just out and about on my travels. You never know when that "Kodak Moment" will happen.

This morning we were out visiting our family and checking out their new deck and look at the beautiful dragonfly we spied.


Here are a couple of shots of the head, tail and wings ... amazing (the dragonfly, not the photography).
The three photos were taken with my Olympus SP-55OUZ digital camera using the macro setting.

I'm off to do some research to see what kind of dragonfly this is. If you happen to know please leave a comment for me. Dragonflies are often called mosquito hawks as they are very beneficial insects that eat mosquitoes.

Exciting Edit: Helen, from Toronto Gardens, has identified this as a Gray Petaltail.


Check out other bloggers that carry cameras all the time and snap photos of Camera Critters.

Labels: Through my Lens, dragonflies, Camera Critters,

2sDay Woodpeckers

There are lots of baby birds and young birds in the garden and the parents are teaching them how to feed at the different feeders.

So for today's 2sDay photograph here are two woodpeckers feeding. I'm assuming one is the parent and the other is the young.

Labels: 2sDay, birds, woodpeckers

Vines and Climbers

I took a Sunday Stroll around the garden early this morning to take some photos before the sun comes out. It is going to come out isn't it? Yesterday we had a day of rain, rain, rain. The gardens really need the rain but they also need the sun.

The photos today all show the vines and climbers.

The roses are filling in the trellis very quickly. This year I put the trellis on a bit of an angle as previously they had toppled forwards under the weight of the roses.

This corner of the garden has a variety of climbing plants. I already showcased the honeysuckle vine for the Friday Flower.
The middle section of this trellis has a new climbing rose and it hasn't grown enough yet to start filling it in.

The third section has a clematis which is doing really well this year and is covered in many buds.

The clematis Polish Spirit buds are just starting to open.

I'm trying a different trellis for the morning glories this year. A few years ago I used some wooden trellis on one side of the deck. It worked well, but that is the same wooden trellis that I have my roses growing up now. I took two metal arches that I got at Michaels for a ridiculously low price, poked them into some large pots and filled the pots with morning glory seeds and some scarlet runner bean seeds.

Another vertical display of plants doesn't involve climbers or vines. It is my old wooden step ladder that I have towards the back of the garden. There is a clump of later blooming yellow daylilies beside the ladder planter and I can't wait for them to bloom.

The Quiet Country House invites you to take a Sunday stroll around your garden too.

Labels: Sunday Stroll

Round the Rosy

What better way to spend a rainy Saturday then working on an afghan for a baby granddaughter that will be born in October.

I picked out a similar yet different pattern than the afghan I made for our grandson. It is a crochet in the round blanket called Around the Rosy.

I have changed the pattern slightly. The one I found only had the cluster stitch in two places, but I decided to add it a few more times in the pattern.
Right now I'm on row 20 and I'm hoping to get it made with one of the large Bernat Baby Sport balls of yarn.

If you are looking for homemade items for your baby or grandbaby why not have a look at an Etsy store ran by a friend of mine.

Labels: blankets

The Honeysuckle Vine

 The honeysuckle vine is in full bloom right now and what a glorious display. It is perfect to show for Friday's Flower.

This is the view of the trellis from the deck.

A closer view of the top part shows the vine is still growing above the trellis. I'll have to get the ladder out and twine those parts back onto the trellis.
This is the back of the trellis and it looks almost as good as the front.

I couldn't resist some macro shots of the blooms.
I love the way the bloom comes right out from the center of the leaf.
Nature always amazes me.

This isn't snow ... is it???

There is white stuff floating around in the air and settling on the plants and ground.
Don't tell me this is snow!
But with temperatures in the low 20's Celsius, I know that it isn't.

It gives us the illusion of fluffy snowflakes drifting past the windows.


It settles on the plants just like wet snow.

It collects in certain areas and makes a blanket of white.


It really sticks to the columbine seedpods as they are a bit sticky to start with.


Thank goodness it isn't snow as it is just about the start of the summer solstice.

It is the fluffy seedpods blowing off the trees, mainly the popular trees around our garden. Aspens and Cottonwood trees also give off this fluff at this time of the year.

This fluffy stuff floats around for about two weeks in June and creates havoc with my sensitive eyes and nose. They say it doesn't cause allergies, but I tend to disagree with that statement. I realize it is pollen that causes allergies, but I sure do go through a lot of tissues at this time of the year.

There is some rain in the forecast for the next day or so, and it will probably wash away all the fluff.

Blooms are Everywhere

There are blooms bursting forth all over the garden for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day now that it is the middle of June.

Yesterday I took a stroll around the garden and showed you all the pink blooms.
Here is the whole clump of pinks, or dianthus, giving off their fragrant smell in the front garden.


Today I'll show some of the other blooms in the garden.


The delicate while flowers of snow in summer. I find this plant very invasive and this year dug out huge clumps of it. The odd little clump has grown where it self seeded over the years.

This big clump of blue-purple columbine bloom profusely each year.

Another bluish bloomer is this perennial. I always forget the name of it but think it is a blue catmint.

The peruvian daffodil is just poking through the ground. I'm hoping for some gorgeous blooms like last year.

The Bressingham Blue hosta has some buds on it. This is a new hosta this year to replace a similar one that didn't survive the winter for some unknown reason.

There are lots of other hostas in the front shade garden but they aren't in bud yet.

The honeysuckle vine is loaded with blooms this year.

The yellow daylilies are very impressive.

Next is the yellow lady's mantle. This is a plant I love to take photos of after a rain storm as the leaves catch the rain drops.

And for a touch of red in the garden there are the coral bells ...

... and the first red roses just starting to bud.

Why not stop over at May Dreams Gardens, see what other bloggers have in bloom. Better still, why don't you join in the fun of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day or GBBD.

A Sunday Morning Stroll

What a gorgeous Sunday morning to take a stroll around the garden. The sun is out and there are a few white clouds in the sky. The birds are chirping and the chipmunks are chipping! The grass is wet with the morning dew as I wander around the garden.

It seems appropriate to focus on the pink flowers this week, as we have just found out that our second grandchild, to be born in October, will be a little girl.


The pinks are blooming in a large clump - and wow, do they have an aroma to them. One of the photos became my header for a little while.

The pink columbine hangs delicately in the morning sun.

The deep pink of the peony as it opens in the shade.

The pink of the money plant or lunaria as the buds burst open.

There are many other plants blooming today ... the blue columbine, the snow in summer, the yellow daylilies, the budding hostas, the honeysuckle vine, the lady's mantle, the impatience and the iris. The photos for today can be the first part of my Garden Bloggers Bloom Day post and all the other photos will be for tomorrow when GBBD actually happens.

The Quiet Country House invites you to take a Sunday stroll around your garden too.


Labels: Sunday Stroll