Wild Asters

It is the last Wednesday of the month and time for Wildflower Wednesday.The lovely wild asters are still in bloom, but probably not for much longer.

These photos were taken in the wild patch of our backyard.  It's the area where I let most things grow to see how they turn out and what wildlife they attract.

There were several bees around the wild asters, probably gathering the last of the pollen that they could this season.

They were busy flitting from flower to flower and didn't mind me taking photos.

I'm always thrilled to capture some new lens friends.
I'm sharing with Clay and Limestone for Wildflower Wednesday.  This may be the last one for me till next spring.
Take time to enjoy the garden today.

Marvellous Monday

It has been a hectic and fantastic weekend.We started off by taking down the screen gazebo and putting away most of the garden ornaments.  I know the weather is still wonderful but that can change at any time.I've spent lots of time finishing a baby sweater and working on a baby blanket.  On Saturday a new grandson was born.

I found this lovely, simple pattern on the web and decided to give it a try.  It is a seamless neck down cardigan.  The only time I had to do any stitching was when I stitched the buttons on.  I used a bit thicker yarn than called for and of course a bit larger sized needles.   I sure hope it fits.  I used Bernat Baby Jacquards that a very good friend sent to me.  I love the way the self patterning yarn came out.This is being lovingly packaged up and put in the mail.  It's going out to British Columbia where our new grandson lives. The blanket it is laying on was given to me when I had my daughter and I've saved it for her for when she had her first baby.

I'm also busy making a crochet blanket.  This one is in blue and white and made with Bernat Baby Softee.   I'm using the same pattern I used for my other grandchildren.
I'm doing this one is 8 row sections, changing colour with each section.  I'm just starting the third section. and will do at least three more.  When done it is a 12 point star.

I'm sharing with Mosaic Monday
Hope you are having a marvellous Monday.

Long Lasting Pansies

Pansies are the first annual I purchase in the early spring.   After a long winter it is so lovely to see the hardy blooms on a cool, spring morning.
This year the pansies did really well, and they are still blooming at the end of September.

I have continually deadheaded them all season and I'm sure that is one of the reasons they have lasted so long.

I always choose my favourite colours of yellow and orange in the spring.  These are not the icicle pansies you can purchase in the Fall.  They just have survived the whole season with a lot of TLC.

Here is one of the large pots with lots of blooms still remaining.

Here are both pots of pansies and you can see that one has lasted a bit better than the other.  I will be enjoying the blooms for as long as possible.

I'm joining in with the last Cottage Floral Thursday for this year.  I'm not sure how much longer I'll have blooms to share for Fertilizer Friday.
Take time to enjoy the last day of summer as Fall officially arrives on Friday.

Illumination

I just discovered Word for Wednesday, and I know I've said I'm not joining in anymore theme days, but I thought I might try this one now and then.   I love words, especially creating my own version of some words like 2sDay, 'Purse'onality, craf-tea, 'tree'mendous, re'find', 'When'sday, 'Soup'er,  and more.   I even have a screen saver on my Mac that is the word of the day.   Yet my posts aren't filled with words, mostly pictures.

This week the word is illumination and if you choose to participate you do a blog post about what it means to you.  It's the perfect way to show off more of my garden photos.

This rose is illuminated in the sunlight.  The top part of the rose looks lighter in colour because of the light.   The light also creates shadows under one of the petals.

The morning light sparkles on the dew drops on the rose.  The edges of the petals are illuminated and you can see the curl of the petals more clearly.

The sunlight illuminates the top petals and gives the feeling that you can look through them.

Donna, from Garden Walk, Garden Talk, and who visits my blog on a fairly regular basis has started Word for Wednesday.  Please pop over and see her gorgeous photos and take a look at what others are sharing.   They are all very illuminating.

Remember, the more you look, the more you see.

Work Then Tea

Just look at this adorable round box.  Are you wondering what is inside?

It holds a set of two mugs and saucers.  I love the saucers as they also are wide enough to hold some tea time treats.  And of course everything is green, my favourite colour.

Won't you join me for tea on Tuesday.  You can choose the ginger peach green tea or the licorice spice.  There is also a slice of fresh banana bread that was just baked.After I've been busy in the garden cutting down plants and putting away things for the approaching cold weather, it is nice to enjoy a lovely warm cup of tea and a homemade snack.
Won't you join Rose Chintz Cottage, Tuesday Tea for Two, and Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday for tea today.
Take time to enjoy the garden today, before the summer days slip away into Autumn.

Alpaca Beans

I have met some friendly and knowledgeable gardeners as I am sharing the extra plants from my garden.Last weekend I met a wonderful lady who also raises alpacas on her farm.  She said she would give me some alpaca beans in exchange for all the plants I gave her.  Off to trusty Google to find out what these were all about.  Turns out alpaca beans is the fancier name for poop from alpacas.

Alpaca beans are somewhat lower in organic matter than other types of manure, and I have to say the smell is a whole lot different, hardly any at all.  You spread this directly on your garden without it damaging the plants. I put the bagful on one part of the front garden and spread the beans around quite a bit.  I'm also going to add some compost dirt and mix it all together and hopefully the soil will be improved next year.
If you live close to me and want to purchase some you can contact Alpaca Lunch Farm and find out all about it.Now if only I knew how to turn the alpaca fleece into yarn.  That will be my next project to research.  If you live near me and know how to do this or you know someone who does, please let me know.I'd also love to hear from you if you have used alpaca beans on your garden.

Sharing the Garden

I love to share my garden.  I share numerous photos on my blog, I share with family and friends and I share by giving away plants.Over the past couple of weeks and probably for a couple more I am sharing those volunteer plants, sections of plants that get very large,  and extra plants that fill the garden.

I belong to a local Freecycle group and I give away all my extra plants that way. You wouldn't believe the number of emails I get asking for them when I post some. I frequently don't have time to reply to all of the folks so just post a thank you to everyone that asked about them when I post they are taken
I've met many wonderful gardeners this way and I know that my plants are being well looked after and growing in some of the best gardens around. One lot of my plants went into the gardens at the new YMCA in Trenton.  In another post I'll tell you about a lovely lady I met this weekend who had something to share back with me.

I bet you share your garden with friends and neighbours, don't you?
I'm sharing with Mosaic Monday today.

Still Water Reflections

While on our search for the night heron (previous post) we also captured some wonderful reflections in the still water.

This photo was taken in the same still pond where I photographed the night heron.  The water was so still it gave the perfect reflection of the rock wall, trees and posts

In another still pond you can see a recently felled tree and its reflection in the water.  Although I've never seen a beaver lodge in this area it sure looks like a beaver did this damage.

And finally the perfect reflection of the duck in the still water close to shore on the bay.

Stop by Weekend Reflections and see many more wonderful reflection photos.

The Night Heron

I was extremely lucky to capture some photos of the black crowned night heron, or night heron, on September 7, 2011.   My husband had spotted this water bird down by the bay on September 6 but didn't have a camera with him.  My mission the next morning was to go back with my camera to see if I could capture a new lens friend.

I very quietly walked through the trees to the shore to get these photos.  He was perched on an old tree stump in a still pond just off from the bay.
Through some Google searching I discovered that this heron is the most widespread around the world.  It is most active at night feeding in the same spots as other herons. His legs are shorter than other herons, and he has two long feathers at the back of his head.

It was quite content to sit there and I got several similar photos of him perched on the stump.  But as soon as he heard a very chatty group of morning walkers on the trail he took off.
I tried to follow where it went but I just wasn't fast enough.  We've been back a couple of times to see if it is there but haven't spotted it. 
I've never seen this particular type of heron down there before.  I emailed a local birding expert, Terry Sprague, of Nature Stuff and he thinks that this one was probably just migrating through.  He told me it does nest at Presqu'ile Provincial Park which is about a 40 minute drive from us.

It is the perfect lens friend to share with Camera Critters this weekend.

Fuschia in September

This has been my best year ever for growing fuschia.  Even now as we move into September the blooms are amazing.  I admire them every time I step out the front door.

The pot, which sits in a shady part of the garden is laden with blooms.

There are many buds still to open, so I hope the weather doesn't cool down too quickly and stop them.

I love the frilly blooms, rather like pretty dresses.

A closer peek to see the underneath of these blooms.

I'm joining in with Cottage Floral Thursday and Fertilizer Friday

Take time to enjoy the garden today.  With Fall fast approaching the blooms won't be around much longer.

That's My Rock

Water levels have been very low down by the bay lately and all the rocks have been exposed.  The water fowl each choose their own rock to perch on.

There are ducks, cormorants, the heron and even two swans perched on various rocks.

Usually the swans are swimming around and this was one of the rare times that I have seen them claiming a rock to stand on.

The heron is one of my favourite lens friends to capture.
It was a cooler morning when I took these, and the water had just a few ripples on it.I'm sharing these with Watery Wednesday
Remember, the more you look the more you see.

2sDay Knitting

It's 2sDay and time to show 2 of something.   Today I have 2 items that I just finished knitting.Here are the 2 items.  Please excuse the awful photo as I took it last night and the lighting was not the best for photos.

Now what on earth am I knitting?
It's a simple little pattern I discovered on the web.
Can you believe that after folding and stitching them together they turned into these 2 items.

2 cute little baby booties to share on 2sDay.   Now you can see the actual colour of the yarn it makes the top photo look even worse.  I took this photo this morning.  I would normally retake the top photo but I wasn't about to take apart my stitching.   These 2sDay booties are for a new grandchild that is due in the next few weeks.  I love the colour combination they used at the actual site and plan to knit some more.

Have a great 2sDay. I know I am, as it is back to school today and I don't have to go.  Now I feel officially retired.

The Grand Opening

For awhile now the chrysanthemums have been having a grand opening.From a tight green bud to a beautiful pink bloom with a bright yellow center.

Mums are a good sign that Fall is approaching.

A macro photo of a bloom almost open to share on Macro Monday

You can see lots of other wonderful mosaic images at Mosaic Monday.

Is Fall arriving in your garden?

A Macro Bloom

Just look at the macro shot of the bloom from the Let's Streak hosta.

The edges look so delicate and the streaking is very obvious.To see more about this plant click the Let's Streak label at the end of this post.
Won't you please join in for Macro Friday.

A long weekend will be starting tomorrow. Some consider this the end of summer but there are still lots of days left - right up till September 21. This seems to be the transition into Fall with cooler mornings and over nights.  The odd bit of colour is creeping into the leaves and blooms in the garden are fading. Enjoy the long weekend and make the most of these days in the garden.

Fading Beauty

The heliopsis have bloomed for a long time this summer.

They are beautiful even as they fade away.  Click the heliopsis label to see more of these beautiful blooms.

I'm joining in with Cottage Floral Thursday and Fertilizer Friday.

Take time to enjoy the garden today, even as it fades away.