Happy Canada Day !

Happy Canada Day, all you Canucks!
A red and white petunia for our special day.

What's good about Canadians?
Just a very few thoughts.
Our tenacity ,
Our love of stories,
Our adventurous spirit ,
Our get-togethers, especially summer Bar-B-Qs.
Our love of nature,
Our love of food  - healthy or otherwise...
                             
 Three cheers for O Canada!
Hope you all get to see some fireworks.

Luna Hiding in the Tomatoes

 The other day, I was weeding a bit around the tomatoes when I noticed a luna moth upside down on a leaf. Interesting place to rest during the day.

The next morning, he was on the deck.  His wings are partly closed so you can't see his second set of eyes very well.  You can tell it's a "he" because the antenna are very bushy.

This is a little Hobomok butterfly with its wings closed.  I have an earlier post a with a picture of a Hobomok butterfly with its wings open.

Wildflower Book

When I was having a chat with a little girl the other day, she shared with me that she didn't know what a buttercup looked like.  I was very surprised, but after thinking about it, realized that even in the country children aren't necessarily encouraged to learn about plants and insects.
My grandson who is turning 6 next week has shown an interest in gardening so I thought I would
make him a little book of 20 wildflowers . Hopefully, he will know what a buttercup looks like.
I enjoy the natural world so much that a life without much connection to it seems so empty.

Rainy Day

 Just a few pics snapped between the rain showers today.

Dependable June Flowers

 Blanc Double de Coubert rugosa rose is super tough and has a clean fresh fragrance.  Its form is a little rough around the edges, but the flowers are lovely.

 This blossom has just the faintest tinge of pink, but as it opens it will be pure white. The little crab spider is hoping to catch some bugs that might nibble on the rose.

 The old-fashioned bearded iris are very dependable if you give them  sun and keep the tubers above ground level. Some of the fancier new varieties are fussier.

Blue Siberian irises are one of the easiest plants to grow.  Mine are in a moist location with quite a bit of sun, but my mother has a patch in sandy soil with partial shade and the iris still bloom every year. A clump will last for years and years. And the deep purple is so pretty.  I planted a couple of pink ones this spring, so I'll see if they will bloom next year.

 A wild mullein has popped up around the hostas. I like the fuzzy leaves of the mullein and will let it bloom before pulling it out.  Hostas are real workhorses of the shade garden and although some people has trouble with slugs chewing them, I've never had more than the odd hole. Hostas come in a multitude of variations of green, yellow, white and blue-green. Some grow very big (I have a couple of clumps that are 3' x 4'), but some are very petite.

 Perennial geraniums will form a loose mound and bloom sporadically for many weeks.  In the fall, the leaves often take on an attractive reddish tone. Nothing seems to  chew on them.

 This pink Knock-Out rose has a very tidy habit , lots of blooms and good disease resistance.  Unfortunately, no scent.

The wild daisies are blooming next to the container of beans.  They always look so cheerful  that I let them grow up wherever they want.  Easy enough to cut the plants back after they finish blooming.

Dragonfly

 I spotted this handsome dragonfly on a tomato plant.  Looks like he spotted me, too.

 Here's a bigger view of him.  Click on pic. for full width.

 The green is so shiny and iridescent.

This is Amber Jubilee ninebark that I bought last year.  I am so pleased with the colour of the leaves.  It is planted next to daylilies which should echo some of the colouring of the shrub.

Off To The Big City

 We went up to Toronto for a few days to attend our son's graduation, and visit the grandkids. This is a photo of Hart House on the U of T campus where the morning ceremony took place.

 During the noon hour, we enjoyed the courtyard area of Hart House and ate the tasty lunch that was provided.  The students got to say their goodbyes and take pictures of their friends.

Later, after a terrific thunderstorm, we stopped at our son's apartment on the 32nd floor. This is the view out the window looking towards Lake Ontario. Lots of new building going on.

 On the way home, we scooted off the 401 highway for a bit and travelled along the 1000 Island Parkway.  Aah - this is more like it.  I can breathe again.

 Great rocks in this area.

And a shapely tree.
It's good to go away and good to come home.

Touches of White

At this time of year, the more colourful wild flowers still aren't in bloom; however, many touches of white brighten up the mostly green landscape.  Above, valerian grows in many waste areas.  Later it will give off a lovely smell reminiscent of heliotrope.

A bit of decorative fencing. I decided that I wouldn't just look for white flowers, but also other touches of white in the lanscape.

I keep hearing the orioles, but it is so hard to see them once the trees leaf out. But today, I spotted one in,  I think,  a nannyberry bush. Yes, I know he is not white, but the blossoms are white. He does have a little bit of white on his wing.

"Where's the white?" you ask.  Actually the mesh crib holding rocks is painted white. It's interesting because this spring a beaver decided to improve on the damn by adding branches and dirt.  The water is definitely being held back better.

Canada anemone 

In the distance, some farm buildings.

Foam flower.

Bladder campion

I'm surprised this dandelion still has its hair since we've had wind and rain lately.

And finally, my neighbour's horse sporting a white blaze right to the tip of her nose.