Autumnal tree colour in Quebec is always spectacular but everything is late this year. Realizing that November is almost upon us, last night was the first frost and the weekend will be blattering rain we took a walk in the Arboretum this morning to catch what will probably be the last of the [...]
One year ago we had planned to spend a weekend away to celebrate our 50th anniversary but covid meant it all had to be cancelled at the last minute - quite a disappointment. A couple of golden oldies Good things come to he/she who waits however and we have just celebrated [...]
Thanksgiving Sunday 2019 A lot of summer is too hot while winters, delightfully cold as they are, are too long (they'd be fine if we could just skip the month of March). Meanwhile this part of the world is famed for its glorious autumn/fall colours which are just beginning to reach their peak [...]
Glowing at Twilight One of the pleasures of a garden like ours is that, especially at this time year when summer is sliding into autumn/fall, is sitting with a restorative drink and watching the seasonal flowers begin to positively "glow" as twilight takes over. It would be an unwanted cliché to suggest this [...]
Signs of the Season Turning Our first visit to North America was in 1987 at about this time of the year. A friend we were staying with mentioned that seeing Egrets on a lake in Minnesota was his marker that summer is nearly over while ours has become seeing Golden Rod in flower. [...]
Pine Siskins Predictions have been that winter finches of several species are going to be coming south in some numbers this year due a poor cone crop in the boreal forests - well, it's started very early indeed with the arrival in the garden of a half dozen Pine Siskins (accompanied by a not [...]
“Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot” … all that and the municipal elections mean that not much has been achieved in the garden this week that is worthy of mention. There are still leaves on the trees, though thankfully they are finally starting to turn yellow and drop to the [...]
The week started with a continuation of the abnormal heat and dry conditions we have (not) enjoyed for the past three weeks - nevertheless we have started to see small flocks of Canada Geese overhead. Most of those will be moving around the locality in search of grass to graze on and won’t really [...]
As the weather cools down (thank goodness) the first tints of autumn are beginning to appear and many leaves are starting to look tired. We have a large bank of mixed dogwoods on the southern edge of the garden and it is full of juvenile Song Sparrows, Purple Finches, House Finches all searching for [...]
The leaves are falling everywhere now and the flashy bright oranges and reds that this part of the world is famous for are over and gone ... which leaves us with some really attractive but more subtle shades. A quiet corner of the Sparroworks garden at the start of November. A collection of [...]