Still all of March to get through before the gardening season can even be contemplated - other, that is, apart from sowing some seeds in a couple of weeks. Lots of snow on the ground. But there are things for the gardener to appreciate for all that, amongst which are buds with [...]
Winter in Quebec can be rather cold and tough but it has its compensations given a warm coat and boots. Sitting here this morning as the snow falls and the temperature falls faster we have been warmly enjoying the glorious flowers of three Amaryllis bulbs* while watching the indomitable Dark-eyed Juncos outside [...]
2022 - Another Year of Birding As a new year starts I like to make a note of the birding “ticks” from the year just coming to an end. Here goes for 2022 … a couple of days early but I don't expect anything new between now and the weekend. First, it's important [...]
The All Hallows Flower Count A quarter century ago when we still lived in England we used to record how many plants were still in flower at Christmas. In Quebec that’s always going to be zero but in recent years J has taken to making an annual list of the flowers still [...]
It is quite normal here at this time of the year for pictures to be exclusively focussed on the glorious fall colours of gold and brown and red but a gentle stroll in the garden this morning before coffee reminded me that provided the gardener does not indulge in the practice of [...]
Earlier this year, just in time for spring, I completed an early version of my book 1001 Species: A Natural History of a Small Town and offered it to the public as free PDF download. It enjoyed moderate success in the very small and rather niche market it was offered to and [...]
It's been a busy week, but now it's a quiet Friday with just the bird feeders to replenish here in the garden. Here we see how the time of day changes the things we can see. There is always something to enjoy in a garden. [...]
Ruby-throated Hummingbird approaches the snack-bar
Although they are not native plants we have a well behaved group of Japanese Anemones in the garden that I always look forward to flowering. One of the native bumble bees was assiduously working the flowers and had pollen sacks full to bursting.
Obedience (Physostegia virginiana) Back-lit in the morning light. A native flower that gets its name from the fact that you can, apparently, twist and turn the flower stems and they stay where you put them.