Little Creatures Need to Come in From the Cold Too

For the past week there's been a big brouhaha over a local Loblaws Grocery Store that was overrun with mice and rats. While rodents are normally content to stay outside for the most part - the allure of warmth, well stocked shelves and an abundance of carbohydrates was just too tempting. I know exactly how they feel. The Loblaws re-opens today with a few less creatures running about.

Helen and I were running about doing videos yesterday, first at the local Oakville Greenhouse on Cornwall Road, and then over to Sheridan Nurseries - where we discovered another little creature enjoying the comforts of retail living. Once a rack of of plants was moved, this lovely little fellow was discovered....can you see him?

Each time I got a little closer, he'd hunker down trying to hide himself in the greenery.

This is as flat as a toad gets without the intervention of an automobile. Very sweet little creature.

The Oakville municipal greenhouse is tiny and chock-a-block with all the usual suspects. From the moment you walk in you're smacked with the smell of damp, earth and green. Many of the orchids have just started to come into bloom.

Apparently on Saturdays, the greenhouse is booked solid for bridal parties.

I've got a couple of coleus languishing on the light table - when I see a planting like this, I think I really should plant up a couple and enjoy them upstairs.

A nice little collection of cactus.

When we were walking by this section, heard a gigantic piece of ice fall off the roof.

After seeing this Persian Shield (strobilanthes dyerianus), I'm on a mission to find a plant. With any luck when the nurseries start to stock up again in the next few months I'll be able to find one.

So, still fiddling around with seed and bulb orders - 2 days ago received a Veseys catalogue with a $35.00 coupon offer when you order $70 or more on summer bulbs and plants....like cocaine for gardeners. When it's as dark as it is this morning, all I can say, is it's nice to have my gardening addiction to fall back on.

Winter Madness & Seed Orders

It is snowing today. I'm beginning to take it personally. Things that I'd left for winter interest are now buried in snow. By the time I remove the snow from the brake lights, it's time to start again on the windshield. I've taken out pastry for pie, and I think I'm going to make brownies later. And, because they're good for you, I'm going to make bran muffins with dates.

Just to show that I'm not the only person in the Great White North going mad, saw this a.m. that there is a trapped cruise ship in the St. Lawrence River near Matane. Matane is north and west of Ottawa (the coldest capital city in the world), north of Montreal (one of the coldest and loveliest cities in the world), north of Quebec City, (home of the coldest and oldest walled cities in the world) and north of Chicoutimi (which is one of the coldest and most fun place names to say: Sheecooszteemee). And, the icebreaker that was sent to free these fools is trapped as well. However, Nathalie Letendre, communications officer for the Coast Guard denied the Terry Fox got stuck, "It just had difficulty to move in the ice," she said. "There's a difference." No fears, another coast guard icebreaker is on the way.

So, why you ask are these folks in a cruise ship in the middle of the St. Lawrence River - a magnificent river, that has as far back as anyone knows freezes solid every winter. Glad you asked - these folks are taking "part in a historic cross-country ski and river voyage marking the first time a cruise ship has plied the St Lawrence from Montreal to the Gaspe Peninsula in the middle of winter.....in honour of the 475 anniversary of the arrival of French Explorer Jacques Cartier (who, and as a side note of interest, was forced to stay here because his little ships were frozen in place from November to April).

Included in this ship of fools is founding president of the Montreal Insectarium, Georges Brossard, astronaut Julie Payette and biologist film maker Jean Lemire. According to the report, everyone is having a lovely time, getting massages, singing songs and reciting poems. And, there's even been an insect tasting - cockroaches and crickets coated in chocolate or salsa - I kid you not. Look for empty cages at the Insectarium this summer.

So, back to gardening, or at least preparing for it - seed orders to be done by 5:00 p.m. I've promised myself. And, unfortunately with the $Cdn down at the moment - I'll be ordering from Stokes, William Dam and Veseys. If nothing else their descriptions are pretty accurate - and Vesey's photographs appear to be from their own trial garden.

I pulled out a couple of seed lists from other years and found this - just had to share. It was from Chiltern's. The photo from 2006 follows - a reminder to myself, just like the mirror on my car - objects may appear much larger than they actually are. And, apologies - will figure it out another day, but Blogger is spinning my photos from landscape to portrait.

"TOLPIS BARBATA - Annual
A recommendation in C.O. Booth's famous Encyclopedia of Annual and Biennial Garden Plants published in 1957 when coloured pictures were at a premium, only eight plants merited such an illustration. This is one of them. It is a most attractive plant for border or rockery producing in great profusion from July to September brilliant bright yellow flowers, each 2 ins. across, with deep maroon centres. Splendid for cutting. 1-2 ft."

Not bad, even if it was the right way up.

However, look very closely....see those little flecks of yellow - the very same, Tolpis barbata a "most attractive plant"!

A Little Dreaming & More Fiddling with Camera Settings

I've been gathering photos for my upcoming shade gardening presentations. I'm amazed at how many photographs I have no recollection of taking - unlike the days of film when I could probably tell you what I was wearing when I took each shot. Maybe it's because so many of them are done in such a mad dash, or there aren't any other senses involved. Maybe it's because I just do a quick scan when I come back in the house - deleting the garbage and then leaving the rest until I need them. (And, no it's doubtful it's drink - most of them are taken before breakfast.)

Anyway, I'm glad there are lots to choose from - and certainly enough to show people how plants will develop throughout the season. Nothing like choosing some perennial based on its two-day bloom period when you have a small garden to be left with a big scruffy mess for the rest of the year.

So, as you would suspect, it is still cold, still snow-covered and still January. So, spending hours reviewing green photographs has been a bit of tonic. Looking at all these plants, got me thinking, what would I grow if I could snap my fingers and have it so. And, this is what I've decided I would design my garden around (if it wasn't too cold, too dry, etc.)

A Gunnera - photo taken in Vancouver - isn't it fabulous?! If I can't have something, it might as well be big, lush and leafy.


Here's another snapshot taken in Dominic Botanic Gardens (part of Kew). Now, this we could do, if I had enough property and was willing to replant every year....but then I remembered this shot

taken at the Montreal Botanical Garden - quite a nice northern compromise - the hosta is Jade Cascade.

Enough of the green already - I've been playing with the camera settings again - to see if I can get close to capturing wintry scenes. It was a fabulous day last Friday - just above freezing - and no wind to speak of. The light was bright, but not too contrasty. It was down to Lake Ontario to see what we could see. The toughest part was trying to find the lake as it bled into the sky - there's a tendency to tip the camera when you photograph water - of course if you can't even see where the lake stops and starts, I suppose it doesn't really matter. Here's the photograph taken on Auto 1/800 second.

Here it is on snow 1/500sec & I must say - this is a better representation of how I thought this scene looked.

Again still on snow 1/500 sec. I'm liking this.

Automatic 1/800 sec below.

Automatic 1/800 sec.

Snow 1/640 sec - much better job of capturing the winter light on the water.

Ok - back to the Royal Botanical Garden - a chance to try out my new snowpants! It was cold -25C or so. Lathered up my face with petroleum jelly - supposed to keep skin from freezing and there's the fun bit where all the linty bits from your scarf stick to your face.

So, bright day, high contrast - and this time, I think I prefer the automatic settings - maybe it's that picture postcard blue colour I crave who knows.

Automatic 1/1000 sec.

Snow 1/800 sec.

Automatic 1/1000 sec.

Snow 1/800 sec. Although when I think of water colour paintings of winter scenes, they are more apt to be like this. Certainly gives the artist more range in the browns of the woods.

The wind was really up - taken on an automatic setting - not bad - but sky is definitely watery.

You cannot believe how good it felt to be in this sheltered area out of the wind.

The RBG is restoring the native habitats for many of the creatures that used to live in the marshes. To keep invaders out they use old Christmas trees as a barrier. They've been able to move the carp out of several areas and restore plant populations. The carp were brought in the ballast of the large ocean going freighters coming into the Great Lakes. The scientists were amazed once the carp had been moved out - and no longer disturbing the bottom of the marsh so that light could get through that seeds of plant species thought to be long gone were able to germinate.

A couple of hardy souls skating away.
And a Where's Waldo photograph of a Blue Jay.

Back to the car, with two quick stops - one to Timmies for hot chocolate and then back to Oakville, where we stopped to see this ice house. The gentleman who built this fine structure raised the American flag in honour of the inauguration of Obama. Note the curved window.

The door was a little over a meter high.

But once inside, it's high enough for Kevin who is 6'5" to stand.On the other side there's a special storm window to combat the prevailing winds.

Kevin asked what his wife thought as he went up and down the neighbourhood collecting snow. He replied, "He didn't care what either of his 2 x-wives thought. Chair, electricity, and radio, what more could a guy want?

Playing in the Snow

That dull thudthudthud noise you might have heard is me banging my little head against my desk as I read about gorgeous flower bed expansions in Florida, seed potato purchases in England and sunshine in Tennesee. Here in Oakville, Ontario, it appears it is going to be the first time in 140 years that we are not going to have a January thaw. (Is that a big white bear outside my window?)

Well, misery loves company and there's nothing that makes you feel better faster when it's freezing cold, than to receive a letter from a good buddy who lives in Thunder Bay (on the north shore of Lake Superior, home of Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald") - good old northern Ontario - not Oakville wussy -17C (1F), but stupidly cold -42C (-44F) at high noon. So darn cold that the snow squeaks when you walk on it. So cold you almost think twice about sending out your two boys to play in the snow. Her message was short...her sentences were pared down to basic nouns and verbs. "Have cabin fever" "Hibernating for most of the Winter" "Ready to start eating my young" "Tried to send them outside" "Can't move with all their gear piled on."

So, sitting here with turtleneck sweater and short vest, feeling positively southern Ontario tropical at the moment. Figured out a new method to reduce my photos sizes en masse - so I'm fine until the next Windows update.

I'd been looking around various gardens, specifically at things that provide good winter interest. The problem I had was with my digital camera, trying to get a good representation of what things really looked like. When I was shooting black and white film in the dark ages - in order to get as much information on the film when I was shooting snow shots, I'd open up 2 stops more than my light meter suggested - in essence I was overexposing the film, but giving myself something to work with in the darkroom. If I didn't do this the camera would adjust itself to the blinding white snow and make everything else in the shot too dark.

Earlier this week I stumbled upon the "Snow" feature on my Canon PowerShot S80 and wondered if it might hold some of the answers to these too-dark-blue-snow shots. This was taken mid-morning and is a very good representation of what our plowed sidewalk looks like. (1/200 sec 4.0 ap.)


Here's some seed-heads left behind - again not bad, notice how the tones of the photo are warmer than we're used to seeing. Ok, so not bad so far, but there are exceptions - at a local parkette on the snow setting - just too washed out. (1/320 4ap.)

Better on automatic, but the red of the cornus is a bit too purple. (1/500 4.0ap)

Spinning around in the other direction I caught Kevin, again with the snow setting 1/1000 4.0ap.

At the end of the park - there's a little stream - those paw prints belonged to someones dog who looks like they went on a wonderful toot.

Now, here's a quandary - which one is better? (Interesting to see what happens to some ornamental grasses & snow....) (snow 1/160 4.0 ap)

or automatic? (1/250 4.0ap) There's that nice blue colour that makes me think of winter.

And one more - snow on the yew hedge - yup, that's a yew hedge. Automatic 1/1000 4.0ap

or snow setting 1/640 ap 4.0 - you really can see the texture of the snow in this shot.

And then these shots - this is a really big rock that is about to vanish - first on automatic 1/500

then on snow....1/130.

I think for the moment - since I don't play with Photoshop - I'm still going to have to take my glove off, hold it in my mouth, spin the dial, change the setting and take a couple of shots to see which one is better. And since it's only -17C, what's the big deal anyway?

Confounded Again

It's at moments like these that I really consider using a different operating system. A few days ago, while my mail was being compacted (something that happens whether I want it to or not), I left the room so that the computer could complete this task in privacy. When I returned, a good portion of my mail was missing - not all of it, just the most recent stuff from the last 4 months and a few other bits and bites in the folders marked "Save", "Client Files". To sum up, just the critical information was missing. However, clever Mr. Microsoft had preserved spam messages I'd forgotten to delete and party invitations from 2005. While there are no doctors in the family, I have the next best thing, a nephew named Andrew attending the Computer Science programme at University of Waterloo. And on Sunday, the very same, Saint Andrew found my mail files and put them back where I could find them.

Today, I have been diligently cleaning up my mail, dumping the trash and saving bits and pieces on other sections of my hard disk. In order to change tasks for a bit, I thought I'd blog on the topic of taking snow photographs, illustrating this short topic with photos I've taken over the last couple of weeks.

In the past, I would normally select the files I wanted, email them to myself - a quick way of getting the files made smaller (I shoot all my photos on the superfine setting - they're enormous) - then put them in a FORTHEBLOG file. However, this function that I have used on a daily basis seems to have been updated by Mr. Microsoft so that it no longer works. (Mr. Microsoft - Update as a verb means "to bring to the latest standard of technology" Were you not listening to President Obama today?) Instead I get a very odd looking screen, with a clear indicator line saying "this email has not been sent" and sadly no button to click on saying "Send".

Like an idiot, I've repeated the steps that worked so well in the past, hopeful that the outcome would be different, and I would be able to send myself smaller copies of my photos. Sort of the way I charge around the house, opening the same doors hoping to find that missing punch bowl.

So, a minor irritation on an otherwise glorious day. On a personal note - my dear Aunt Carolyn's 7 hour surgery for tongue cancer on December 22nd was brilliantly successful (talking, eating and feeling better every day) and today we learned the cancer has not spread to her lymph nodes. Plus, I've enjoyed the wonderful inauguration ceremony in the USA. And if that wasn't enough, the sun is shining brightly.

So as far as all the photos go, I'll work on those tomorrow, in the meantime, I took the 4 minutes and loaded up a photo I took today, just because it wouldn't be my blog without one.

Lots of Snow, Sunshine & a Trip to the RBG

We awoke on Sunday to find buckets of lovely soft powdery snow. Far more than the 2-3cm that was expected, probably closer to 20 cm (8"). But it was spectacularly beautiful. Without these little bits of Echinacea, there'd be no way to figure out where this bed was. Wish you could see just how the snow was sparkling in the sunshine.Once Kevin got the driveway cleared and the car uncovered, we headed off to the Royal Botanical Gardens to see if I could take some ornamental grass photos. Sadly the gardens are all closed, so we decided to try out one of the many trails instead. The Cherry Hill Gate is across the road from the main entrance and it looks as if the woodpeckers have had their way with it for several years.As you can see, you just ignore the little ropey chain thingie and walk down the hill where you'll find the trails (those that are open) are very well marked.

It is a very easy walk at this point - all downhill.

As we looped back, we found this stump that had been laced with birdseed.

Boy are they fast (or quite frankly, I guess I'm pretty slow) it was difficult just to get this one chickadee shot.

As we rounded the turn, we found an amazing elevated walkway that took us over the frozen bog.

Groups of photographers and birdwatchers had gathered - leaving little piles of birdseed along the top of the railing to entice the little feathered creatures closer for a picture.

There's no barrier on one side - so I suppose you'd have to be careful if you were with children. I like the open feel and unobstructed view. It was about at this point that I realized that I'd worn the wrong boots - the tall ones for walking through piles of snow, not the warm ones for a really long walk. Our tootsies were getting really cold.

But it was so darn pretty, how on earth could we go back just yet?

Cloud formation almost looked like daytime northern lights. There was a certain point when we realized as much as we wanted to go further, we really had to get back.

Can you believe the length of that stick's shadow at 11:00 a.m.?

So to thaw out, we went back to the main RBG building to see the art installation and hothouse. The RBG has a very small Mediterranean garden - something to see if you are going anyway, but certainly not a destination spot. It took us about 30 minutes for us and my camera to warm up.

This pottery Russian doll stood about 60 cm (24").

Kevin sat right here waiting for his feet to thaw.

So much fun to see stuff that we can never grow here - apparently this lovely yellow flowered-plant is from Australia.

A little more art - a fancy go-go girl fairy.

One last whiff of Spring bulbs and we were off. A great outside/inside visit to the RBG in winter.