Landscape Congress 2013 Day Two

Good Grief.  Spent last 30 minutes writing away and it's all gone. Rats.  Perhaps this will give me an opportunity to write something even better, or just faster.  

Was parked in the back-40 of the Congress lot - but no fears the weather was absolutely brilliant.  I'd planned on only listening to one presentation in order to see as much as I could of the eight-acre trade floor.

Definitely more of this sort of inside on the outside available to look at.  As a real cook, I'm thinking you could do a real feast on this beast, but fear that in most yards it will become yet another status symbol that is cleaned by staff once a week rather than ever cooked on.

 

Right next to the Cutting Edge grass booth was the synthetic (o.k. plastic) lawn booth - did my heart good to see interested at about 4-1 in favour of the hardworking, low maintenance Cutting Edge grass.



Quite impressive to see these pools on the flatbed trucks - models to fit my budget and Bart's body - lower left:



More companies doing roof-top plant material.  Sedum Master makes these mats by broadcasting sedum clippings - if only lawns worked that way....

It was such a lovely day when I returned late afternoon, Kevin suggested we head over the the RBG for a walk on the trail.  You can just barely see them at the very end of the walkway.

Because I'm not normally not out at this time of year at this time of day  - generally cold and unpleasant - I'm intrigued by the quality of light.  And, I'll be able to play with my camera for the next few days, as the jet stream is way above here keeping things unseasonably warm (13C - 56F).

Very chubby little birds.

Happy little ducks:

Doesn't this look like a beaver before the implant?

Just wanted to mention one more thing I learned while I was at the trade show before I sign off for the day....hopefully successfully this time.  I spoke with folks at the booth at Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA).  Like to check in to see what's the latest horrid pest that is headed our way.  They often have photos, insects, samples of damage to show which can be very helpful when you're doing an article.  This time when I asked what was on the horizon, I was told - "There's too many to say, you just never know, new things all the time."  "But what does concern us and what we're cracking down on is off-label use of mothballs."  I thought they were joking and said, "you've got a team of paradichlorenzene police?"  She said, "We've got people investigating dichlo infractions."  (So Dichlo Detectives?)  And, if I were to call a number (I will share it with you if I must) when I see someone using mothballs to deter animals they will send someone to....  Do what?  I fear I do not know, because my mouth was open and I was unable to use my words.  In fact, the Canadian Government is demanding that all mothballs must be relabelled in both official languages so that you know that when they aren't living in your wooly drawer, they must be kept sealed.    So, you heard it here.  Mothballs are poisonous.  They should not be used outside to deter little animals from eating your garden.  I'm asking you if you do have mothballs outside, go get them and put them in a sealed plastic bag.  Ask for the squirrels to return those that are missing.  If you're thinking of using them outside don't.  I'll lend you Bart.  It is my personal goal that our tax dollars not be spent on mothball foolishness.  There, I'm feeling better.  And with that, here are a few more photos from our walk in the woods:

And an upside-down sky to go with our upside-down world.