Am I the only one who sees faces in everything? This sunflower seen near the lake end of Warden Avenue looks a bit like it’s wearing sunglasses – or is giving passersby a wink. Is it just me, Doctor?
Are you winking at me?
Word Verification words that could be real
Many bloggers protect themselves from spam with some kind of Word Verification gate. With Blogger, the letters come up randomly, requiring a “real person” to key them in, thereby deterring attack by automated spam bots. Yet sometimes the scrambled letters look like they might actually be a word. We thought we’d share some of the […]
Fauxpiary and other holiday snaps
Holiday garden sightings from the sublime to le ridicule. Seen on the road on the way to Ottawa, at a rest stop somewhere in the Haliburton Highlands, Ontario. Seen on the road on the way to Quebec City, at a McDonald’s somewhere near Berthierville, Québec. Monsieur Ronald and chums in a fauxpiary tableau. Crazy, but […]
“What, this old thing?” or What to Wear in the Garden
While looking to acquire some desired object – probably electronic – on Craigslist lately I came upon the wonderful item of clothing pictured above (names have been obscured to protect the innocent). What a revelation. I instantly realized I’ve been going about my sartorial choices all wrong. The ugly truth: How can I consider myself […]
Hoya vey: Don’t try this at home
I have barbecued my mother’s 25-year-old Hoya. I mean it. Literally barbecued. It looks decidedly miffed. Having brought this otherwise indestructible plant out for its usual summer vacation, I had thought perhaps it needed a shaded transition spot. And there was the ledge beneath our rickety gas BBQ. Oooh, thinks me, looks nice there. And […]
Garden magic tricks: Lady in a bathtub
Gather round, kids. Now you too can amaze your friends with this simple garden sleight of hand: turn a flower into Dutchman’s breeches or Lady in the Bathtub. Just watch… Nothing up my sleeve. Lookee here: in this hand, one blossom of Dicentra spectabilis, or bleeding heart. Yes, kid, the white works just like the […]
Do squirrels possess superpowers?
Well, let’s look at the criteria – or, shall we say, critter-ia? – for superpowerfulosity in squirrels. It certainly appears they can fly. Just try to place a birdfeeder somewhere they can’t reach. In a single bound. They have a secret identity. Sure, they look cute and fluffy, hopping along the fence like Pepé LePew. […]
Bringing Geraniums out of the Dead Land: Overwintering Annuals
April – the cruelest month – is the time when I start wondering when I can start introducing my overwintered plants back into the “wild”, aka bring them back into the great outdoors. I overwinter geraniums every year, keeping the favourites for next year. Main reason: In the (almost) words of Renfield from the movie, […]
Oh, the Irony: His Name is Achilles and he’s got an Achilles Heel?
This routine from the great English stand-up comedian Eddie Izzard went through my head when I had a rather ironic occurrence this morning. After posting just yesterday about my great idea with the plastic tub greenhouse, I discovered that, due to my own Achilles heel (a massive case of scatterbrained-ness), I forgot to bring my […]
Warning: There be watermelons!
On Sunday, I picked up a little seedless watermelon from my local No Frills and gave it what I thought was an authoritative tap to test for ripeness. Little did I know that what I purchased, after the thunk, was not a watermelon. It was a festering cesspool. Until late last evening, without warning, it […]
The Big Black Monolith: or Curbside Idiocy
In our neighbourhood this week we all took a collective gulp when these massive recycling bins appeared out of the blue sky on our lawns. They’re BIG. They’re HUUUUUGE. I immediately thought of the opening scene in 2001 A Space Odyssey, when the apes confronted the Big Black Monolith. “What IS it? Why is it […]
Not everyone has your passion for dead leaves
Not everyone has your passion for dead leaves. – Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility What is it about Canadians and dead leaves? The spurning of them, I mean. To my utter horror, I’ve just discovered that my new downstairs neighbour has carefully raked and stuffed into plastic garbage bags every single decaying leaf in the […]